Not Sure What to Major In: Am I Choosing the Right One?
Although statistics vary from school to school, studies estimate that anywhere between 30-70% of students will change their major at least once. It’s common to feel unsure about what major is right for you or to change your mind on a career path during your college years.
Feeling unsure about your major is far more preferable to feeling certain while still in school -- only to find that you made the wrong choice once you’ve graduated. Although finding a major that works for you isn’t an exact science, there are a few things you can do to help narrow your search. To see if your current major is the best choice, try our Career Wizard Quiz to see what career path might be ideal for you.
Did I Choose the Right Major?: Signs to Watch
“Am I in the right major?” It’s a tough question to ask yourself and can be equally difficult to answer. Here are a few warning signs that your major may not be right for you.
- Bad grades - If you’re not thriving in classes related to your major, it could be time to reevaluate. Bad grades don’t necessarily indicate you don’t have what it takes to thrive with your current major, but they’re a warning sign that demands attention.
- Lack of interest in subject matter - Doing poorly in your classes can be reflective of many significant issues, such as whether you still find the coursework interesting. No matter what you’re learning, there will always be some amount of boring repetition involved. But when your lack of interest is deep, sustained, or frequently getting in the way of your coursework, then it could be time for a change.
- You chose a major based on a recommendation - Sometimes friends or loved ones recommend a major. If a friend or loved one recommended the major you selected and the classes aren’t what you expected, then there’s a good chance you’re in the wrong major.
- You chose a major based on salary expectations - The same can be said if you selected your major on the basis of salary alone, which is a recipe for unhappiness. Putting aside the importance of your health and wellbeing, very few traits will help a career thrive more than passion.
How to Find a Major You Like
Still asking yourself “what is the right major for me?" A good place to begin is to consider what other people have done in other fields of study that seem interesting to you. Do you have any personal or professional heroes? Research some of the people who you admire and learn about the paths they took.
The world is full of job opportunities you’d never imagine without seeing first. As technology continues to reshape the economy, many of those opportunities are careers paths that have only existed for a few years. Because some of these career paths are so new, it’s difficult to build college majors and curriculum around these areas of study. However, you can pin down what some of the fundamentals of these new career paths and find a major that offers related areas of study.
An effective way to work through this problem is by looking at the job market and asking yourself the following:
- What job prospects are available? And of those opportunities, what appeals to you?
- What’s happening in the job market?
Finally, if you’re changing majors because you’re struggling academically, it can be worth speaking to an advisor about what major is right for you. They can review your academic history, and try to match your talents and interests to a specific subject. Figuring out how to find a major you like is a little easier when you examine the personal factors of choosing a major.
Which College Major Is Best For The Insurance Industry?
A person with a background in nearly any major can be successful in the insurance industry. This is due to the fact that the insurance jobs require a variety of factors that allow talent to be successful. From people who excel with math, to people who are great in connecting with others, the industry has career tracks for individuals with many types of skills.
As a result, the best college majors for insurance really depend on the types of positions that most closely align with your interests. Someone with a firm background in mathematics could find opportunities working as a data analyst or actuary. And you might obtain that mathematical background by studying physics, engineering, or economics.
Many of the best majors for insurance agents, underwriters, and similar careers are actually found in the liberal arts. Liberal arts degrees can help teach communication skills, research skills, analytical ability, and a variety of similar traits with wide applicability to the workforce and life. Employers consider many of these skills to be impossible to train.
Of course, that’s just the tip of the iceberg. You can find a wide variety of other majors that support a career in insurance, too.