Read on how to choose your major?
Choosing your major
What your major entails
Learning your subject – What the books do not teach!
Doing a double major
Why is summer good time to study?
Check if you will get a double degree
Time Management

Choosing your major

Before you choose a subject for your college major, figure out why you want that college degree. Most people want a college degree because they want to get a job. Is that why you want the degree? Or do you want to go to college to study a subject that you find fascinating, regardless of whether or not you get a job? Or do you want to go to college just to expand your knowledge, and think about a career later?

Choosing a major to get a job is more difficult than choosing a subject you find interesting, because here may be only one or two such subjects. In contrast, there are several subjects you can study to get a job and hence the confusion. For example, you can choose nursing, or engineering, or education — each of these subjects will lead to a job after graduation, so you need to decide what kind of job you want to do. Often, it is your ambitions and your dreams that will help you decide major — think about your future and decide the type of life you want to lead, and this decision will help you to select your major.

If you just want to expand your knowledge, you should choose a subject from the liberal arts. These subjects help you to learn how to integrate information and develop creativity and critical thinking. If you choose a subject from the liberal arts, you might not get a job straight after college, but you will develop several skills, which in turn will help you to decide which job or industry suits you best.

Remember one important rule — the subject you choose should be able to hold your interest through all the hard work and study you will have to do. So look deep inside yourself and figure out what really interests you. Don’t pick a subject just because it looks easy. Some universities offer introductory courses about subjects. These courses can help you to find out how you feel about a subject but remember, every subject contains several topics, and you may find some of these topics uninteresting.

You can also try other methods to decide major. For example, you can study your college bulletin, consult your advisor, check the syllabi of the subject, discuss with other students and professionals, make a list your interests, and so on. The important thing is to treat your search seriously because your decision may impact the rest of your life and career.

Go to top

What your major entails

When you select a major, it means that your college will structure your curriculum and classes with emphasis on the subject that you select. You will need to attend a minimum number of classes on that subject, as well as do other work like projects etc. before your college awards you your degree.

Selecting the right major is essential for your career, but it is important to remember that merely selecting is not enough — your grades and other career decisions will impact your career as much if not more. Too, after graduating, despite majoring in a selected subject, you might change your job and your career also — most college graduates do.

Some colleges do not require you to select a major but those that do will want you to think about your major by your sophomore year. It is better to select your major early if it requires much study or attending more classes than other subjects. That is why many colleges ask you to select your major by your sophomore year. You can also change your major after you select ir (most schools allow you to change your major), but the college may impose a time penalty on you. So it is better to take a little time to decide the right subject for your major, instead of changing it after selecting it.

You might need to complete some prerequisite courses before you do the advanced or upper-level courses in your major. These prerequisite courses are usually listed in the college catalog, and usually, the catalog includes descriptions about the required classes and other guidelines. The list of courses would also be listed on the college website, and may even be sold through mail order or the college bookstore.

If you are prepared for a lot less play and a lot more work, you might want to consider doing a double major, which many colleges allow. Some colleges even allow you to earn two degrees side by side, but may apply some conditions. For example, Stanford University allows you to earn a Bachelor of Science and a Bachelor of Arts degree.

Go to top

Learning your subject – What the books do not teach!

Your college will provide you with several opportunities to develop your personality. You will not only learn about the subject you have selected for your major but will also imbibe new ideas and grow as a person.

To get the best out of college, you should do the following:
Develop friendships
Some of the friends you make in college will remain with you for life. Some of these friends may be studying the same subject as you, but others will be studying different subjects, and these friends will help you to broaden your horizons and gain a wider perspective. By interacting with different types of people from different cultures, you will also develop cross-cultural and interpersonal skills.

Develop your network
Progress in career is not just about good grades and academic performance — support from friends and contacts are also vital. College provides you with adequate opportunities to develop contacts. Some of the people you meet in college will rise to positions of authority and they will be able to help you get the right job and help your career. Your network may include your classmates as well as professors and other friends.

Gain experience
You can gain a lot of experience doing summer jobs and internships. You should use your college’s career counseling and placement center to help you find the right job and gain experience. You should start thinking and planning for your internships in your sophomore year. Internships are important because they allow you to gain experience at low risk to your career. Interns are expected to make mistakes, so the mistakes you make will not be held against you. Your internship will not only increase your job prospects but may also become the springboard to a real job after graduation.

The faculty advantage
Your faculty is one of the richest sources of knowledge and experience. They can provide you valuable advice and help you find your feet not only in college but also after graduation. The faculty may consist of renowned people who have made a mark for themselves in your field of study. The faculty may even include Nobel laureates. You should make the effort to establish and maintain cordial and fruitful relationships with your professors.

