I went to a pretty small high school that was condensed down from four schools. There were about 300 kids in each grade and about 25-30 kids pre classroom. Other than the basic classes, not much else was offered to us. There were limited computer classes, a few engineering classes, one or two art classes, no business classes, and certainly no psychology classes. Then around age 17 we were told to pick a college we want to go to and pick a degree that interested us. Most of us made decisions without experiencing what the rest of the world had to offer.
About 75% of students change their major at least one time before graduating (Freedman, 2013). We are asked to make such a big commitment and decision at such a young age. College students not only commit to four to five years of their life, but also thousands of dollars of debt. Though there is nothing wrong with changing your major, but what if you could narrow down your interests before making such a big commitment?
The ideal plan would be to reform schools, so they can have more to offer to their students. This type of adjustment would require more money for education, which I believe is a great idea, but seems impossible at the moment. Instead, we could create something of a job fair. Several weekend out of the year, teachers could come volunteer their time to teach students about not-so-common topics such as marine biology, psychology, or graphic design. At the event, students would walk from booth to booth to learn more about a subject, then sign up for the most interesting subject they found. The afternoon would consist of a few hours of class being taught by a volunteer teacher. This would create the chance for students to be exposed to new things early on in life before committing their time and energy to college.
References:
Freedman, L. (2013). The Developmental Disconnect in Choosing a Major. Butler University. Retrieved from https://dus.psu.edu/mentor/2013/06/disconnect-choosing-major/