Now that your son or daughter has been in college for a few months, they should be getting a clearer picture of their educational goals. They may still be deciding on a major, or their school may be asking them for a decision over the next year. Some students will have discovered that they love the subjects they're studying, while others may find themselves reassessing their planned major after a few months in school.

Although ultimately choosing a major is a decision only your college student can make, you can help your son or daughter through the self-exploration process when it's time to make this decision.

What Is a Major, Anyways?

In many ways, a major or program of study is like a contract between the student and the school they attend. By declaring a focus for study, the student agrees to perform certain work (such as classes, labs, testing) in exchange for a college degree. In more simple terms, a major is simply an organized collection of classes, either revolving around a subject (geography, for example), theme (such as international relations), or professional field (such as nursing, pre-law, engineering, etc.)

How Do You Choose a Major?

Choosing a major or program of study is very much like choosing an occupation or a field of work. Most often, before a young person chooses a program, they decide on a field of work they are interested in. Some occupations might require a general arts degree or a general science degree; others might have specific course requirements like a forestry degree or a pharmacy degree.

Your son or daughter will need to determine the education and prerequisites required by a particular degree program. It is important to know those when they enter post-secondary education so they can take the right courses for the appropriate major.

Beyond taking courses required for graduation, they should talk to people in the work world to see if there are any specific courses that might help in their work search down the road.

When Does Your Son or Daughter Need to Choose a Major?

Good question! It often depends on the college and the major. Most schools prefer that the student start looking at a major at least by their sophomore (second) year. Some schools actually require a student to list a major on the college application. Your son or daughter will need to confirm that with the particular institution they plan to attend.

University departments have upper-level courses that are offered in the third and fourth years that lead to in-depth study on a particular topic. This is when specialization will come into play for your son or daughter, and they will have to make a choice regarding their major.

Each semester before registering, your son or daughter should do some thinking and planning. Suggest they review the course catalog to become familiar with their major, general education requirements, and the policies and procedures of the institution they are attending.

What if Your Son or Daughter Declares Early But Changes Their Mind?

It wouldn't be the first or last time a student got into a faculty and found out it wasn't for them. Most universities allow for that by encouraging students to take a general arts or science program to begin with in their first two years.

In a way, students' indecisiveness is built into the system. If they change their mind, they might have to take some prerequisite courses before they enter their final two years of study. But better to change in university than to spend years working in an area they aren't interested in.

What If Your Son or Daughter Just Doesn't Know What to Choose?

Some students will enter university or college knowing only that they want to go to university. This is really "normal" and it is fine. If they have conducted a self-assessment and still haven't found anything that interests them, suggest they investigate options while on campus.

• They could sit in on some classes that interest them
• They could go to the libraries of various faculties and look at what is going on in that field of study
• They can talk to faculty of programs they might be interested in and ask for the syllabi or course descriptions
• They could enroll in a co-op program to gain work experience and do some firsthand career exploration

Is There Anyone on Campus to Talk to About Program Possibilities?

An academic advisor can be a great connecting point for your son or daughter at college or university. An advisor is a faculty member or trained professional with whom they have the opportunity to meet and talk one-on-one about their academic program and career and life goals -- but usually, the student needs to take the initiative.

An advisor helps plan a course of study and makes suggestions in program planning. They may help you with investigating careers. An advisor may refer your son or daughter to other faculty or offices for help. Faculty advisors also teach classes and work on academic research, so advisement hours may be limited.

Keep Flexible and Develop Transferable Skills

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the average college graduate changes jobs once every three years and changes career fields two or three times in their lifetime. So choosing a specific major does not lock a person into a specific career. What is important is that your son or daughter works towards developing a broad set of skills and areas of knowledge that can be applied or transferred from one field of work to another.

As your son or daughter moves through their post-secondary education, help them keep abreast of changes in the economy. Suggest they connect with people in their potential occupational area to ensure they are taking the courses that will make the difference when it comes to pursuing their post-university dreams.