It’s simple for some and a pain in the butt for others. One look through a list of college programs may give students over 60 possible majors at 9 different schools. WHOA!!!

One of my students many years ago once told me that though she was interested in majoring in religion, that wouldn’t allow her to put food on the table. On the other hand, a friend reminded me recently that though he majored in philosophy he ended up becoming a computer programmer. If this is confusing, read on.

There are at least two pathways, probably several more.

A lawyer who assists hedge funds, on the other hand, told me that young people should follow their interests and something will work out for them. What the heck does that mean? Basically, if there is something that a person really likes to do and can find a way to apply it in the real world and make something out of it, then go for it. It is very fulfilling to have a job that you love. I have been in that position.

The other pathway is to follow a steady career. One might say this is a fulfillment of a different kind. This pathway may be less risky. Zenab Qureshi, a graduate of Forest Hills High School in Queens, New York and a student at City College, says that “I knew I didn’t want to spend more than eight years building my future, although I did want to become someone who could help patients who are in pain. Basically, second on the medical pyramid are physicians assistants.” The most well paying jobs are in medicine, pharmacy, and in banking. As a result, many young people (and their families) want to major in something to pursue such careers.

A few tips to navigating these two pathways.

1. Parents aren’t always wrong. Though many North American young people will constantly shake their heads       and say: “parents just don’t understand.” Moms and dads may have some valid suggestions, and nobody knows a child better than a parent. Zenab explained that “they didn’t care what I did as long as it was what I wanted to do.”
2. Internships help young people find out what they love doing. One may not get paid very much but interning or volunteering give students hands-on experience. Spending some time in an environment helps to really figure out what a person wants to do. For example, those students who volunteer at hospitals learn what it’s really like in that atmosphere. I will write more in another article about finding internships.
3. Do not Leave Declaring your major until the last minute. Technically, students do not need to declare a major until the end of the sophomore year of college. That may not leave enough time to complete all the requirements for the major and for the degree. It helps start working on the college’s basic requirements and taking a few classes during the course of the first and second years to find out what it is one wants to do.
4. Finally, it may not matter what your major is. As I mentioned earlier, a philosophy major became a very successful computer programmer and there are many whose majors do not really matter. There are a number of individuals who pick their majors based on the classes they like and the professors they have good relationships with. If you’re happy with your professors and classes, maybe that’s all that matters.What does happiness mean anyway?

Author: Muntasir Sattar