Most students will experience the anxiety of making a major decision about their major. The majority of community college students are undecided when they begin college and about half of student who have a major will change it before they graduate.
At SCC there is help to ease the anxiety and get help to make an informed choice. Undecided students should use the services of both the Career Center and Counseling to do career research early in their academic career. Picking a major is a process that happens over time. By doing research early you will be better prepared to plan your education so you are truly prepared for the areas that interest you.
Even if you are not totally decided on a major it is important to compare majors so that you know what courses they have in common. Do all the majors you are looking at need the same math course? Well then that would be a safe bet. Does one need a specific humanities course but the others don't? It's better to know early than get surprised after spending 16 weeks in a class!
There are some common myths about career and major choices:
MYTH: By choosing a major I'm choosing the career path for the rest of my life.
FACT: While it is true that certain majors such as Engineering, Computer Science and Accounting prepare students for fairly specific career fields, a far greater number of majors do not have a direct correlation with given career areas. Liberal Arts majors often find that they have a wide variety of career options because their backgrounds are so broad. A study conducted by the College Placement Council indicated that the majority of college graduates are successfully employed in fields not directly related to their academic majors.
MYTH: I need to pick a major that has hot job prospects or can earn a lot of money.
FACT: The hot jobs now will not be hot forever and may even fizzle out before you graduate. No major guarantees a high wage job and most people end up working in areas not directly related to their major anyway. It's better to pick a major that you are truly interested in and will provide the motivation for you to excel in the coursework.
MYTH: I'm just taking my general classes at SCC. I'll declare a major when I transfer to a University.
FACT: Every major has courses that are required preparation in the first two years. It's crucial to understand the requirements of the areas you are considering and make a plan that prepares you to get admitted to a degree program at a university. Without a plan it is possible to complete a degree at SCC and get admitted to a university yet not be admitted to a major because your course work does not meet the major's admission requirements!
MYTH: Taking classes I'm interested in will help me decide on a major.
FACT: Taking classes in an area will give you an overview of the subject but it's only one small piece of the complete career picture. More importantly, there are many careers that do not have a corresponding course you can take in your first two years of college. Major and career decisions take research and self reflection and must consider your values, interests and abilities. Career Services and Counseling Services can help you through the process.
