Tufts Blogs

In this blog post, I’ll be attempting to answer the infamous question which clouds every new college student’s mind … How do I choose my major?

In my time at college, I’ve swapped through several majors: Communications and Media studies, Psychology, French, and — finally — English. I even floated the idea of being a Film major for a few months. I don’t regret switching through majors, because I learned something from each of them. I enjoyed classes in each of these areas. And ultimately, they helped guide me toward the major that feels right for me. 

Upon entering college, I felt overwhelmed by choices. I liked a little bit of everything: reading, speaking French, working on social media campaigns, learning how the brain works, analyzing films, etc. I also knew some areas which I wasn’t as interested in, chemistry and math being a couple of them. Ruling out any majors which you know for certain you don’t want to study is just as important as finding the majors which you’re passionate about. I suggest taking many different types of classes so you can begin to narrow down which ones make you excited. When the homework begins to feel less like work and more like fun projects which you’re looking forward to, that’s a great sign that you may have found your “thing.”

For me, my thing is English. I’ve always known I love reading and writing, but I wasn’t sure it was a practical career to go into. I thought media studies would allow me more opportunities post-college. This is an idea I’d love to debunk: you don’t need to take classes or major in something just so you can get a job. There are so many opportunities out there that you haven’t even discovered yet! Also, many people are in careers in areas which they did not major in. Just because you major in something, that doesn’t mean you’re tied to this one area forever.

I hope that college can feel like a place where you’re free to study anything that makes you feel excited. As I took some more English classes, I felt that excitement. It wasn’t until I transferred to Tufts that the idea of being an English major began to solidify in my mind. I love the intimate nature of my English classes, which are small and full of people who love reading and discussing books as much as I do. I love talking with my English professors about their experiences in publishing, and I enjoy participating in book clubs where I can socialize and talk about books!

When it comes to choosing classes, it is important to try some out, much like trying on different styles of clothing, until you find one that makes you feel most comfortable and confident. My advice — at the risk of sounding cliché — is that when you find a major that you love, you’ll just know. 

And you might just know many times! I felt really confident in my decision to double major in Psychology for a year, before I realized that I actually don’t love some of the courses required in the major. This brings me to another important thing to remember: just because you love a class, that doesn’t mean you have to major in the subject! Some of my favorite classes at Tufts and the school I transferred from weren’t English classes. Expanding your knowledge beyond just one specific area of expertise is super important! That’s why there’s so much emphasis on this idea of getting a “well-rounded” education. Emerging from college as someone with knowledge in a wide range of subjects is just as important as leaving with a honed skill set in one subject! 

Clubs and extracurricular activities can also be a great way to get involved in areas that you’re interested in but don’t want to major in. Some of my friends in the Tufts Daily are engineering or history majors! Clubs are a great way to get involved in areas of interest that you aren’t necessarily majoring in. 

College is all about exploring! Try to take classes that sound interesting or that catch your eye on the course guide. Push yourself to take classes outside of your comfort zone, in areas you’re curious about, even if you don’t know if that subject is “the one” for you. Committing to a class doesn’t mean committing to a major, but it will help you start to narrow down your choice. Try not to get down on yourself if you take a class that you don’t love; this is still good information to help figure out what doesn’t work for you.

One last thing to remember: you have time! At Tufts, students aren’t required to declare their major until Spring of their sophomore year. And pre-major advisors are there to help with this decision. For now, just focus on what you’re curious about studying, and I assure you, it will all start to fall into place as you continue on your college journey.