Do Your Homework before Selecting a Major

Summary: Follow this important advice about deciding your major as you enter your first year of college.

Question: I’m starting my first year of college. I want to major in mechanical engineering because I love cars. I also want to major in business or a major that will help me run my own business. Should I double major or minor or wait until sophomore year?

Answer: Take the pressure off yourself to decide immediately. There are plenty of routes to your final destination. The one that will maximize your opportunities will depend in some part on identifying the strengths of your university.

Selecting either a minor or a double major will allow you to have a dual focus. Choose the option, however, that offers flexibility in your schedule to incorporate electives and allows for extracurricular activities. If you decide on business as a major, select classes that focus on small business and entrepreneurialism. Make lining up a relevant internship to gain experience a top priority.

Use this first year to scour the course catalogs, talk with professors about specific courses of interest and interview automobile/business people you admire. Work closely with an adviser to map out a strategy that aligns your career goals with the best offerings of the university.

• See Consider the Big Picture When Selecting a Major for more information.