Congratulations! You are about to start a new chapter in your educational life, but you are probably overwhelmed by the choices and decisions you are about to make.
A lot of students end up making dumb mistakes upon choosing their major as a result of uninformed decisions.
Learn about the most common mistakes most students make when it is time to choose their learning paths for you to end up happy with the doors that the major you choose open for you.
- Choosing for Income
You go to college primarily so you can learn useful skills and obtain a degree – two things that will open up new career opportunities for you and increase your earning potential.
Since college costs a lot of money, it’s very useful to frame it as a business decision. This is a very good mindset to take when you’re evaluating the potential cost of your education (going to a cheaper university vs. a more expensive one, for example). However, it would be a poor decision to use this mindset as your sole tool for deciding on a major.
- Letting Authority Figures Influence You Too Much
It is vital to take what authority figures tell you into consideration.
If you want to do something, consider others’ words, do your research, and make your own decision.
- Trying to “Find Your Passion”
“Find your passion” has its pros and cons. Although people will throw it at you from every direction, this is what Mark Cuban’s had to say on this subject:
“Let me make this as clear as possible:
1) When you work hard at something you become good at it.
2) When you become good at something you enjoy doing it more.
3) When you enjoy doing something, there is a good chance you will become passionate about it.”
If you have an interest but don’t yet feel it’s your “passion”, stick with it anyway. Work hard, get better, and see how things turn out.
- Failing to Do Your Due Diligence
When it comes to investing, one of the best pieces of advice said on this matter is::
“Know what you own, and know why you own it.” – Peter Lynch
Remember, your college education is an investment. You’re investing years of your time and a lot of money to go to college; you should at least have some inkling of what you’re getting yourself into when you choose your major. Hence, you need to:
- Research potential career opportunities in that major.
- Make sure you know all the classes you’ll have to take.
- Talk to people who have gone before you and get their experiences.
When it comes to a huge investment of your money and time like this, make sure you know:
- What you’re getting into and where it could potentially lead.
- How it relates to your goals.
- Not Getting Experience ASAP
“What you do in the classroom is usually a very poor indicator of what an actual career in your major will be like.”
It’s very difficult to gauge what you’ll actually do, day-to-day, from your experiences in the classroom. Academics simply aren’t like the real world.
Therefore, you need to work harder to gain new experience in other areas. Get involved in training programs, internships, volunteering, etc as it will help you diversify and extend your expertise as soon as you can.
- Following Your Friends
One of the worst reasons behind making a poor decision when it comes to choosing your major is probably following your friends’ lead.
Remember:
You are different and you have different interests, different levels of drive and motivation, and different relationship networks. College is an opportunity-rich environment, and these differences will only become more pronounced as time passes.
Your friends’ decision to major in something shouldn’t have any effect on you. Allow yourself to pursue your own interests, even if it forces you outside of your comfort zone.
- Double Majoring Without a Good Reason
If you wish to double major, do it but only for the right reasons. If you believe two majors will be complimentary, or will help you achieve a specific goal, then the extra effort involved in completing them can be worth it.
If you’re doing it because it is “more impressive” on a resume, it will only be taking up more of your time.
Taking on two majors means heaping on a significant amount of extra class time – and homework – onto your daily schedule.
Don’t make the mistake of heaping a ton of extra academic work on yourself without a good reason. Instead, define your goals. Be mindful of your path, and do what will get you closer to achieving those goals.
- Waiting Too Long to Choose
If you’re going to college as an “undecided” student, it is important that you seek out as much experience as you can gain right away.
If you’re at the point where you can’t even decide on a major, you’re basically only toe-ing the waters of any given major at this point.
Remember, college is an investment!
- Choosing Based on a Romanticized Image
It’s cool to get inspired by what you see in your favorite movies, books, and games. However, you need to realize the real world isn’t like what you see on TV. You aren’t going to be a movie character, and you’ll be doing what you chose to specialize in for your entire life.
Part of successfully achieving a goal is having a clear path to follow. However, it’s just as important to avoid potential pitfalls along the way.
Reposted from: https://collegeinfogeek.com/dumb-major-choice-mistakes/
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