What Should You Study in College? How To Choose Your Major

Emma Sarran Webster
College experts weigh in on how to make this major choice.

After months (or longer) of poring over brochures, visiting campuses, and picturing yourself in different school colors, you finally decided where to go to college. Now you're asking yourself a new question: What do I major in? College decisions like these can definitely feel challenging.

While some people enter college with a clear-as-day idea of what degree they’ll be pursuing, many people don’t — and that’s OK. “Know that in most cases, mainly liberal arts, your major is not the end-all-be-all of your career,” says Jill Jacinto, associate director of editorial communications for WORKS. “Once you graduate and enter the real world, you will be able to explore many different types of jobs and industries.”

But you will have to declare a major at some point, so it’s important to understand the process, and what the decision means. “Students should learn all they can about the options that their college offers,” Eulynn Gargano, head of test prep and tutoring at FutureWise Consulting, tells Teen Vogue. “Can I double major? What options are there for my minors? How late in my college career can I switch my major and still graduate in a timely manner? Asking these questions can not only alleviate the pressure of choosing a major, but often allows students to consider pursuing multiple interests during their college career.”

Below are 10 expert tips to help you figure out what to major in.

1. Take your time.

Don’t feel pressure to select your major before or immediately after you get to college. According to Angela María García, a College Board executive director, many schools don’t require you to declare a major until the end of your sophomore year. “Use the first two years of college to take classes that interest you as you figure out what you want to settle on,” she tells Teen Vogue.

You won’t be alone in that venture: 20-50% of students start college undecided about their majors. "It's not uncommon to be uncertain,” says Kristina Ellis, author of How to Graduate Debt Free: The Best Strategies to Pay for College. “And there's nothing wrong with patiently yet proactively exploring the options so you can make a more effective decision down the road."

2. Explore.

Not only will slowing down the process give you time to weigh your options, this will also give you the chance to discover new career paths and passions. “With the increasing influence of technology and the rapidly changing job market, it makes much more sense to spend the first couple of semesters exploring areas of study that you may not be familiar with,” college admissions consultant, Jodi Rosenshein Atkin, tells Teen Vogue. “Subjects such as anthropology, data mining, public policy, and communications are rarely, if ever, taught in high school, but may provide the spark for a passion you don’t know exists when you start college.” Take time to try classes and subjects that intrigue you. “When you find the subject(s) that keep you talking after class, reading beyond the requirements, and looking for other courses in the same field, you’ve hit the jackpot,” Atkin says.

And don’t be afraid to think outside the box. "Test the waters! Take classes that sound interesting to you that will count toward your general course requirements for graduation,” says Kristina L. Dooley, founder and president of Estrela Consulting. "You may find that you have a great interest in sociology or creative writing, even after always thinking you were destined for engineering. Just because you are ‘good’ in a subject doesn't necessarily mean that is where you should focus your search for a major.”

3. Narrow it down.

Unless you have a clear career path in mind, it can be very overwhelming to choose a major from the nearly endless list of options. Rather than simply look at a list of majors your school offers and try to pick one, break down the process. “Avoid decision paralysis by narrowing down the choices,” Dr. Luz Claudio, author and professor at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, tells Teen Vogue. “It will feel less overwhelming if you focus on having to select from three different majors than from 10. Lay out the two or three most appealing choices. Are there some common themes? Perhaps you can combine them. If you narrowed it down to pre-med and computer science, is there a way in which you can combine the two? Increasingly, graduates from multidisciplinary programs are more appealing for graduate programs and employers.”

4. Ask for feedback.

Declaring a major isn’t a decision you have to make alone. Leaning on others can help you realize things you wouldn’t have come to on your own. “Ask your friends and parents what they think your strong traits are,” Jacinto says. “Many times our listening skills will lead us to degrees in psychology, curiosity to degrees in journalism, leading to teaching careers. The people you are the closest with often are able to point these out to you.”

Once you narrow down your options, Jacinto recommends asking people in the know as well. “I would also advise reaching out to alumni via LinkedIn in majors you are thinking of getting into and asking for their insights,” she says. “Getting advice from people who have been there and done that in your exact program is extremely valuable.”

5. Consider the class requirements associated with different majors.

It’s tempting to choose your major solely based on a career path that sounds interesting to you. But, in reality, it’s important to understand what that major will mean on a more practical level. “Get to know the academic requirements for the major you are considering,” Ellis says. “Make sure you not only enjoy the major, but will [also] be excited about the classes that come with it.” Ellis adds, “You should also evaluate whether the requirements fit your abilities and skill set.”

Vinay Bhaskara, cofounder of CollegeVine, echoed that sentiment: “Even if you have a field that excites you, you need to make sure that you can find the type of classes that you like,” he tells Teen Vogue. “For example, if you’re terrible at exams and love writing essays and discussing stuff in small groups, then regardless of how interested you are in pre-medicine, it probably isn’t a good fit.”

6. Look to the future.

Your major doesn’t, by any means, have to dictate your future, but it is worth it to think about what your different choices may lead to, especially if you have a specific passion or career path in mind. Ellis suggests exploring the different jobs certain majors can lead to, and how you feel about them. “Make sure the major you choose can lead to a job you'll enjoy,” she says. “You also want to pick a major that gives you the best chance possible of landing a great job post-graduation. Is the job market booming for the major you are considering, or is it oversaturated?”

7. Consider how the major you choose will impact your bank account.

Though it’s not the most romantic approach, Bhaskara notes that it’s important to consider future financials as well. “In an ideal world, everyone would be paid an excellent wage for doing work that they loved, but the reality is that different majors make it harder or easier to earn a solid wage, and that some students can’t afford to purely follow their heart,” he says. That doesn’t mean you can’t do what you love. He continues, “The key here is that it doesn’t always have to be a trade-off — there are often tangential fields to your area of passion that you can still enjoy while enjoying better career prospects. For example, if you’re a painter, graphic design might strike the right balance between something that you would enjoy and [something that’s] more career-oriented.”

8. Consult your academic advisor.

Academic advisors and college counselors are trained to help students figure out what they want to do with their lives and how to go about achieving their goals. Every campus has a Student Services department, so utilize this resource.

9. Follow your dreams, no matter how big they may be.

You can aim high — just put a plan in place. Study what you love, apply for internships at companies you're interested in, and create actionable goals. Learn exactly what it takes to get where you want to go. Whether it's a Supreme Court justice, an investigative journalist, or a brain surgeon, it's up to you to figure out the steps to get there. Create a road map and turn your dreams into a reality!

10. Don't know what you want to do yet? Don't worry — big decisions take time.

You can go through all these tips carefully and still find yourself asking, "What do I major in?!" That's perfectly OK. Take a lot of different classes early on that might help provide some clarity. You can also consider a double major. Find what works for you, even if that means taking extra time to figure it out!

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