Deciding on a major? Please help!

This isn’t really a question on deciding on a major, more of just “getting on grasp” on something I should major in. I have no idea what I want my future to look like; I’ve gone from thinking teaching, to ministry, to business, to culinary, to others along the way. Most of these center around people - I love people and I always want to make people happy.

There’s really two questions in this post:
1.) What are questions I need to ask myself to help me figure out my major/future career?

2.) This one is more specific. As of right now, I feel like I’m going down more of a business-y path. However, I’m having trouble deciding where to go and what type of major. There’s a school, a very prestigious business school in our state, that I could definitely get in and some day land a nice-paying job. However, their majors are things like Finance, Economics, etc. I feel I’d be sitting down all the time and it’d be boring. I want something more up-and-about, talking to people. However, I don’t want to be on my feet all the time (ie; McDonalds manager).

So there’s this other major. It’s at that same school’s regional campus and it’s a BS in Small Business Management. I feel like this kind of thing sounds more interesting to me. I’d enjoy managing a small business someday. However, being this at a regional campus, I’m afraid it’s not as good (or prestigious) as the main school. But if I feel it might make me more happy someday should I do that? Don’t get me wrong, I see they’re both Bachelors. But something in me feels sorta disappointed in myself, a straight A, 4.2+ GPA student, when I think I might be going to just a regional campus. I don’t get why I feel like this. I definitely feel that management is more interesting and suitable to me, but I still feel this way and I don’t know why or what I should do.

Please help! I’m really torn up about this. Thanks :slight_smile:

First of all, give yourself some separation between “major” and “future career.” Your major in and of itself does not determine your future career - it may influence it, but tons of people are working in careers that are less related or completely unrelated to their undergraduate major. Remember that you are not choosing what you want to do for the rest of your life; you are choosing what you might want to study for the next 4 years, and maybe what’ll influence your first couple jobs out of college.

Note I said some separation, though - major and career aren’t completely divorced, particularly if your eye is on a STEM career.

Hopefully that takes some of the pressure off. At this point, ask yourself: What are my interests? What do I like to do? Which of my interests might be frustrating if I had to do them 8 hours a day, 5 days a week? (This is important. You may have many interests; that doesn’t mean that you want do them all for pay.) What kinds of tasks do I like to complete in class? What classes have I enjoyed in the past? And what kinds of careers do I want to explore? Again, career and major are somewhat linked - in the sense that some of your classes can teach you some skills you’ll need. If you wanted to do data science you’ll need to program; if you want to be a journalist you’ll need to write.

You have asked several very similar questions in this forum and others across CC. I mention it because you seem very unnecessarily stressed out about your major. Your major is JUST the beginning and is not going to determine what you will do for the rest of your life. If you want to manage a small business, it kind of doesn’t matter whether you major in small business management or economics - you can do that with either degree. Liberal arts degrees to tend to be a little more flexible, but your major isn’t so deterministic.

In fact, I would go so far as to say the college is more important than the major, in most cases. There’s a reason why certain management consulting firms would rather hire an English major from Harvard than a finance major from Podunk State. Now, most careers aren’t prestige-focused so I’m not saying that you should go to a prestigious school (although Miami U is a very well-reputed school). But usually the experiences you get are more important than the actual major you have. Being surrounded by peers who will challenge and push you; attending classes with engaged and respected professors; participating in extracurriculars with other ambitious young people - that’s going to change your worldview in a very significant way. And you’ll make connections with classmates that can really last a lifetime. College is a formative time of life, and things outside of the major matter almost more than the academics do.

Also, I visited the webpage for the Miami U regional campuses’ BSC. Everything in the marketing of this degree (“Flexible class scheduling, online course options, and extensive student support…one of the lowest regional tuition rates in Ohio, with the convenience, comfort and accessibility of campuses close to home”) points to it being a degree that was designed primarily for working professionals/non-traditional students who need or want a bachelor’s degree but can’t attend as a full-time, four-year student on a traditional campus. I’m not sure that’s what you want.

If you were asking my advice, I’d say go to Miami U’s main campus. Miami University absolutely has majors in management: they have one in [management and leadership](Human Capital Management and Leadership, B.S. - Miami University Program Finder) and another one in [interdisciplinary business management](Home - Miami University Program Finder) which lets you build your own specialization. You don’t need to specialize in small business management to manage a small business. And the Farmer School is excellent: “Miami has one of the largest college career fairs in the country, with several hundred top organizations vying for our students every year. 98% of Farmer School 2013 graduates were either employed or enrolled full time in in graduate school within six months of graduation.* Our alumni are excellent examples of the quality of the educational experience we provide. More than 2,000 Farmer School alumni are presidents, CEOs, or owners of companies.”

So if you want to go to Miami U, go there!

You truly are amazing - you’ve helped me on multiple other posts and it’s always exactly what I need to hear. I feel I’ve been stuck on the attraction that this regional campus is close at home.

But you’re right, I know I can go to Farmers and the rigor, people, and experience there seem much more important now.

I’ve thought about Management and Leadership for awhile too, now. Maybe I’ll end up there someday. We’ll see.

Thank you SO much for your help. I’m sure I speak for hundreds of other high schoolers, but your words and wisdom are truly a blessing. I’m always nervous about this stuff, but you’ve really helped me feel more confident :slight_smile:

Thank you!

Prestige matters less than taking advantage of networking available to you, especially if you are pursuing a business related career.

Aw, thanks and you’re welcome! :slight_smile: Good luck with your decision-making!