When I was younger, I always wanted to be a doctor. However, people told me that spending 8 years in college was not worth it. So I decided to biomedical engineering/biotechnology. A family member is trying to get me to a computer engineer because she thinks I will get a large salary. Now I’m a freshman and torn apart by how to plan my AP’s, and which colleges I should start getting interested in. How do I decide? What steps should I take? I know this really broad, but I just need a little guidance.
You are a HS freshman? No need to decide on a major. Take what you like, see what inspires you, and expect that you, like many other students, will probably change your major in college anyway.
What @jym626 said, times 1000. In addition, don’t let people’s advice about majors change your mind. Instead, let their advice give you questions to think about and answer for yourself according to your own values. You’re a different person and your values and interests will differ, so your answer doesn’t have to be the same as theirs.
If you want to be a doctor, explore being a doctor. You can simply take “Is 8 years of college to be a doctor worth doing?” as a question worth thinking about, and formulate your own answer. Maybe volunteer at a hospital or clinic and see how you like it when you see it up close.
If a family member wants you to consider computer engineering, take “Would I like computer programming?” as a question. Maybe take some intro to programming classes online on Udacity or Coursera or Codecademy. Hmm, how did that go? Did I enjoy that?
Do trust the people around you and the wisdom they have, but trust them to inspire you with possibilities, not to dictate your life for you. The best thing you can be as a high school freshman is someone who is full of questions. “What do I want to be? What do I want to study?” - these are perfectly normal questions to have at your age. Have fun exploring the many possible ways to answer them!
Agree…it is simply too early to pick a college major (by a lot). And about half of college applicants apply with an “undecided” major.
I agree, too early, but I also agree that only you can determine whether spending 8+ years in higher ed is worth it. Lots of people go to medical school and feel that it was worth the investment of time and money. Don’t change your career plans at the whims and desires of other people; the only one who has to work your career is you!