Are you a high-school student preparing to go to college in 2021? Chances are you’re still debating the huge decision of which major to pursue. Maybe you’ve narrowed down your list to two or three but haven’t finalized anything yet. The global COVID-19 pandemic might’ve added even more uncertainty to your decision, as you and your parents debate what college will actually look like going forward.
We get it—picking a major can be intimidating, especially in a year like 2020! To help out, we’ve put together a few ideas below to guide you through the process, plus a handful of majors and career fields that will be in high demand in the coming years (even in the crazy pandemic world we find ourselves in today). Read on!
Before you begin: 5 questions to ask
Let’s start by asking a few questions.
1. What do I enjoy doing?
This can be anything from playing basketball and video games to shopping for clothes. List all of it out. Your answers can help you realize where your interests lie.
2. Out of what I enjoy doing, what am I good at?
This is where you have to be honest with yourself, meaning neither too positive (“I’m good at everything!”) or too negative (“I’m not good at anything”). This is about finding where your hobbies and your skills intersect. So if you love playing basketball but don’t do well with it, then “playing basketball” shouldn’t go on your list. Or you may have a good fashion sense, but have no desire to work with clothing, so leave “fashion” off the list.
3. What do others think I’m good at?
You’ll need to talk to your family and friends to answer this question. Allow them to be frank with you. Don’t be defensive or attempt to argue. Just hear them out and take note of what they say. How others perceive our abilities can sometimes give us greater insight into what we’re truly talented at doing.
4. What do I like learning about?
Out of all your schoolwork, what subject feels less like a chore? Maybe they all seem like chores, in which case, ask yourself, “What do I like learning in my free time?” Even if you don’t read books outside of school, every time you watch a movie, go to a basketball game, or take a walk in nature, you’re learning something. So what is it that most interests you?
5. Once you decide on a major to pursue, do you enjoy the classes?
If you take a class or two in a major and you don’t enjoy the subject, you may want to consider a different path. You may be able to count any courses you take in the major you leave behind as extracurricular classes, so the hours can still go toward whatever degree you eventually pursue.
High-growth job fields
So what jobs should you consider for the future? Here are five jobs to think through. Keep in mind that the projected job growth is through 2029. Most of this data comes from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
1. Position: Nurse Practitioner
Projected job growth: 52%
Average salary: $115,800
College degree needed? Yes, plus graduate school
Major: Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
Graduate school needed? Yes
2. Position: Solar Photovoltaic Installer
Projected job growth: 51%
Average salary: $44,890
College degree needed? No, but you might stand out better if you have a bachelor’s degree or an associates degree from a technical college. According to OwlGuru.com, nearly 56% of folks in this position have only a high-school diploma.
Graduate school needed? No
Major: Solar Energy Technology
3. Position: Statistician
Projected job growth: 35%
Average salary: $92,030
College degree needed? Yes
Major: Bachelor’s degree in Statistics, Mathematics, Economics, or Computer Science
Graduate school needed? Yes
4. Position: Information Security Analyst
Projected job growth: 31%
Average salary: $99,730
College degree needed? Yes
Major: Bachelor’s degree in Cybersecurity or Management Information Systems
Graduate school needed? No
5. Position: Speech-Language Pathologist
Projected job growth: 25%
Average salary: $79,120
College degree needed? Yes
Major: Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD)
Graduate school needed? Yes
Parting advice: Don’t stress!
In closing, here are two additional points to keep in mind when choosing your major:
1. You don’t have to choose a major right away
Plenty of folks don’t know what they want to do when they first start college. So you can start out by taking some general-education courses that every student needs to take while you consider your options.
2. Your major isn’t a lifelong sentence
If you graduate with a degree and then realize you hate working in that field, you have the freedom to go back to school if you want. But that may not be necessary—many folks don’t have a job related to their degree. And increasingly, people are switching careers entirely. The point is, don’t feel like the rest of your life hinges on the major you choose, because it doesn’t.
Well, that’s all for now! We hope you’ve been able to find some useful information here, and we wish you the best of luck in choosing your major.