• Ask Yourself, What do I want to do?

When choosing your college major, your first step is to ask yourself. Gaining an understanding of yourself will help guide you to the options best fit for you. The more you know what you want, the easier it will be to get there. So you have to ask yourself: 

1. What do you enjoy? You want to be able to enjoy something that could determine what the rest of your life will be like. Making a career out of something you don’t like to do is not the best way to go. 

2. What are you good at? You should choose something you will succeed with, something you have a great understanding of. That doesn’t necessarily mean it will be easier, but it will definitely give you an advantage.

3. What are your qualities? Are you creative? Do you communicate well with others? Can you make decisions? Different careers call for different qualities in a person. Questions like these help filter your options, leaving what is best for you. 

This self-assessment will help you gain a better understanding of yourself and guide you in the decision-making process. 

         Ask yourself, Where can I go?

Offered Majors:  An important form of research is to deeply look into different universities you might be considering. Not all schools offer the same education, and some might not offer what you are interested in. Find schools that can give you what you are looking for and make a list of the possible choices. 

Size: Different people tend to work better in different surroundings. Do you want to go to a big and interactive school? Do you want to go to a smaller, independent school? Something in between? You want to know what environment you will do best and be most comfortable in. 

Budget: Colleges have a wide range of tuition and fees. You should make some sort of “budget” for yourself of what you are willing to pay for and narrow down the choices to the ones that fall under that budget. 

Location: Where you choose to go can have a great impact on your future lifestyle. Think about the climate and living conditions you want to be in. Do you want to go where it is warm or where it is cold? Do you want to be in a big, busy city, or do you want to be in a quiet, suburban area? Answering these types of questions can help narrow down your choices.

        Narrow It Down

        Now that you have an idea of what you want to major in, what size school you’d prefer, some sort of “budget”, and what location you’d like, now all that’s left to do is choose your best option. Make a list of the pros and cons of your final choices and compare them. Talk to your parents and maybe your teachers to seek advice, and make your decision! Good luck!