Choosing an Academic Major

SEPT 4, 2025

Deciding what to major in during college is an important choice. But we are asking the wrong question first. 

Instead, students should consider: 

What is my life’s mission? 

Secondarily: how will my academic course of study support my ability to pursue my life’s mission? 

In the US, many students wait until their sophomore year to declare a major.  Many US colleges and universities encourage their students to explore several different fields of interest before settling on a major.  Because so many academic areas of concentration aren't taught in high school, the college years are the first time many students will have an opportunity to study these areas. 

As students grapple with the question of their life’s mission, I encourage them to think about the kinds of problems in the world they are curious about and want to help solve. 

I invite them to assemble a list of 100 jobs they might like to do, and to talk with a trusted mentor about common characteristics that are shared among these jobs.   

I ask students to consider their academic interests: the academic questions they like to work on and that they find engaging, what they like to read, how they like to spend their time, and so on.  I encourage them to carefully read the descriptions of academic courses of study available on college websites. 

When students tell me that they want to major in a particular field, I ask them to tell me what courses they want to take in that subject and how that program of study will help them to achieve their goals.  If they tell me that they want to major in something, but they aren't interested in the topics discussed in the courses -- that is a signal that the major isn't actually a good fit for that student.

Choosing to major in a subject simply because the graduates in that field land highly compensated jobs is insufficient and can prove in the long run to cause deep unhappiness. It is not fulfilling to work in a job that you hate, in a field that is boring to you.  it is far better to do the hard work of self-reflection early in life, to vigorously engage with the process of finding one's own purpose, and to be honest with oneself.  Having the support and encouragement of a skilled college counselor in that journey can make all the difference!