Picking the right major, a decision we can all make

With the beginning of the new year, many students are realizing that they soon will no longer be required to take general education courses. This can be a long-awaited day for many students. To others, however, this can be stressful because many of them will be required to declare a major and that might be just as hard as deciding which Netflix show to begin binge-watching.

Declaring a major is a controversial time. Many students declare a major in the field they want to have a career in, or choose one just to earn a bachelor’s degree and end up chasing a different career entirely. Regardless of your decision, choosing a major doesn’t have to be stressful. Knowing a few things before you declare a major can make the process less stressful, and you might learn a few things about yourself along the way.

Take a look at yourself and see what you enjoy doing the most. For example, if you enjoy talking to others and telling the story of a business, public relations could be a major to declare. If every time you look at a structure and begin analyzing how it is standing, an engineering degree could be the one for you. Knowing more about your interests can help guide you to the right degree.

Another thing you can do is talk to other students for advice. It may sound simple, but as you begin to see your interests, talking to students who have been attending UVU longer can be insightful because they can share why they chose their major. It can help to spark interest in a particular major you might want to learn more about.

A great way to avoid having to take a class you might end up hating is going to club events. This gives you a great way to learn about a program in school while being in a fun environment with other students who are studying that major. With the beginning of a semester, clubs around UVU will be hosting opening social events where anyone can come and see what the club does. If you are unable to attend one of those, Club Rush is a great way to learn about the clubs because it’s all in one place.

If you’re going through your schooling and the major you choose starts to turn into a burden, it’s perfectly acceptable to change your major. Many freshman find that most seniors have changed their major at least two or three times before graduating. What matters is that you are getting the most out of your schooling. After all, the investment you made, financially and mentally, will be worth more to you in the end if you are pursuing a major you enjoy.