"Major" Dilemmas

Want to be wowed?  Take a look at the almost endless list of degree options at NCC.

Liberal Arts, Business, Nursing, Criminal Justice, Marketing, Hospitality, Engineering, Digital Art, Communications, Accounting, Computer Science, Paralegal Studies, Allied Health Sciences, Human Services, Music, Fashion Buying, Speech Pathology, Interior Design, etc. etc.--something for practically every taste and interest!

Cool, huh?  But maybe also a little confusing and overwhelming, especially if you're among the thousands of new college students still figuring out their interests and career paths. 

Before you stress too much about your area of study (a.k.a. your major), keep in mind the following:

1.  While your area of study/major is important, it's hardly a life or death matter.  College majors aren't prison sentences.  If a major isn't for you, you can always pursue something else.   What's more, plenty of successful people have done well in careers unrelated to their college major.

2.  Your skills and overall knowledge--not your area of study--will influence your career prospects.  In recent stories in the Wall Street Journal and New York Times, employers reported that they valued people who, regardless of major, could read, write, and speak well, think clearly and critically, find creative solutions to problems, and work well with others.  Skills and smarts count. http://blogs.wsj.com/atwork/2013/04/10/your-college-major-is-a-minor-issue-employers-say/ and 
http://thechoice.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/04/29/does-the-college-major-matter-not-really/.

3.  A great way to prepare for a career (and the rest of your life) is to take courses that will improve your overall literacy skills--reading, writing, speaking, and thinking.  Classes in composition, reading, public speaking, library skills, and critical thinking will all help. So will courses in ethics and problem solving (the stuff of math and business courses).  And outside the classroom, don't overlook the value of clubs and campus and community service projects; participation will boost your interpersonal skills.

4.  The key to discovering the "right" area of study is finding something that really interests you--and throwing yourself into it.  You'll get far more out of college (and be better prepared for any career) if you study something you're passionate about.  It doesn't matter what you concentrate on, says Richard Arum, a professor at New York University, so long as you "focus on it in a rigorous way."

So how do you find your passion?  

Though there's no magic formula, you can improve your chances by being open to almost everything Nassau has to offer.  Search the catalog for interesting courses.  Go to campus lectures on topics you're curious about.  Attend career workshops, especially those aimed at helping you match your interests to majors.  And, of course, pay attention in all of your classes: you never know when something you're studying will energize you.

And along the way, work on becoming the most educated person possible. There can be no more useful--or rewarding--area of study.