Deciding on a major is one of the pivotal decisions that many of us make in our lives.  While you can always change your mind after a few classes in the major, you need to have an understanding of the degree by the end of your sophomore year or risk taking extra years of college (an expense and time constraint none of us want to deal with).  Therefore, the question remains how to determine what major (and future) is right for you in so little time?  It seems nearly inconceivable that we should have to decide on a future after a year or two of classes that are only slightly related to the field. 

Many schools require students to take a set number of classes before they venture off into the elective realm of university studies.  This forces students to take a smattering of different courses to see what they may be interested in.  While most private schools use this approach, public schools allow students to venture into anything they want at first, which could prove to be a costly problem for many students who think they enjoy one degree program and find out in their third year that they do not know what future course to take.  Taking these required classes throughout your first year can help you see what different fields entail and what you may have to do in a major. 

Required courses usually involve a smattering of the liberal arts, sciences, foreign languages, and some math.  This covers most potential majors, although the more specialized degrees are harder to get a feel for.  How do you know if you want to earn a degree in Middle Eastern studies?  Or Organic Chemistry?  Many of these degrees involve lifelong goals of some students, but others simply require the gentle prodding of a professor or the interest from a recent book.  It is amazing how students decide on a major from the most unassuming of sources.  However, we all discover our own passion in life based on what interests us the most.

It is best to take these first two years of college to discover what attracts you to various courses and what you can see yourself pursuing in the coming years.  It is difficult to think of life only a few years away, but with the economy in such an uncertain lurch, planning ahead can prove to be quite beneficial in the end.  Deciding on a degree program that is best suited for recent graduates may be ideal for some, but it is not necessary.  There are still careers to be found in any field, you simply have to have a deeper understanding of what the career entails.  Getting an internship position can further help cement any uncertain feelings about a degree program and gives you true experience with the degree program.  It may seem like a difficult choice to make, but choosing your major does not have to be as complicated and time-consuming as many of us make it.