Major choice is a big decision that affects not only a college student’s college experience, but also his/her life after graduation. Many students find themselves choosing a major, but will end up working in a field that doesn’t necessarily relate to their major choice in college. However, more than just that, there seems to be differences in major choice based on race and gender. Although it is hard to look at each individual case and evaluate the factors that go into major choice, it can be easier to look at major choice across a large sample of university students using science and statistics to determine what kind of factors go into major choice.
According to a study done by Gordon in 1995, 75% of students will change their major in university at least once, while 20-50% of students enter university undecided. While this may seem like a large number of students don’t actually know what they want to do after graduation, the reason may be simpler than you think. It is common in university students to have their major choice affected by influences around them, like parents, teachers, or friends. The actual factual research and achievement of personal goals don’t factor in as common as simple influence from peers and parents. When a student finally changes their major during university, it is usually due to the amount of research and self-reflection that students put into future career oppurtunities and interests.
According to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, self-actualisation, or the achievement of personal goals is the top of the pyramid, or simply put, the last thing on a person’s mind when making decisions. This presents a scientific explanation into the decision making of college students when making a decision for what to study. Physical needs, like food, rest, shelter, are a priority when it comes to satisfying needs. In our current society, the easiest way to find these things is with money. This would explain the most popular major choices: majors like Business Administration, Management, Psychology, are all broad subjects but can provide a lot of job oppurtunities. These majors will allow for more stable jobs in the future, and is why so many students choose them. Self-actualisation comes in quite late in the decision making process, which could explain why students make a change in terms of their major during university.
Although major choice quite an intangible topic, a large sample of results can allow us identify and evaluate general factors that go into choosing a major in university.
It’s funny that I have stumbled upon this blog post because I myself am going through the process of possibly changing my major! I found this extremely interesting to read, and I agree with all of your points. I feel a lot of us are wandering around and scared of the F word (future), because we are all unsure of where we want to be in 10 years. It is true that we are majorly influenced by third variables, such as friends and family, or the concept of making a good amount of money (even if we aren’t particularly interested in the field). Although I feel in time we will all get to where we want to be! Since many of us are in a spot where we are unsure of what our major will be, I found some tips on how to choose the right major for you here!