How to Determine What to Study in College

Knowing one's purpose and figuring out what to study to pursue that purpose is a daunting task. Many adults are without direction so expecting teenagers to determine their path is unrealistic. That is why many students change their majors several times during their collegiate experience.

General education should be the focus for the beginning of any collegiate endeavor. Academic scholars have known this and perhaps this is why students' first two years of college are primarily about exposure to a wide array of subject areas. Students should be encouraged to take a variety of classes in a multitude of departments, to maximize their awareness of options.

Once students are alert to the possibilities, they need to consider their personal abilities and interests. Pursuing a major area of study that is a personal weakness could result in frustration and disappointment. Students should consider their intellectual assets and proceed accordingly.

Students should then consider economic realities and employment prospects. While studying for a career of preference may be desirable, it may not be economically sound. Careers with minimal or no job opportunities can make collegiate study wasteful. Students should research the field they are interested in. What are the current trends and possibilities for the future? Sometimes, a slight alteration from the preferred course of study needs to occur to make one employable.

Finally, students should weigh the stability of their vocational preferences. Careers that are highly influenced by the economic climate of the country can cause emotional stress and financial instability. Emotional tolls can create physical consequences. The ability of the individual to cope with possible fluctuations in income needs to be considered when making a career choice.

What's important however, is teaching our young adults that who they are is not about what they do. While it's desirable to do something enjoyable as a means for income attainment, it's essential not to let said career define who you are. It's important to remember that personal fulfillment is seldom attained through external means. Once this realization takes hold, the pursuit of a course of study and its intended vocational outcome become secondary to living a life of meaning through philanthropic endeavors.