The years of college are a fun and exciting time, but there are some aspects of getting a college education that result in considerable stress. Choosing one's major is often one of the areas that prove to be stressful. Both for high school students applying to college degree programs, and for students already enrolled in a bachelor degree program, thinking about majors (and perhaps switching majors during one's college education) can take up a lot of time and energy.
A college major determines many of the courses that will make up your bachelor degree, but not all of them. In addition to the core courses that are required for your major, you will also have to take a considerable number of general education courses, such as Freshman English and Freshman Composition. You may also choose to complete a minor as part of your bachelor degree. In most cases, the courses for your chosen major will be about 40-60% of the courses that you take during a four-year bachelor degree.
Keep in mind when choosing your college major that the list of required courses for that major is usually non-negotiable. If there are several courses listed as part of a particular bachelor degree that you are unwilling to take, that should be a good indication to you to keep looking for an alternative degree to choose. However, there will always be courses that are required that you are not very enthusiastic about, and even a few courses that you think you might never be able to complete. Don't let these difficult courses within a college degree deter you. Completing a college degree is not easy; you should choose your major according to what you find interesting and what you can envision yourself doing in the future. Don't choose a major simply because there are a lot of notoriously 'easy' classes in it.
Choosing a major should include thinking about your past and thinking about your future. Students are most successful when they are enrolled in a bachelor degree program that interests them (don't choose engineering if you hated physics in high school) and that offers career options for the future that are attractive. Somebody who is very social and likes dynamic environments should not become a data analyst because this career involves a lot of solo computer work.
If you are struggling with choosing a college major, it might be a good idea to visit a career advice bureau in order to take personality tests and career suitability tests. What will be done at such a bureau is that a counselor will attempt to determine which interests you have, what your talents are, and what kinds of work environment will suit you best. This battery of testing and a counselor's advice is sometimes costly, but it can be a great help in choosing a major that will lead to a career you will enjoy.
If you're doubting about spending money on such advice, remember that many students who switch majors during the second or third year of college often have to go to school for a fifth year in order to complete all the requirements. This route is much more expensive than getting advice from a career counselor.
While a late change of major can result in a longer period of collegiate study, an early change is very common, so don't worry too much about your choice of major before the first semester of freshman year starts. Most students who change their major during the first year of college do not have to attend a fifth year. For this reason, having a good idea of what you want your major to be before starting school is a good idea, but having your major set in stone before orientation weekend is not necessary.