"I Think I Chose The Wrong Major"

Photo Credit: Self Made Scholar

Is it possible?

Apparently, it's more common than I thought it was.

I hear this from friends, coworkers, and random acquaintances on occasion.   Their reasoning to this sometimes brings about a heavy sigh, a shake of the head, or both. Their tone as they speak then becomes one of sadness, regret, and even anger.

How does this happen you might ask? How does one go about choosing the wrong college major?  Perhaps you even know the answers yourself.

1.  You chose it because it's your passion.
You love learning about the major you chose and enjoy going to class.  It's something you care about and sometimes you do things related to it in your free time.  However, when you graduate, you realize there are little to no jobs for your degree, the job market for your major is saturated, the pay is poor, or you cannot find a full-time position with benefits.  How do you pay off your student loans?  How do you provide for yourself or the family you plan on having in the future?

2.  You chose it because it's what your parents wanted you to do.
Basically, they're happy and you're not...if that is, you succeed in becoming a doctor or some other parent-worthy major.  You can also major in biology and not get into medical school like you were suppose to and now you're stuck with a worthless degree you don't want and can't use.

3.  You chose it because you wanted a nice job.
Choosing a college major based on the idea of what is considered a "good" job. So now you're on top of the world, making good money, but the problem is, you're not completely happy.  You wanted, say a nice pharmaceutical position that offered good pay, but you aren't passionate about being a pharmacist, nor do you really care about the people you're suppose to help.

4.  You chose it because you like the idea of the job.
You like the title and prestige that comes with the position that goes with what you majored in.  Yet, when you actually work, you realize you don't like it.

5.  You chose it because you're good in it.
You're good at a particular subject, in fact it comes easy to you.  So why not major in it right?  Become an accountant because you are good at numbers.  Yet, the work is boring because what you really enjoy learning about is science.

6.  You chose it because you were too young to know any better. 
You just didn't know what you wanted at 18 years old, nor did you know what you wanted to major in a few years after being in college.  Now that you have been out and working for awhile, you start to realize what type of job you see yourself doing in the future and what you like or feel passionate about.  If only you knew all this before you went to college...


Am I missing anything else?  Which number are you?