• Are you a high school senior getting ready to apply to colleges? Perhaps you are already in college but are at that pivotal moment when you need to make a decision about your future? Maybe you are neither, but rather an adult looking to change careers. The point is, the time has come to pick a college major, to make that decision that will open doors to specific careers. You need some guidance, some advice on which direction to take. This guide will help by providing you information on how to pick a college major.

• Deciding on a college major is one of the most important decisions you will be making in your young adult life, so you should not make it in haste. If you are about to pick your major, chances are you are already completing an associates degree at a university, so you have some idea of what college courses are like. If this is the case, you will also know what types of majors your particular school offers, which will go a long way in helping you make your final decision. That said, you first need to assess yourself in order to determine what type of major is indicative to you as an individual:

• What are your interests? You should ask yourself some questions regarding your specific interests and likes.

What types of things excite you? What types of jobs or careers appeal to you?

1. What jobs interest you the most?
2. What careers make you excited?
3. When you imagine yourself in 10 years, what do you envision yourself doing?

• Your strengths and weaknesses will often play a major role in determining whether or not you can handle a particular career or field of study. Ask yourself the following:

1. What subjects were your best and worst in school?
2. What skills do you possess?
3. What extracurricular activities were you in during high school?
4. What types of after school or summer jobs did you have? Were you good at them?
5. What are your strengths?
6. What are your weaknesses?

• What do you want to get out of your career besides a paycheck? Determine if you want to:

1. Help people. This might mean entering the health profession and working to heal people's physical health as a doctor or nurse, or it might mean becoming a psychiatrist and helping those with mental problems.
2. Help the world. This might include environmental type jobs, for example.
3. Invent new ideas
4. Invent new technological advances

• The list above can go on indefinitely. The point is, you need to ask yourself what it is you want out of your job. Some people work in order to make a living, while others want to have an impact on just a few people. Then there are the people that aim big, wanting to make an impression on an entire city, state, country or the world. You have to ask yourself, what type of person are you?

• Have you given much thought to what line of work you actually want to engage in one day? Do you want to be a teacher? A lawyer? A fashion designer? A forensic scientist? Knowing what type of career you aspire toward will help you narrow down your major.

• Some additional tips to keep in mind are specific to whether or not you are still in high school or already attending college.

• If you are still in high school, you have more flexibility in choosing your college major. You should taken into account the above tips as you look at school, and choose which schools to apply to accordingly. Why pick a school that is know for math and science if you know you want to pursue a degree in film?

• If you are already enrolled in a specific college, you should try and select a major that your school already offers. You may decide to transfer, and that's fine too, but if you can still get a strong education and major in something that is already offered at the school you are attending, then why go to all the hassle of making a move? You should:

1. Do some research. Find out what majors your school is know for, and what programs you should avoid.
2. Talk to your current professors and find out if they have any recommendations for you