Choosing Your College Major: A Quick Guide For Parents

One of a college freshman’s biggest struggles is choosing which major to pursue.

When you first think about it, choosing a college major may seem like a relatively easy decision to make. You just need to pinpoint your kid’s biggest passion or core strength. But of course, in real life, there are always gray areas. What if your kid excels in multiple fields? Or what if your kid is not really into anything specifically and just wants to explore his/her options first?

As supportive parents, the last thing you want to do is pressure your kids. As it is, college preparation can take a toll on them emotionally and psychologically.

But you certainly do not want this decision to be taken arbitrarily as well. For starters, the stakes are higher and the investment, in terms of time and resources, is bigger. Your kid’s college major will also determine their academic coursework in the next four years (at least), and studying something they’re not really into is not exactly the best motivation to go through the inevitable challenges of tertiary education.

So, what can we do?

The simplest answer is to support them, the best way we can.

But how do we do this exactly? Here are some tips and insights from resource persons we found online.

In a video for College Board, Nucciarone stated that sometimes, it’s the major that finds the student. When freshmen students first step into college, they have a basic idea of what they want but this can change or evolve once they are exposed to classes they’ve never taken before, inspiring professors or classmates, or new fields of study that they did not even know existed. The important takeaway here is to just let our kids go through the experience, and eventually, with support from parents, career advisers and teachers, they will be able to discover their field of passion and interest.

In an article for QuintCareers.com, a career development site, Dr. Hansen begins with a basic and most apt advice: Do not panic.

He acknowledges that while some students go to college knowing full well what they want, some also begin their college journey a bit more uncertain, and that’s okay. Even if one has already chosen a major, shifting is an acceptable option especially if that leads students to a more fulfilled college life.

Dr. Hansen also offers ‘six stops’ on a student’s journey towards deciding which major to focus on.

1. Self-assessment of interests. What excites your kid? What careers appeal to them?

2. Examination of abilities. What are their strengths? What are their weaknesses? What are their skills? What subjects were they good at in high school?

3. Work values. Are your kids passionate about a job that lets them help other people? Do they value security and status? Do they prefer working alone or with a team?

4. Career exploration. What job options will your kid have with this particular major?

5. Reality check. This involves honest evaluation of personal circumstances that can affect your kid’s choice of major.

6. Shortlisting and choosing a major. This is the final step of the journey. Though your kid may still end up with choices, going through the five previous stops should have at least significantly narrowed down them down.

In an article for the New York Times, Gebhard borrows words of wisdom from people who have gone through the thorny phase of career confusion and survived it. In it, he reminds people that, oftentimes, college major choices do not decide a person’s career future, and it is important to be flexible and creative in dealing with real life challenges.

· From Richard Linklater, Oscar-nominated director: Focus on your own goals, not on other people’s goal for you.

· From Adam Steltzner, NASA engineer: “Forget passion; follow an interest.” Steltzner noted that passion is something that “you discover over time”, where as an interest, no matter how small, is something your kid can nurture. He also advised people to follow their curiosity and to “surrender to the process.”

· From Veronica Belmont, web and TV host, producer and writer: Make sure expectations match reality. With today’s technology, there’s no reason to not be able to gain insight into a field that your kid is interested in. There are always free resources online and various ways to get immersed into a career, like an internship.

· From Jad Abumrad, host and producer for WNYC’s “Radiolab”: Be good at it and be flexible. Not everything will fall into place as planned and it is crucial that your kid can quickly adapt to changes and harsh realities. As long as your kid has the skills, there will always be innovative ways to stand out and succeed.

According to the Princeton Review, the U.S. Department of Labor found that the average 20-something “switches jobs once every three years and the average person changes career fields two or three times in their lifetime.” This simply means that your kids’ choice of college major will not lock them down to just one career. At the end of the day, their future success will still mostly depend on how well they adapt to the demands and challenges of the real world.