As a current senior in college, I often look back and think about how long it took me to choose my major and minor. I decided on my major and minor at the beginning of my junior year of college. Early in my college career, I took advantage of the “undeclared” option that many colleges offer as I wanted to have more time to discover my interests. Oftentimes, it can be easy to think that during your freshman year, you have to decide on your major and minor. However, the comforting truth is that you have time, and even if you decide, you usually have time to change your decision before the start of your junior year. I am going to share some tips below that I have discovered for choosing a college major and minor when this decision feels overwhelming.  

• Take a Variety of General Education Classes: In your early years of college, you have the opportunity to take a variety of classes that will help you discover your interests. By taking classes that cover a variety of subjects, you are allowing yourself to be introduced to possible majors and minors. Even if the title of a class does not sound interesting to you, I would still encourage you to take the class. Sometimes a certain class or professor will help you to develop an interest in a certain subject. The helpful aspect of taking general education classes is that these classes can potentially help you identify what major and minor you want to pursue. 
• Schedule a Time to Meet With the Career Center: Most colleges have a career center on campus where you can schedule meetings with a career advisor. I would highly encourage any college student to spend time with an advisor in the career center because of the helpful resources that are offered by these centers. For example, these career centers offer personality quizzes that help match specific majors, minors and jobs to you. Also, these centers have websites that show you what jobs you can do with a specific major and minor. Being able to talk to an advisor in the career center about your interests, uncertainties, etc. helps begin the search for your major and minor.
• Do Not Be Afraid to Change Your Major and Minor: Even if you choose a major and minor during your early years of college, it is not unusual to change your major and minor before you graduate. It is important to talk with your academic advisor about wanting to change your major and minor because of the timeline, number of classes needed, etc. After my first two years of college, I decided to major in healthcare administration. However, after taking a few classes in this major, I knew it was not for me. At the beginning of my junior year in college, I completely changed my major to English and my minor to marketing. I had always been interested in English and enjoyed writing. I knew that majoring in English felt more like me and was more interesting. It is always better to change your major and minor earlier in your college career, but do not be afraid to change your major and minor as this change is common. 

If you are a college student who is unsure of what major and minor you want to declare, I hope that this article will encourage you. It is normal for this process to take time, and it is normal to be unsure of your major and minor when you start college. There are plenty of resources available on campus to help you start thinking through these decisions. Do not be afraid to ask questions, make changes and take a variety of classes that will help you discover your interests.