It’s normal to feel unsure about what you want to major in, especially when you’re still in high school. Many students are in the same position as you, so you’re not alone. Here are a few things you can do to help figure out what you might want to study at university:
Take career assessments: There are various online career assessments that can help you understand your interests, strengths, and weaknesses. These assessments can give you an idea of what career paths might be a good fit for you.
Explore different fields: Spend some time researching different majors and careers that interest you. Look for information about what kind of jobs people with those majors have, what the job market is like, and what kind of skills you’ll need. In YouTube, you can do a search on ‘a day in the life of an architect’ or any other profession that interests you.
Talk to people: Reach out to people who are working in the fields that interest you, including your parents and relatives, your parents’ friends, and your close friends’ parents and ask them questions about their work. This can help you get a better sense of what a career in that field would be like.
Consider your passions: Think about what you love doing in your spare time and see if there’s a way to turn that into a career. For example, if you love writing, you might consider a major in journalism or creative writing or as editor for a publishing house.
Attend a summer program: Summer programs at universities are available in a variety of fields so sign up for something in your area/s of interest, whether it be business, STEM, arts, politics, or anything else.
Engage in a summer job or internship: Work, whether paid or unpaid, can definitely help you gain valuable insights into a particular field or industry, and can help you narrow down your focus when it comes to career choices. For example, if you are interested in pursuing a career in finance, working a summer job as an intern at a financial firm can help you gain first-hand experience and insight into the industry. You can learn about the various roles and responsibilities within the industry, as well as the day-to-day tasks and challenges faced by professionals in this field. This experience can help you determine whether finance is a good fit for you, and whether you would like to pursue a career in this field. Alternatively, a summer job or internship can also help you eliminate a field that may not be a good fit for you. For example, if you are interested in pursuing a career in marketing, but find that the day-to-day tasks and responsibilities of a marketing job do not align with your interests and strengths, then you may want to consider exploring other career options.
Remember, it’s okay if you don’t have everything figured out yet. University is a time for exploration and discovery, and you’ll have plenty of opportunities to learn and grow. Between Canada, the UK, and the US, American universities offer the most flexibility in terms of opportunities to explore interests in the first two years of college, prior to declaring a major in third year. For your university application essays, you can write about your varied interest and why you wish to explore those particular majors while at university.
Overall, the options listed here can provide valuable experiences that can help you gain insights and clarity into your career goals and aspirations. They can help you make more informed decisions when it comes to selecting a major, choosing a career path, or pursuing further education and training.