By Julia Yurchesyn / @juliaxemilyy

At some point during your undergraduate studies you’ll have to consider what field or discipline you want to have printed on the (expensive) piece of paper you’ll receive upon graduation. In most circumstances, that will involve choosing a major within a particular faculty at SMU, and to say the least, this is more multifaceted than you might have realized.

For example, I’m majoring in English with a minor in Creative Writing. It’s not a degree that will linearly line me up with a job that perfectly matches what I was “trained” to do, but I chose to pursue it for a multitude of reasons that I will discuss below. This article will help walk you through various factors to consider when facing this decision because in my opinion it should be motivated by more than just a desire to ‘get a job’, though that’s important too!

Step One: Consider Your Strengths and Interests

There’s probably a subject or discipline that you find to be a bit easier than the others. Maybe you love playing around with advanced functions and find math class to be a breeze, while your English essay is giving you nightmares? Or maybe you soak up learning about different religions and cultures like a sponge, and analyzing geographical characteristics of locations across the world makes your brain feel completely numb? Whatever your natural inclinations are, pay attention!

Here’s something I’ve realized: university involves a lot of hard work and personal growth. Even choosing to study a discipline that you enjoy doesn’t mean it’s always going to be easy (trust me on that one…). Therefore, I don’t recommend choosing a subject that is extremely difficult for you to understand because that will make your degree so much harder. You’ll probably be more successful and fulfilled if you pursue a major that builds on your interests, rather than one that always leaves you confused and stressed. If you’re unsure whether a certain subject is something you want to pursue or not, try taking a few classes and talking to people who are majoring in it. That can often help you determine if a subject is a good match for you.

For me, while I enjoyed learning math and science to a certain point, I realized after being accepted into the science program that I was stronger and more invested in the arts and humanities, particularly English literature. This led me to reapply to SMU as an arts student rather than a science student, and set me on the path towards becoming an English major.

Step Two: Consider Your Goals

There’s a chance you already have an idea of what career you want to pursue post-degree, like becoming a doctor, lawyer, teacher, scientist, accountant, etc. If you don’t, no worries! I’ll get to you in a second. Your dream career could be motivated by various goals, such as having a certain level of stability, utilizing various skills, and providing a particular salary. In that case, do your research and see the requirements for those jobs. What degrees are necessary? Are there particular courses/majors that are required?

Hopefully, if you’re interested in a particular career it matches up with some of your interests and strengths. If it doesn’t, you can consider why you wanted to pursue this career in the first place. Personally, I wanted to become a doctor for a short time in high school. I realized eventually that the only reason why was because I thought that if I could become a doctor that would make me look smart and successful, rather than because that was what I really wanted. In that sense, my goal was weak, and after realizing that I was able to let it go and pursue a new dream that was more authentic to who I was and what I wanted. My goals now include finding a job that uses my skills of reading, writing, and argument crafting in a useful way, because these are the strengths that I enjoy utilizing.

This is not to say that your goal is not a ‘good’ one if the subject area doesn’t come naturally! This is going to sound contradictory to the previous point, but if you’re confident in your path and what you want, go for it! A strong goal, regardless of whether the subject is super ‘easy’ for you or not, will help you stay on course.

Therefore, consider the nature of the job you would like your degree to help you attain. This may be a clear-cut occupation like a doctor, or it could be something a bit broader. Then think about what kind of degree will help you achieve that goal.

Step Three: Consider Personal Fulfillment During and After Your Undergrad

Ah, yes, “follow your passion” comes to mind. Really, what do you enjoy learning about? I believe this question is necessary in the process of deciding your major.

But it also connects to your decisions after undergrad—ex: how will a geography degree help you achieve a life that is personally fulfilling? Will it open doors in a particular field that you’re passionate about? Will it enable you to teach the subject and work with students? Trying to determine which major will enable you to live a life that is personally meaningful and supports your passions and interests is useful when making this decision.

My English degree enables me to continue studying what I love in graduate school if I decide to pursue that route, but it also helps me if I decide to pursue a job relating to literature or research, such as publishing or library science. I also added the creative writing minor so I could have more experience and practice writing for fun, rather than just for essays and assignments. Your undergraduate degree offers a launching pad for your future, so consider how it can help you pursue a life that is meaningful to you.

To conclude, deciding what to major in can be a stressful decision for many students, and this is a process that looks different for everyone. It’s useful to remember that you can change your major if you realize that what you decided on was not the right fit for you—sometimes you have to take a leap forward and see what happens!

Hopefully this article was useful in outlining some ways to think about this decision; good luck! You’ve got this!

Choosing Your Major: What to Consider

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