Reliable statistics indicate the average number of times a college student will change majors is six times!
This is not surprising, because there are over 1,800 majors offered in the US. A New York Times article reported that 350 majors have been added in the last decade. For example, the University of Michigan offers 251 majors.
How does a 19 or 20 year old choose the right major which assumes they know what career they are going to go into? Even at state schools, the typical semester cost is now approximately $10,000. Changing a major most often means adding more time to the schedule and more money to the bill.
That is why the smartest parents, and most astute undergraduates, go through a process where they winnow down the realistic majors; those majors that are at the center of the most realistic career for them.
The most advanced psychological scientific studies show that by the time students are in high school, they have a relatively stable personality. In other words, their deepest passions and inborn aptitudes are deeply ingrained by the time they are 18 or 19 years of age.
The problem is people – especially at that age – have hundreds of different interests, so they need someone who is an expert in helping them rank which of the interests represent their deepest passions.
Don’t make the mistake of sending your student to college without them having a crystal-clear plan of how they will strategically use their chosen major to ramp up to a lifelong career.
Families increasingly cannot pay for college. Tuition debt represents the second largest amount of debt the typical American family has, second only to house mortgages.
Find someone who is not just going to give your child a list of several hundred jobs they could do after they take a single superficial career test (aka the traditional high school career guidance experience).
Rather, find an expert who ensures your child identifies a surgically precise understanding of exactly what careers exist at the intersection of your child’s deepest passions, strongest talents, as well as addressing their environmental preferences and economic goals.
Your family’s entire financial portfolio likely depends on you choosing the right career guidance expert! Choose wisely!
Things to consider:
- Most people change careers several times over their entire working career, so make the best decision for yourself now and then get on with it.
- Can you make a living with the major you favor?
- Do you need a graduate degree to start a career with that major?
- Is the career you have chosen highly selective? If so, is a degree from your college or university good enough to land you a job?
Students go to college like adults go to the grocery store; they know they need to get some things but figure they will shop around when they get there.