Social service and volunteer work
Volunteer work can prove to be an important stepping stone to success — it proves to potential employers that you are really committed and dedicated about you chosen subject. You also learn to apply what you have learnt in class, which helps you gain experience.

Department jobs
Many departments offer internal job opportunities. These could be opportunities for research or just menial work like cleaning test tubes etc. But whatever the job, it is an excellent opportunity to develop contacts in your department. Particularly in science subjects, which require a lot of research, it is very important for you to develop contacts within your department, and jobs are the best way to do that.

Clubs and groups
All colleges have clubs or groups, many of which are centered around the various courses and subjects that the college offers. Other clubs offer opportunities for extracurricular activities. If you join a club, be prepared to attend its meetings and participate in its activities. You will meet like-minded people at your club, and develop contacts and friendships.

Tutoring
The surest way to learn a subject or topic is to teach it. Even if you know the subject well, you will reinforce your knowledge and help someone else to learn it in the process. Tutoring also provides another opportunity to build friendships and make contacts.

Use your college’s resources
Every college has one or more libraries, websites, labs and other resources. You should use these resources to increase the breadth and depth of your academic and learning experience. Even the town or city in which your college is located can enhance your learning experience. For example, a history major may be able to find historical buildings and sites in the city, which can enhance knowledge and experience.

Go to top

Doing a double major

Here are a few hints if you are considering a double major:

Check which combinations are allowed
Some colleges allow selected combinations of subjects for double majors and don’t allow other combinations. For example a college may allow a combination of Physics and Biochemistry but not Physics and History. Another college may not allow you to choose overlapping courses.

Check if you will get a double degree

Some colleges allow you to earn a double degree while other colleges don’t. Others will allow you to earn a combination degree but some will allow only a single degree. Check what your intended college allows before you decide to do a double major.

Check if your majors are compatible
Compatibility should be assessed according to the level of difficulty. If both your subjects are very difficult, requiring 200 units each, you may need an extra year to complete both your majors. Ideally, of the two majors, one should be a little less difficult.

Understand what is involved
You should be prepared to forego a lot of fun and games if you want to do a double major. This will involve sacrifices, including your personal and social life, which will have to take a backseat. Ask yourself if you are prepared for this, and jump in only if you are.

Why is summer good time to study?

Spending some time with your textbooks and attending coaching classes during the summer holidays gives you a head start over peers who are content to spend their time at leisure. This way you finish most of your syllabus by the time your school reopens. So your performance in standardised tests like the PSAT, SAT and in your school exams will be much better. This will enable you to ensure your enrolment in the college or university of your choice.

Here are the top five reasons to study during the summer vacation:
1. Classes during the summer vacation are less stressful compared to regular school classes. No school to attend, no rush to get up at dawn and get ready for school. Your responsibilities as a prefect or in any other position are also on hold during the holidays. You can easily focus on preparing for the SAT.

2. The additional hours you put in during the summer vacation will reflect in the better score you will secure in the SAT.

3. After the vacation is over, you can always opt to study for the standardized exams at Manya – Princeton Review. In this way, you will retain what you learnt during the summer. Whenever you appear for the exam, your memory will immediately aid you by recalling the concepts studied.

4. Studying during the summer vacations will give you a lead over other students who did not do so. While many of your peers are still engaged in finding out the details of standardized exams, you will be prepared to not only appear in them but also score excellent marks.

5. Your family members and especially your parents will commend your meticulous nature and foresight in preparing for the exams during your summer vacation. They will share this news with others in their professional and social circles. You will receive praise from all those around you.

Go to top

Time Management

How to manage your time should be of utmost importance to you during the senior year of high-school to fit in your regular course work along with your application process to a college abroad. To avoid stress during that last minute rush, it is advisable to START EARLY. The best way to get through this tumultuous period is to remain organized.

Prepare a time bound routine to fit in all your activities. Of all these, staying focused and doing well in academics should be at the top of your priority list. You may simultaneously research schools of your choice and work on their requirements. Visit them, if possible, to find out if they match up to your expectations. Get your priorities in order – apply to those colleges in which you stand a chance instead of applying to too many colleges. This will help you in your time management but do spare time to indulge in some extra curricular activities too.

Join clubs of your interests or join a voluntary work organization /community service in your spare time. This will hone your communication skills to have that extra edge in your application. Also, it will help you relax. Apply for recommendation letters well in advance to give the teachers ample time in framing a proper profile of your achievements.

Prepare your application essays in your mind before you actually produce them on paper. Build on the past trends to keep some topics well thought out so you do not suffer a writer’s block when actually writing it. Do sit and clarify the admission procedures to your parents, especially the deadlines, in order to prepare them financially.

Stay composed during the entire process and it will be half the battle won. For, the journey towards your life’s cherished goals has just begun and you must enjoy this journey. But for this, your key word must be time management in whichever way you think best.

Go to top