Choosing a Major

Contrary to what you may have seen in the movies (Old School, Animal House, Road Trip, etc.), college life at UNC is much different. The past 3.5 years have been filled with fun memories, but students at Carolina understand that a successful college experience requires a balance between “work” and “play.” In many circumstances, the college and major you pick will have a significant impact on the opportunities available to you after school.

One of the misconceptions that I often hear is that it doesn’t matter what you major in so long as you have that “oh so desired” diploma on the wall. While it is true that companies look for diversity in their work force by hiring different types of majors, you will be a more attractive candidate and a better employee if you pick a major most related to your desired occupation.

That part of the story seems rather intuitive, but here is the problem: What percentage of students entering college know for sure what they want to do after graduation? Some such as myself know (part of my attraction to Carolina was its amazing Business School--#6 in the nation for undergraduate business), but many others have no idea.

Because of students’ uncertainty toward picking a major, I never understood why so many colleges made prospective students pick a school (such as School of Business or Nursing or Journalism, etc.) during the application process. Carolina has tried to alleviate this pressure by not making students declare until their sophomore year. The advantage of doing so, allows students to experience various disciplines by taking electives before making a decision. That said, if you know what you want to major in before enrolling, you can start working on major requirements from the beginning and take electives later.

So, I end with one last piece of advice: pick a major you enjoy. Doing so will make classes that much more entertaining and meaningful. But always keep in mind, that some majors are more attractive when leaving school. The following is from a CNN article from Nov. 14, 2004 listing the top 10 degrees in demand this year:

1. Accounting
2. Electrical Engineering
3. Mechanical Engineering
4. Business Administration
5. Economics/Finance
6. Computer Science
7. Computer Engineering
8. Marketing/Marketing Management
9. Chemical Engineering
10. Information Sciences