When it comes to college application season, many are asked two questions: where do you want to go and what do you want to study? The latter can be more difficult as it is a highly personal choice that can decide your first job post-graduation and potentially your career.

Choosing your college major is far from an exact science. Many students are shell-shocked when they encounter the reality of performing in a college environment. With strict grading and potentially distant teachers, your ideal major may not be all that you expected.  However, a combination of interests and academic strengths are usually good guidelines when choosing your major.

“Social work is often overlooked in today’s world, many children suffer due to misguidance on the part of the social workers. I have been seen this suffering first hand and want to ensure this never happens to any child. Social work has always been an easy decision for me,” junior Adriana Molinares  said.

If you have no specific interest or you are a jack of all trades, do not be discouraged. It is important to note that a college major is the specific field or sub-field of which the majority of your classes pertain to. Therefore, if you have no real idea of what you want to major in, look through a list of majors available at the schools you are applying to. From there pick one that is of interest and search through the college or universities course schedule for that major. A majority of colleges and universities have a course schedule for each major on their respective websites, where they outline the courses by semester required to declare any given major. After weighing these different factors you can consult your high school counselor to get another perspective on your decision.

You can also gather an idea of what your major should be by those around you. Choose someone you admire and see if their area of expertise is of interest to you. Through doing this, you can gain first hand knowledge on a specific major and get a great sense of if it fits your personality and interests.

“I have always wanted to be a biomedical engineer because I love science and hope to contribute to the field in a great way when I get older,” senior Catherine Healy said.

It is important to remember that college majors are not set in stone, and many students change their major several times for a wide variety of reasons before having graduated. Changing interests, difficulty of classes, and classroom environment are only a few of the reasons why people change their major. Although choosing a college major is a serious decision, effort and passion are what makes somebody a successful student and employee.