What You Need to Know Before Choosing a College Major Not sure what to major in? Here are some insights.
By Rose Leadem •
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Picking a college major is no easy task. In fact, your major could determine what you'll be doing for the rest of your life. And with the immense amount of pressure, why not turn to graduates who have been through the same experience for some insight?
A recent study by CollegeStats.org surveyed 1,000 college graduates between the ages of 22 to 67 to hear their experiences when deciding on a major, and how it's affected their lives today.
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When it comes to choosing a major, listen to your gut -- not the people around you. More than 40 percent of participants who listened to themselves when choosing a major found they were happiest with their financial outcome post-college, and an additional 14 percent say they were better off financially than they expected. For those who turned to their parents to help them choose, only 9 percent admitted to being happy with their financial outcome after college, and a low 4 percent who turned to a guidance counselor reported being financially happy.
It's important to be wise when choosing your major too, because if you're not, you may find yourself changing it in the middle of your college career. While this is doable, most surveyed college graduates advise against it. More than 80 percent of men and women who changed their majors regretted it. And for the grads who decided to stick with their major, 65 percent landed in management and professional positions (upper, middle, junior management, trained professional, consultant, self-employed and researcher), while only 35 percent of people who changed their major did.
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If you're still unsure which path to go down, look at majors that will help position you for a successful future. Overall, people with business majors -- the most popular major today -- have the highest financial satisfaction after college, followed by psychology, computer and information sciences and arts, visual and performing.
