By The Editorial Board
Biology. Chemistry. Journalism. History. English. Political science. Communications. Education. Psychology. Finance. Theater. These are just a few of the many majors that are offered at Baylor. While some have a higher concentration of students than others, what these students have in common is that they are pursuing a major that they enjoy –– at least, that’s how it should be.
Unfortunately, many students are pressured by both internal and external factors when it comes to deciding a major. Some ultimately end up deciding upon a major that either doesn’t fit their skill set or isn’t something they enjoy doing due to whatever factors that pressured them during their decision-making.
According to a study done for the Atlantic Marketing Journal, when students make that first decision of what major to pursue, 80% will change their major at least one time throughout their college career. Whether that’s for better or for worse is up for debate.
But what factors prompt students to change or choose their majors?
The study suggests that when examining the internal influences on a student’s major selection, some important factors to take into consideration are the personality fit, interest, grit, planning and demographic characteristics that could be relevant to a major.
Some external influences related to decision-making include support from families, friends, teachers, advisers or other outside materials. The study indicates that family members had the greatest influence on higher education decisions, followed by the students themselves (internally), then by teachers, friends, role models, counselors and employers.
Besides those who support a student, a second external aspect that students tend to use to help choose a degree is based on their achievements in specific courses, such as STEM classes. The acknowledgment of the student’s ability or skill set can be an external influence on major selection, but it may not always lead to a student’s happiness or excitement about their major.
While all of these factors are good for a student to look into and take into consideration, there is one question that should stay front and center: what makes you happy?
Does doing math equations all day make you happy? Being able to teach others and help them grow? Do you enjoy writing? These are the types of questions that should be running through a student’s mind when deciding upon a major, not the internal and external pressures that are often planted in a student’s head.
Too often are students told to “get a job that will get you the most money” or “you should be just like so-and-so” or “this career is the only one that’s worth it.” These statements are what causes students to become blinded to all of the opportunities that are available to them –– the opportunities that will make them happy and feel like the work they’re doing is worth something.
The study suggests that helping students recognize the appropriate major selection during their initial stages of admission will also help students ensure timely graduation due to the time lost taking classes that are no longer relevant. The study found that only 33% of students graduate within the traditional four years, while 24% take between four and six years. 43% won’t graduate at all. This compares to Baylor’s recent studies that indicate that approximately 70% of entering freshmen graduate from Baylor within four years, 80% graduate within five years and 81% graduate within six years.
Besides taking longer to graduate, a student can also be negatively affected by pursuing the wrong major, which can sometimes impact them for the rest of their life.
According to a study done by Forbes, 94% of recent graduates said, “I have regrets about my degree” and 43% said, “I feel doomed to fail because I chose the wrong degree.” While the results were based on a variety of factors, the overall theme as to why this was the response among recent graduates was because of their uncomfortableness in the work environments they were in and how unprepared they were to face a career that just wasn’t right for them.
Is it really worth being miserable the rest of your life just to say “At least I have a big paycheck?” Or is it better to have a career that makes you happy and one that you look forward to daily? While it may be hard to tune out family, friends and all of the other external and internal factors that are telling you to choose a path, it’s worth ensuring your lifelong happiness and personal career goals.
Choose a major that you enjoy, and by doing so, invest in your future happiness.
