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Choosing a Major That is Right For You

Student browsing the internet When students begin post-secondary education, many believe that they are taking the first steps towards the rest of their lives. Technically, they are, however, these steps aren’t always linear. In fact, 50-70% of students will actually change their major throughout their post-secondary career. For many, this can be a stressful time and changing your major can feel like failure. The good news is that majority of first year programs are quite generic so changing your major doesn’t always necessarily mean needing to spend more time and money on school. So how do you know you’re in the right program? Here are some tips for choosing and keeping the right major for you.

Are you Interested?

Choosing a major is tough especially with so many options out there. The most important thing about selecting a major is interest. If your focus of study is going to be based on something that you don’t find valuable or interesting, there’s a good chance you’ll have a more difficult time learning the material since you’re not passionate about the subject matter. You’re also more likely to be less satisfied in any future careers that come from that major if it doesn’t hold a real interest. Studying something that makes you feel excited and more eager to learn about is a great start in narrowing down your options for choosing a major.

Are you Qualified?

Of course, to be considered for all majors you must hold the right qualifications. Most colleges and universities will list their course requirements so you can easily be sure you’ve achieved the appropriate grades in the mandatory courses as required. But what happens if you’re switching your major after completing 2 years of post-secondary studies? Well, many schools will see if any of your completed courses are valid towards your new major (most first-year courses will be applicable and the rest can be considered electives). However, if there is a mandatory high school course that you needed to complete, you will have to look to online or night school certifications to ensure you have the mandatory electives under your belt. Then, your guidance counsellor will surely be able to guide you in how to proceed with your change of major.

Is there Opportunity?

Landing a job after college or university is hard enough as it is, but it’s even harder when there are no job opportunities in that given field. The last thing you want is to complete a degree you’re excited about but have no opportunity to exercise your newfound knowledge. Upon choosing a new major, explore your career opportunities; where do the opportunities occur? What type of experience will you need to acquire? What is the median salary range? These are all important factors to consider when deciding if a major is right for you.

Picking a major is a big decision that can hold a lot of promise, opportunity, and exciting changes to come. Some of these changes however may include changing your major itself, and that’s okay too! No matter what your major is, there will of course be certain areas that are more difficult to comprehend than others. This, however, does not mean that your chosen major isn’t right for you—it simply means you could just use a little help. Check out our services to see the different subjects we specialize in and how we can help you make the most of your major.

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