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There is nothing wrong with being undecided about your major.
With little career education occurring in high school and middle school, you
may not have given choosing a major much thought before arriving at Northwestern.
Many students arrive undecided.
Once you begin taking your distribution courses, you will find that you enjoy
and prefer some subjects more than others. Often these experiences will result
in a major choice.
While some majors may require an early choice, most do not. Take some time
to think about what you like and dislike about different classes as well as
what you want from your education.
There may be several majors that can help you move toward the same career goal.
Many career paths do not require a specific major. Here are some examples:
- If you want to write you might major in journalism, English, or enroll in the
Writing Certificate program.
- If you are interested in counseling, social services, or working with people,
you might major in psychology, sociology, cognitive sciences, or human development
and psychological services.
- If you think a business career might be right for you, you can major or minor
in economics or minor in business institutions.
- If marketing or advertising appeal to you, you might major in psychology communications
or English.
Most majors will qualify you, not only for related careers, but also for many
entry level positions requiring a bachelor degree.
Students from all majors have found their way into many different careers:
- Communications majors have become consultants.
- Engineering majors have become doctors.
- Psychology majors have become politicians.
- You don't have to be a math major to become an accountant or actuary,
but do need to have computational skills.
- You don't need a major in computer science to work in IT, but do need
the specific computer skills required by the position.
Your college degree plus all of your experiences will qualify you for many
different types of entry level jobs. Getting a job is not as much about having
a specific major as it is about being able to demonstrate to employers specific
skills. Having a college degree indicates to most employers that you have the
skills they want: you are trainable, a fast learner, with good communication
and analytical skills and more.
Every experience you have in and out of class has the potential to teach you
skills that will later be valued and utilized in the workplace. Your task is
to learn to recognize what each of your experiences teachs you so that in your
interviews, for both internships and full time employment, you can provide
concrete evidence of your skills.
Choosing one major does not mean you have to give up on all others.
While it is true that you will graduate with only one or two majors, it does
not mean that other disciplines are no longer an option. You can and should
supplement your major with a minor or well-chosen elective classes that either
compliment your major or allow you to explore additional interests.
While your "formal" school days may be over when you graduate,
many people educate themselves continuously to stay abreast of new developments
in their field or to move into new careers that require different content knowledge.
Today's world requires that we be life-long learners and to do what you
want, you may well need additional coursework or even another degree. For example,
ten or fifteen years from now you could decide to go to law school and still
be a lawyer for over 30 years before retiring!
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