5 Ways You Can Get A Head Start on Deciding Your Major
By Jody Bell
After years of studying the same subjects in high school, many students are itching to explore new disciplines in college.
From communications, to business, the options are truly endless ‒ and honestly overwhelming! I remember when I was registering for my freshman year classes last year everything seemed so exciting and new that I ended up taking way too many classes and had plenty of sleepless nights.
As a high school student, it is possible to begin to explore your potential major and educational track while not even enrolled in college. This can be a great way to prepare for your college search, and subsequently, your college experience!
Here are our tips on getting a head start on deciding your major.
1. Explore areas that aren’t taught in school
Science, math, and English may not be your forte ‒ and that’s okay! That’s barely a slice of what’s available in higher education and beyond.
Are you not the biggest fan of the “traditional” learning paths that are followed in K-12 learning? Or maybe you are, but you’re itching to see what else is out there? While there may be opportunities to pursue different topics in college, it’s never too early to start diving into other potential interests.
There are plenty of afterschool programs which can help boost your resume while exposing you to new topics in a low-stress environment. Here at Girls With Impact you can try your hand at entrepreneurship ‒ which could be applied to nearly any discipline based on what your company revolves around. Outside of this there are programs like Girl Up, which will expose you to social justice/activism, and Girls Who Code, which will teach you the basics of computer programming.
2. Leverage your network
When you’re a student, most professionals are more than happy to speak to you about their industry.
These conversations are great opportunities to not only learn, but also to show initiative and make connections with people who could be helpful down the road when applying for internships and jobs!
The best way to really do this is through LinkedIn. Go ahead and make an account and fill it out with as much information as you can (projects you’ve worked on, big presentations you were proud of, future goals). You can look up professionals up and message them directly through the platform.
3. Try an internship/shadowing program
If you spoke to some individuals in an industry or have a good sense of a field you want to explore further, a hands-on experience is the best way to pursue this.
These can come in a few forms ‒ a formal internship (which may be paid), or a low-pressure shadowing opportunity where you follow a certain professional throughout their day to see what their life truly looks like in their occupation.
If this is something you’re interested in, contact a guidance counselor at your school ‒ many will have standing relationships with professionals in the community that are trusted and ready to help students.
4. Think about Dual Enrollment
Once you reach junior or senior year in high school, many institutions will offer students the ability to get college credit.
Most traditionally, this is in the form of Advanced Placement (AP) courses, which are taught through the high school and give you the opportunity to take an exam that will give you college credit if you score high enough. These are great courses ‒ however, they aren’t always a great reflection of what college courses are like.
An alternative to AP is Dual Enrollment ‒ which allows you to enroll in a local state/community college to be taught by their professors while still receiving the needed high school credits. This is a great option for students who don’t only want the credit, but also want to use the opportunity to meet professors and understand higher education learning dynamics.
If this is of interest to you, speak to a guidance counselor at your college ‒ many will already have the infrastructure to make Dual Enrollment incredibly easy.
5. Start your own project
After you’ve gained exposure to a new area, it can be a great idea to start a project within the field you’re interested in.
This could take on many different forms ‒ a formal science project, a business you’re going to start, or any upper-level, self-led/paced experience.
This structure is usually tough ‒ it can be easy to become discouraged without direct guidance as you go through uncharted areas that are still new to you. There will be plenty of roadblocks where it is your responsibility to take the initiative to research solutions. However, if you’re able to hold onto that motivation and passion throughout this project ‒ this area may be right for you!
If your college major is still something that you aren’t thinking of just yet ‒ that’s okay! Most colleges don’t make you formally declare until the end of your sophomore year. Even after that plenty of people change their majors around plenty of time.
Nevertheless, it’s always a great idea to explore your likes and dislikes, so when you’re registering for your first every course at your new college, you know what you want to explore!
Jody Bell, 19, is Girls With Impact’s Chief Editor and a program graduate. Girls With Impact is the nation’s only online, after-school, entrepreneurship program for teen girls, turning them into tomorrow’s business leaders and innovators.