| One of the biggest mistakes any student makes | | | | exhibit excellent communication skills and |
| is going to college without having a clear idea of | | | | leadership quality, but you should also be good at |
| what they want to do. A lot of students just | | | | data interpretation, analytical thinking, etc. Similarly, |
| "drift" into a college major either because their | | | | anyone pursuing an information technology degree |
| friends are doing it or they can't think of anything | | | | should be good at math and logical ability. |
| better to do. It should hardly come as a surprise | | | | Action: Take an appointment with a career |
| then that a whopping 50-70% college students | | | | counselor who can give you an aptitude test. |
| change their major at least once. | | | | Many universities these days offer career planning |
| Agreed that it's hard for an 18-year-old to know | | | | to help students choose the right major. |
| exactly which career path to follow, but given | | | | What is the return on investment? |
| that you spend two to four long years in college | | | | Such is the reality of post-recession life that we |
| and a considerable amount of your parent's hard | | | | look at education as an investment and want |
| earned money, it is important to put some | | | | maximum returns on it. College degrees, especially |
| thought into choosing an academic major. | | | | business degrees, have a very high tuition fee. If |
| Some of the most important questions you need | | | | you're investing money in a program that can |
| to ask yourself when you have to select your | | | | potentially burn a huge hole in your pocket, it |
| undergraduate or graduate degrees are: | | | | makes sense to ensure that you can earn the |
| Am I interested in this major? | | | | money back once you graduate with that degree. |
| Picking up a major you're interested in is | | | | Action: Check the earning potential of the college |
| important because not only do you have to invest | | | | degree programs you have short listed. You can |
| a considerable amount of time and effort studying | | | | use resources like the websites of Bureau of |
| it in college, but it will also decide the course of | | | | Labor Statistics and Department of Education to |
| your career. You're likely to shine in your | | | | get salary information of various professions. |
| academic as well as professional life if you choose | | | | What are the job prospects? |
| a major that excites you. If helping others is what | | | | Once you have figured out the majors you are |
| drives you, if you love the thrill of working in a | | | | interested in, it is a good idea to check the job |
| healthcare environment and delivering critical care | | | | prospects of these fields. Many fields like |
| to patients in emergency situations, then you | | | | accounting, nursing, and business administration, |
| might do well pursing healthcare degrees like | | | | have a high demand. So, those who have a |
| nursing, healthcare administration, or the emerging | | | | healthcare and business degree enjoy excellent |
| field of medical specialties. | | | | employment opportunities after graduation. |
| Action: Draw up a list of careers you are | | | | Action: Talk to some alumni who graduated with |
| interested in and then choose the majors that | | | | those majors or interview professionals in the |
| focus on these fields. Use the elimination method | | | | field to get a perspective on employment |
| to shortlist the ones that you feel strongly about | | | | opportunities in those fields. You can also check |
| and look for reputable universities that offer | | | | college placement records to get an idea of the |
| these majors. | | | | hiring trends in your chosen industry. |
| Do I have the aptitude for it? | | | | Once you have all this information, the job of |
| Whichever major you decide to pursue, evaluating | | | | picking a major should become easier. College is |
| your aptitude is the first step towards achieving | | | | one of the most exciting phases of life and you'll |
| success in it. Every field has certain requirements | | | | be able to get the best out of it if you know |
| that you need to fit if you are to do well. For | | | | where you're going with it once you walk out of |
| example, if you want to pursue a business | | | | the classroom! |
| administration degree, you not only need to | | | | |