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Once the decision of picking out a college is done, the next big decision comes in the form of settling on major. More often than not student do not have a clue as to which major they should pick and this causes a lot of problems in the latter part of the college programs. While picking a major, run through a check list of the following things:

1.    Why are you picking a major? Often a student will choose a major not of their own volition but because a family believes it is the right thing to do. The answer lies with the student itself. You pick the major which you believe is right for you.

2.    Make an informed decision – Many a time when students first pick their major they do so not knowing enough about it. Some majors do sound a lot better before you actually get into it. It’s possible that the major seemed to be the right choice when some introductory courses were done and successfully handled but college courses operate at much higher levels and you might find yourself jumping into the deep end of a course which you initially thought was something you wanted to do.

3.    Is the college the right one? Perhaps you have been able to zero in on the right major but choosing the wrong college might end up hampering that decision.

4.    Think about your career – This is an intrinsic question that must be asked. All education is based on what comes after it. A student takes up a course of study with the intention that after he is done with it, he will join a job where he can use the knowledge accumulated in school. If for example you intend to work in marketing once you graduate, then your major should not be in sales or general administration.

5.    Talk to an experienced hand – Having the services of career counselors is an extremely beneficial thing that a student has at his or her disposal. Counselors are there to help you with your queries both generic and specific. Even better would be to talk to an under graduate and understand firsthand the perspective of someone who is actually doing the course you intend to go through.

6.    Skill and ability – There’s no point in becoming a marine biologist if the very thought of water scares you. The whole point of picking a major is that that will be what you will do for a major part of your career. It is unwise to take up a major that you don’t have the skills or the ability for. If you are good at something, see if you can convert that into a viable skill by enrolling into an appropriate course.

7.    You don’t have to pick a major – While it can be done in the first year, it is not mandatory for a student to choose a major immediately. There are also colleges who will allow their student to customize a course and major to their liking.