Myth on Choosing a College Major

Choosing a College Major is very controversial issue. Almost all colleges try to convince you to choose a major while being on the senior year of high school. According to the Education Department 30 percent of applicants change their major at least once.

September Gallup survey shows that most of pieces of advice students get from their parents and friends. 28% of them listen to the advice of college advisers. Very few realize that their advice was very helpful. And, only 11 percent follow the guidance of the school counselor.

STEM always gets the highest salaries

Computer science and engineering are the most popular majors, as they top the pay rankings. Don’t forget that salaries are very different within certain majors.

An associate professor of economics at Temple University, Douglas A. Webber, refers to one interesting example:  Those who majored in English earn more during their lifetimes (top quarter) than chemical engineers (top quarter).

Forget about the myth that graduates in STEM field or in business make more that English history majors, for example. The last ones can earn even more than the STEM workers.

Women are thirsty to have it all

It is well-known fact that women are in majority on college campuses. For instance, this fall 56 percent of students who were enrolled to the college, were women. It is also most likely that they graduate the college, in compassion with men.

However, according to Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce report women tend to choose the lower paying spheres, such as: social services and education. I offer you to look at the proportion of the highest paying spheres, which women choose as a major: computer science (20 percent), business economics (31 percent), electrical engineering (10 percent), chemical engineering (28 percent), mechanical engineering (8 percent).

The women’s domination at every level of higher education does not give them the leverage.

The choosing major is more important than choosing a college

The opportunity to search for public data about graduates’ earnings exists in seven states such as.

The databases prove that students earn more money if they graduate from more selective schools. That’s why there is no secret that better college gives better professional skills.

Liberal arts won’t provide you with a well-paid salaries

Very often people think that technical majors are more likely to get them employed rather than the liberal arts. Even our politicians in their speeches point out to the fact that America doesn’t need a dancer or some other liberal arts profession. They say that it can be your hobby, but get something more serious if you want to make money.

In practice graduates of liberal arts are very popular nowadays as employees. People with creative way of thinking, well-trained skills will get the job, they always wanted.

By the way, if you are good at interpretive dancing, and you push yourself to be a lawyer or businessman you get no success. Person who does what she/he likes will execute their job a 100 times better that the one who does it out of duty without any desire.

Choose your major in advance

You probably heard that choosing major as early as possible it is very important. The truth is that according to the University of California, Los Angeles, student who settled on their majors early lose a semester or even two, because they want to switch their previously chosen major.

Nowadays, many universities have created the ‘meta-majors’,the group which includes a several major under one large academic field.

The ‘meta-majors’ give to the students the opportunity to chose one major by the end of the first academic year.

You lose your chance without choosing a major

Many scholars argue about choosing major. Few of them believe that students need to choose their major, to ensure themselves to get into the right college. The other ones are confident that choosing major limits the students in the first place. They have to do the accepted scheme which very often acts against their own interests.