How To Deal With Anxiety When Choosing A College Major

Picking a college major can feel like the beginning of a journey or a death sentence to a life you don’t even know. How can you pick a field of study when picking a new backpack feels stressful enough?

While it seems like a major can make or break your career, the average person changes careers three to seven times in their working life. Your major isn’t something that nails you to the floor, rather it’s a light that sets the tone in the room. 

The question to answer is simple: What room do you want to explore? Here are some thought-starters to help you ease the anxiety of deciding on a degree.

What classes do you most enjoy?

You likely had a favorite class growing up. Science, social studies, language arts, music—all of these took on new themes, chapters, and skill sets as the years went on. Some may have started as favorites but became least favorites as workloads changed and your personality came out. Think critically about your favorite classes and ask yourself why they were your favorite.

Did you like math because it was gratifying to solve a complex equation? Or because the real-world application of numbers into the physics of roller coasters blew your mind? Was language arts exciting because the history of root words fascinated you? Or because you loved the value of helping others share their stories? 

Answering questions like these can help you decide what specific major you want within a larger school department. While civil engineers and architects work side-by-side and deal with similar subject matter, their day-to-day jobs are very different.

What have you always been curious about?

School is no more than a starting point, a best guess at the skills people thought you’d benefit most from to enter society as an independent adult. Are there any subjects in school you kept hoping would come up but never did? Any chapters your teacher only covered for a week that you wish lasted a full semester?

How about outside of school—what do you find yourself mindlessly researching online for hours? What books were you always drawn to at the book fair? What are your favorite TV shows and why? Majors are an opportunity to deep-dive into the things you want to nerd out about. Choose something you could willingly spend large amounts of time studying.

Another way to think about curiosities is through conversation. What do you always love to talk about, even with strangers? What kinds of discussions make you feel warm and fuzzy inside once you get into the meat of them? 

When do people come to you for help?

While passions are important, jobs are how we puzzle-piece ourselves into society. We fill a certain role to help others move along, and we have a certain amount of choice in the kind of help we want to provide. Don’t just consider what you like, consider what you’re good at.

When was the last time someone came to you for advice? What kinds of problems do people defer to you to help mitigate? This can help you understand where you’re trusted and where your natural talents lie. However, relying solely on your talents could leave you feeling unfulfilled, so find a happy medium between what you like to do and what you’re good at. 

What are you learning outside your major?

No matter what, keep moving along, keep asking for advice, and keep your mind open—you can’t turn a car that isn’t moving! People love talking about their passions, so reach out to anyone whose job you might want. Remember you’re learning even when you’re not learning—college teaches transferable skills just by being there, like communication, problem solving, research, leadership, and teamwork. Your major won’t be the only takeaway from college, so let that take some pressure off the choice.

Looking to dive deeper into your values and career path? Consider working with a counselor. Reach out to learn more about therapy for young adults or anxiety treatment.