You don’t need to have your entire life figured out by your senior year of high school. The pressure to choose a major—and by extension, a career path—can feel overwhelming, but here’s the thing: college itself is designed to help you explore. This guide isn’t about forcing you to pick a major today. It’s about helping you reflect on your interests, strengths, and values to make informed choices—and feel empowered, not panicked. Whether you want to partake in this mini self-assessment to choose the right mini-course, ILP, or whether CTE will be useful, I hope this blog is useful!
1. Start with What You Actually Enjoy (Yes, Even the “Silly” Stuff)
You might roll your eyes at the question, “What do you like doing?” But here’s the thing: Your hobbies, guilty pleasures, and downtime habits reveal more about your strengths and passions than you think.
Examples of things to ask yourself about:
Do you scroll mindlessly on TikTok/Instagram? What content grabs you? Memes about social justice? DIY projects? Psychology facts? Your algorithm is a mirror of your subconscious interests.
Do you zone out playing video games? Are you into strategy games (problem-solving), RPGs (storytelling), or competitive games (leadership/teamwork)? Tycoon games might signal a love for management or economics. Speedrunning? You thrive under pressure and love optimizing systems.
The Key: Don’t judge your interests—decode them. Liking “shallow” things isn’t a flaw. It’s data.
2. Link Passions to Potential Majors
Your major doesn’t have to be a direct translation of your hobby (you don’t need to major in “Gaming” to work in tech). Instead, think about the skills and themes that excite you.
Examples:
Love debating friends about TV shows? → Communication, critical thinking → Majors: English, Philosophy, Political Science.
Obsessed with organizing your Spotify playlists? → Pattern recognition, creativity → Majors: Data Science, Music Technology, Marketing.
Always fixing your sibling’s tech issues? → Problem-solving, systems thinking → Majors: Computer Science, Engineering.
You can also try Xello surveys or others you find online but they are not universally helpful.
3. Academic “Spikes” Matter—But So Does Exploration
Colleges love students with “academic spikes” (deep expertise in one area), but you don’t need to force a spike prematurely. Instead:
Try free online courses (Coursera, edX). Try a coding bootcamp or a creative writing workshop.
Leverage your high school electives. Love art but think it’s “impractical”? Take a graphic design class and pair it with marketing modules.
Talk to professionals. Chances are, you’re already doing this with your mini-courses and ILPs! Shadow a nurse, ask a software engineer about their day, or interview a teacher. (Most adults love sharing advice!)
Reality Check: 30% of undergraduates change their major at least once (National Center for Education Statistics). Exploration isn’t failure—it’s growth.