CHAPTER TOPICS

ADVICE ON SELECTING A MAJOR SELF ASSESSMENT INITIAL SELECTION OF RELEVANT MAJORS GATHER INFORMATION ABOUT POSSIBLE MAJORS GATHER INFORMATION ABOUT RELEVANT CAREERS   TAKE COURSES IN RELEVANT MAJORS

MAJOR refers to an area of study in which a degree is awarded.  Selecting a major is required for all undergraduates. Successfully completing a major does not necessariy lead to a well-defined occupation.          A suitable major can make college life pleasant (or at least less unpleasant), lead to a high GPA, and keep your options after graduation open.      Some decisions (for example, choosing a spouse, choosing a college major), if made correctly, can be made just once and can perhaps lead to happiness or financial success (hopefully both). Unfortunately, in the garden of love, it is easy to pick a lemon and we are unable to give you advice about this. Where we can be of assistance is in helping you choose a college major correctly.        Here we give a procedure designed to help you select a major. The remaining sections of this chapter are used to fill in the details.

LINKS

SURVIVOR FACE-OFF, from College Board, provides a interesting discussion of Career vs. Liberal Arts Majors question faced by many entering college.    MAJOR AND CAREER PROFILES, from College Board, provides a useful introduction to majors you may consider and considers some specializations within these majors, and does the same for careers. This site is strongly recommended for a first introduction to majors and careers.    JobWeb advice on CHOOSING A MAJOR is well written and informative.    The University of Southern Maine gives some advice to consider about CHOOSING A MAJOR including the good advice to not "be misled by today's job market."    For a change of pace, you may want to read humorist DAVE BARRY's view of college and various majors.