Truth: Absolutely not. Do you realize that about 70 percent of students enrolled in college change their majors at least once? Seriously, it’s not the end of the world if you don’t know what you want to be “when you grow up”, much less know exactly what your major will be before checking out some colleges.   

Think of it this way. The first half of your college years will be spent taking general education classes. Those are foundation classes like Introduction to Biology and English Composition. General education classes are basic overviews of many subject areas and offer you the chance to see what career fields and options are out there.  

Don’t be discouraged if your friends seem to already know what field they would like to go into when they graduate. It’s a known fact that most college students change their majors at least once if not more than that, so you’re doing just fine.  

As you begin taking your general education classes, here are some things that can help make choosing your major a bit easier:     

• Take note of the classes that are interesting to you and why.
• Talk to current students already in the major and gather their feedback.
• Search online to learn more about what that job can be like once you have your degree. (The Occupational Outlook Handbook is a great place to start.)
• Make an appointment with a professor who teaches some of the courses.
• See what the job market is like for people with the degree you wish to earn (America’s Career InfoNet has some great information!) 
  

Once you have your list, you’ll be able to narrow down your choices in a way that’s not so overwhelming. Bottom line: find a school that will help you succeed and achieve your dreams. Discovering your major (once you get there) will be the fun part.   

Have you already begun looking at specific majors to study? Tell us in the comments about some of the subjects that sound interesting to you and why!