By Marc Santom
Admissions Counselor
Geneva College

In the United States, college students change their academic major on the average of 2 or 3 times during their college careers, which usually last longer than 4 years. It is no wonder why many experts would agree that over 50% of Americans are currently working the "wrong job."

I am not certain how these statistics would fare across the globe, but here at Geneva College, we recognize a universal Principle that, if expected, would put many more students on a career path they would not regret. And the Principle is this: that everyone is born with specialized talents, abilities, and desires. If students choose a major field of study that compliments heir abilities and talents, they are much more likely to enjoy their career, raising the quality of their lives. However, if students decide to violate this Principle and choose a major because it will one day yield them a larger paycheck, they will suffer the consequences.

What am I saying? Simply this: that your major and career are not yours to choose as much as they are yours to discover. You, as a student approaching college, need to make considerable time to take an "inventory" of how you've been constructed. Take an honest and sobering look at your personality, your passions, your dreams, your abilities, your strengths, and your weaknesses. I know it sounds simplistic, but it is shocking how many students select majors primarily based upon prestige, parental pressure, financial promise, or the latest job market forecasts.

Here are some questions to ask yourself which may help you gravitate towards a particular area of study: What have I always desired to do with my life? Is my desire complimented by my specialized abilities? Am I gifted more to excel in the math and sciences, the arts, or the business world? Do I have the leadership skills to be in a management position? Would I excel in a major that involves solid interpersonal skills or would I enjoy working in relative privacy all day? Am I willing to study a major that will require me to get a master's degree? Is it more important for me to prepare for a job that I will love to go to everyday or one that I'll just tolerate in order to make more money?

To make the Principle work for you, remember two criterion must work together. You must pursue a major that will utilize your abilities and excite you to the core. You cannot have one without the other. For instance, you may be a brilliant biology student, but the thought of working as a biologist seems very dull to you, then do not become a biology major. Likewise, if you love to write short stories, but you struggle with grammar, spelling, and other literary skills, then I would think twice about becoming a writing major. The most successful people in the world are the ones who are skilled in their careers and love what they do. You must explore majors in which both criterion are met.

Exploring possible majors takes time and should not be taken lightly. Students need to understand that majors can be categorized into certain groups. And, based upon your interests and skills, you will find yourself gravitating towards one or two of them. There is a Social group which consists of majors like social work, education, counseling, physical therapy, and public relations. Students majoring in these love to work with people, are good communicators, and are sensitive to the attitudes and well being of others. In the Investigative group, students would tend to be proficient in acquiring scientific and technical skills, working independently, solving complex problems, researching, inventing, and designing. Some majors in this group would include engineering, computer science, medical research, architecture, and physics. There is an Artistic group of majors for students who are gifted in acting, writing, public speaking, music, photography, painting, design, or dance. Several majors to consider for these students would be music, theater, journalism, advertising, communications, and art. These groups of majors are just three of many. Even though the list is far from exhaustive, students would probably esteem one over the other just because of how they have been created as diverse individuals.

Once you have a direction in which to head, you must begin the next step: exploring your possible major. You cannot know for certain that you have made the right major choice until you have begun to see what it is all about. Exploration of your anticipated major is crucial because it will either confirm or erode your desire to study in your particular field. For example, at Geneva College we insist that any student planning on becoming a teacher observe in a local classroom several hours a week for an entire semester. This one, exploratory semester accomplishes one of two things: it either excites the student to the core about education or it causes the student to change his or her major immediately.

There are some great ways to discover if you have the needed abilities to excel in your major and if the major excites you and brings your joy:

• interview with a placement/career office

• research various majors at the library or on the internet

• work part-time or volunteer in a field that is closely aligned to your major

• spend a day on the job with someone who works in the field that you will study

• take personality or skills inventories

American theologian, Howard Hendricks, once said, "First we make our decisions, and then our decisions make us." Handle this decision-making process with diligent care. Invest hours upon hours of discovering who you are and how you are made, and then strategically begin to pursue a major and career that will bring out your best and cause you to know years and years of joy and contentment. Then, begin to explore the direction in which you are heading to ensure you have made the right choice. And remember, it all begins with cooperating with the Principle, and then you are free to make a decision that will one day make you truly successful in your vocation.