Choosing the Right Major: A Guide for Future College Students

As you approach your final year of high school, choosing a major for college or university can seem like a monumental task. You’re picking the road you’ll walk for the rest of your life, right? Well, you’re wrong! While choosing a major that suits your skills and interests is important, your career will likely unfold in ways you can’t predict at 18 years old. So how can you make an informed decision, knowing that your interests, location, and the job market may change as you move through the decades? Read on in our guide to choosing the right university or college program for you. 

Understanding Yourself

By your final year of high school, you probably know which classes hold your interest and which classes you wish would magically disappear from your schedule. Whether you are a straight-A student or just getting by with B’s and C’s, you know which classes are the most fun for you and which are a struggle. Start with your knowledge of your favourite areas of study, and explore descriptions of related university programs to see what sparks your interest. 

Assessing Interests

Outside of strictly academic topics, what else gets you excited? University is very different from high school — in part because no matter what you’d like to learn, there’s probably a university or college program for it. List out your hobbies, and consider related fields of study. For example, if you come alive on the basketball court, consider programs in kinesiology, athletic therapy or health sciences. For those with a love of the outdoors, there are programs in botany and plant science, environmental studies, and of course, biology and chemistry (or even biochemistry!). If you have artistic leanings, look into courses in art history, fine art, dance or design and animation. And if you’re more than a little addicted to screens, why not look into video game design, computer science, film and video, or graphic design? Grab a piece of paper and write down all your interests, including things you haven’t explored yet but would like to. This is a great starting point for your search. 

Identifying Strengths

Now that you know your interests, don’t forget to also reflect on and write down your strengths. Strengths are different from skills or interests in that they are abilities that come naturally to you. Sometimes it can be hard to identify your strengths for that very reason — you find using them easy, so you don’t value them highly. For example, you might be highly empathetic and have a positive mindset, which can be helpful in caring professions such as nursing or psychotherapy. Students with driven, achievement-oriented mindsets might do well in business or law. If you excel in memorising facts, analysing them and communicating your conclusions, you might enjoy studying history, literature or philosophy.

It can be helpful to speak to teachers, friends and your parents about your strengths as you think through choosing a major, and to listen carefully to how they describe you. You can also consider taking a test of your strengths and aptitudes. The CliftonStrengths for Students test is a great option, but there are plenty of free resources available with a quick search. Your reflections can also be helpful when the time comes to write your college admissions essay.

Considering Career Goals

Now that you’ve got a summary of your favourite classes, hobbies and strengths on paper, picture your future. What would you like to achieve, and what do you imagine your lifestyle to be? This is the part where students can get scared, and start to feel like they’re making a decision that will determine the rest of their lives. However, changing jobs and even career tracks frequently is very normal. By the time you retire, you’ll likely have had 15 jobs over two or three industries. Keep this in mind when you feel the pressure to “get it right” immediately.

It can also be tempting to picture being wealthy and economically successful, but this is not the real path to happiness. Pursuing a career you enjoy will give you much more satisfaction (and eventual success) than slogging away in a job you don’t like because you’re chasing a paycheque. Tune out the peer or parental pressure and stay true to yourself. 

Exploring Majors

With your career goals and personal assessment complete, it’s time to map your interests to programs of study. It can be fun at this stage to search for universities all over the world, and any number of interesting and unusual programs. Definitely start out with the dreamer mindset, but eventually you should come back down to earth. Consider your grades and whether any of the programs require you to produce a portfolio of work or other similar proof of your aptitude. If you’re applying for a competitive program and are worried your grades may be an issue, speak to a trusted teacher or your guidance counsellor to determine if you have a real shot at getting accepted. Remember that you can also apply to a university without a major in mind. Most schools will accept students who are undecided, and only ask you to declare a major in your second or third year. This can give you time to try different courses, and ensure that the university itself is right for you.

Considering Costs

Aside from grades, there’s also money to consider. College and university applications can cost as much as $250 per school, and may be even higher if you choose to apply internationally. Applying to a number of schools might not be feasible, and therefore you should discuss a budget with your parents for application. You’ll also spend a lot of time talking with them about a budget for your tuition and living expenses during university. Decide together if you’ll need to take out student loans or a bank loan to complete your education. The cost of some programs might mean that you’ll have to scratch them off your list, but spend time looking for similar programs at less expensive schools — you might find the right financial fit at a smaller university or college. 

Experiential Learning Opportunities

If you continue to have trouble choosing a major, don’t forget that you can also delay your decision about university. In high school when you’re surrounded by friends and classmates who seem certain about their choices, you can feel the pressure to choose a school and a major right away. However, you have plenty of time to complete your post-secondary education, and you don’t need to worry that you’ll be older than all the other students in your program. Consider a gap year (or two!) to explore the working world, whether through internships and co-ops or getting other work experience. If you have financial support you can also consider volunteer work at home, or programs abroad for young people. Research causes that are close to your heart and you might find an opportunity that will be as enriching as any university or college program.

Decision-Making Strategies

With all these options before you, it can be helpful to take a deeper dive into evaluating program content for each major, searching descriptions of classes on the university’s website, reviews of professors and the overall institutions, and understanding the pace of life in the town or city where the school is located. This can help you create a list of pros and cons for your top program, and craft a university experience you'll love. Check out the social media accounts for the schools, and if possible, try to attend as many information sessions as you can. 

Many high schools will also have a fair or information session for universities and colleges to share info on their institutions and answer questions from prospective students. Keep in mind that these representatives are salespeople, hoping to convince as many students as possible to apply to their institution. Take what they say with a grain of salt and do your own research independently. 

Final Evaluation and Selection

Your post-secondary years are a time for exploration, and you don't need to have it all figured out on your first day on campus. Lean into the uncertainty and explore as much as you can. Remember that university is not necessarily about preparing you for an exact career, but teaching you how to think critically, how to learn, and how to navigate the world as an adult. If you learn these things, you’ll have learned a great deal! Check out our founder Omar Andani’s blog A Letter to My Younger Self: The TutorLyft Journey to hear first hand how his experience in multiple post-secondary programs led to his current career.