Sometimes we're set on what we want to study upon entering college. Other times we feel a lot of pressure to know when in reality, we have no idea. It can feel like a huge decision to make that may alter your life forever. The good news is that college is a place to explore your options. Often times we emerge a totally different person after graduation than when we started out. Whatever you decide to study, always make sure that you are getting a return on your investment. Your years of hard work has to amount to something.

College is indeed a labor of love. You're spending four or more years of your life investing time into a major that will hopefully propel you into the professional world. The benefits are endless but the most important one of all is the ability to start a career. Depending on how much you've spent, financially and beyond, on your education, you need to make sure that the career you go into can pay you back and then some. In addition to the physical and mental labor exerted during college, there's no secret that debt tends to add up in the midst of that and cripple college grads long after they cross the stage. Making sure that you have a plan for how to pay your debts back with your new career can make looking back on your time in college less regretful.

In addition to securing yourself financially, your major should guarantee you feeling fulfilled as a person. Keeping that in mind, study something that will cater to your abilities, values, interests, and passions. What are you good at and what do you need to work on? What's something that you cannot live life without? What are you constantly curious about, even on your off days? What will you enjoy doing years from now? Think about the answers to these questions and a career that will keep you as connected to those answers without compromising too much.

Taking it back to the facts, think about practicality. Job markets can change, so an industry that was once the place to be in can take a nosedive five years from now and vice versa. Choose a major that opens the door to a career that will secure your employability, desired salary, and longevity in the job market. Even if what you love is art, consider a major in art-adjacent areas. While becoming a successful painter tends to be a challenge, Museum Curating for example, offers more security and you still have the option to be immersed in the art that you love. There are always options.

Preparing for the future is a part of growing up which is one of the reasons why we go to college and declare what we want to do with our lives. Equipping yourself with the right knowledge and tools can make a typically daunting experience more bearable. Therefore figuring out what to major in is a process to be fully active in. Learn who you are as a person and that will in turn give way to what you are passionate about and what you can see yourself doing for years to come.

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