Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY — Choosing a major is one of the most important decisions a student can make. But a lot of students admit they don't get it right.
A college major can set up a career path and potentially quality of life after college. But a recent study by the group behind the ACT test shows nearly a third of this year's college freshmen picked a major that doesn't match their interests.
"I wanted to do journalism or TV broadcasting, but now I'm more into advertising, public relations, and marketing," said communications major Erin Shields.
We found several students at the University of Utah who started with majors that weren't quite a fit.
"I was not interested in all the accounting and statistics and economics classes I had to take for the prerequisites for business, so I just gave up on it and I went into communications," said student Sun Kim.
Experts say sticking with the wrong major is an expensive mistake. So why would someone stay with a major they don't have a real, solid interest in?
"Most people change their majors two or three times," said Sarah Rollo, director of the university's Major Exploration Center.
She said the pressure on students to choose a major that will snag them a high-paying job can be tremendous. It can come from their peers, and it can come from stories listing the nation's top-paying majors or career fields. Many times pressure comes from parents who want their kids to grow up to be financially independent.
"We have met with students that have that level of influence where parents say they'll only pay for a certain type of major," she said.
Students who end up in majors they have little or no interest in will probably have a miserable time at college, Rollo said. They're less likely to get involved on campus, less likely to graduate on time, and more likely to end up in jobs they can't stand.
#poll
"Sometimes we see students who come back and say, 'I majored in this area. I don't like it at all. I want to come and do a second bachelor's degree,' " she said.
A second degree? What about all the time and money spent in getting the first one? Rollo said the biggest mistake students can make is not getting enough information about majors before they choose them.
Cindi Robinson is an independent college counselor who helps students sort through their college and career choices.
"I think it's a student's responsibility to do the research. Is this really the right fit for me? Is this really what I want to do? Do I have the aptitude to do this particular career?" she said.
She encourages them to be proactive about learning what sort of environments they work well in, and fit their interests.
"A lot of opportunity during high school years to do volunteer work, find some internships or even part time jobs that might give a student a chance to explore different types of careers, different types of industries, different types of environments," she said.
If they're not proactive in their research now, there's a stronger chance they'll end up in a major they don't like. Robinson said by choosing a major that matches their inner capabilities and passions, students will likely find a good paycheck.
"You may find jobs that may not be exactly what you want to be doing, but I think if you stick with your passions, at some point the money will come," she said.
Robinson encourages students to choose schools with a broad core curriculum. It gives them more chances to dabble in different areas that they might find to be a better fit than the major they chose.
