If you are in the first year of the sixth form and are watching your seniors frantically searching for a good college, then imagine yourself in their shoes. The day when you will have to do the same will approach very soon. Many high school students and college freshmen spend restless nights, contemplating their options, and you will have to do the same. But why exactly is it important? The answer is that a college major can help you shape your future as it is probably what you are going to pursue as a career for the rest of your life.  

Assess Your Academics  

When you are going through college applications, you need to ask yourself the most basic question- what area of academia has interested me the most? Assess your strengths and weaknesses, and do not limit your estimations to your grades. Many students make a choice solely based on their progress as a student in a particular subject matter. However, it is important to realise that college is more than just grades. The path you decide now will formulate the next 10-40 years of your life. Therefore, you need to make the decision wisely.

Evaluate Your Personality

The four years of college are infused with self-discovery and personal assessment. Therefore, it is better to choose a discipline that will make this process easier for you. Along with your interests, your moral and ethical principles and values can prove to be of critical assistance.

For instance, if you are interested in politics and want to work towards the overall betterment of your country's social position, then social development and policy is the right major for you. When writing the essay for applications, ensure that you convey what the major means to you. You can take help from online essay writers UK and spend a considerable time on evaluating your persona.  

Don’t Go For the Popular Choice.  

Many students feel the pressure of selecting a major that is quite popular in the job sector. However, this is not the right way to go about it. Even though students increasingly prefer social sciences and liberal studies, Business, Engineering and Medicine remain the most popular college majors according to data collected by NCE.  

The market value of a particular elective also plays a vital role in the selection, but as Erin Moriarty, Dean of Admissions at Loyola College Chicago aptly puts it “you have to enjoy what you’re majoring in.” Many Science and Mathematics majors spend their undergraduate years despising their program, and this only contributes to a hike in student depression.

Challenge Yourself

Just because you effortlessly comprehend a particular subject matter, it doesn't mean that you should take the easy way out. According to admission counsellors, some students choose a field just because they have always scored well in it. So, if you are planning to do the same, we advise you to re-evaluate your progress. Do not compromise on your passion for a simpler discipline. Challenge yourself and step out of your comfort zone.

As you step into the corporate world, you have to make sure that the field makes the gears of your mind turn. Stephanie Balmer, Dean of Admission at Dickinson College, advises applicants to pick classes in which “you're going to be confident, but at the same time, take some risks.”  

So while you need to be wise about picking your career path, it is important to explore your passion and zeal. Set up a meeting with your counsellor and discuss the advantages and drawbacks of selecting a particular major. Then after reviewing all the angles mentioned above, make the choice for yourself.