The following post is written by Aaron Johnson from University of North Texas, one of our many friends at Uloop, a student powered marketplace. Read more great posts in their blog.

With college classes well underway, many, myself included, look to the ever-daunting decision of picking a major. Do I want business? Engineering? Journalism? Art? A foreign language? What does this do for me, anyway? What if I hate it?

Academic advisors kept asking me what I liked to do, and my reply continued to be: everything. While there were a few obvious things (most involving too much math) I knew I didn’t want to do, there were very few things I couldn’t see myself doing on the long list of majors they displayed for us.

As I continued to go to these advising sessions, I slowly began to narrow my choices down to a few. I don’t want to do something just because I’d make money; I want to do something I enjoy, or at least tolerate. I want to learn about it before I choose something. Thus, I continued to take exploratory classes.

As you look for what you’d like to choose in a major, don’t settle for something simply because you could see yourself doing it, or you think you’d make bank doing it. All too often you see people returning to college because their first go-round left them getting lots of money, but miserable, as they couldn’t stand the career path they had chosen.

You don’t have to officially declare a major until you have finished up all of your perspective university’s core curriculum. At UNT, as is common with most universities, you’ll likely use the first two years of your college career to fill your brain with core classes that everyone has to take regardless of their major.

So, what’s my advice for upcoming and undecided college students? Take your time. You don’t have to decide right away. If you’re not completely assured in a decision for your major, do what I like to call major-shopping. Experiment with things you think you could see yourself doing, and even those that you aren’t so sure about, to get a well-rounded viewpoint. Find what you’re passionate about and strive towards it.

Some may come into college already knowing that they are passionate about something that may not necessarily yield a high-success rate, and are discouraged from it by the people and advisers that these students have come to respect. Go for it! When you know what you’re passionate about, stick with it, hone in your skills and work hard! Nothing says you can’t be what you want to be just because those telling you not to decided to discard their passions.

In the meantime, don’t stress. College is a time to enjoy the little things and your first experience of freedom. Find out what works for you and chase it! There’s little else to it than that.

What do I want to do with my life?!

When you first arrive on your university’s campus at the ripe age of 18, the world is your oyster. You have yet to begin your four years of college education, which have a heavy hand in shaping your future. To quote Remember Me, you are most likely undecided… about everything.

Mapping your own personal life-path begins with choosing your major. Although this is the first, it can also be the most difficult step. The vast amount of choices you are given can be overwhelming. What if you pick the wrong major and because of that one mistake your life turns out horribly miserable?

Don’t worry, I doubt such a terrifying outcome will occur. Plus, you can always switch majors mid-way through college. But, if you plan on graduating on time, it helps to have an idea of the educational direction you want to go in, what sorts of classes you want to take, and a vague sense of possible careers post-tossing your academic hat in the air.

Since specific advice varies for every individual (and that’s what academic advisors are for), here are a few general themes to keep in mind when declaring your major.

What Are You Good At
This is simple. People enjoy being successful. If you currently find advanced calculus intellectually stimulating and exciting, but find yourself spending hours solving simple problems, you will most likely regret declaring a math major halfway into your semester. Use your talents to your advantage; not only does this make your classes easier, but it also makes you happier. It’s definitely important to continue to challenge yourself, but don’t burden yourself with an unrealistic course load.

What Are You Interested In
This is a step further than simply being skillful in some field. If you excel in Econ, do you prefer it’s role in politics or perhaps simply analyzing the theory aspect? Maybe you want to study it on the international scale. Either way, you need to pick a specific route based on your own personal interests. This will make your classes, and the post-grad life they lead you to, 10 times more enjoyable.

What Are the Major’s Requirements
Although I’m not positive how it works at other schools, we are required to complete certain required classes in conjunction with our major at Georgetown. Some majors have a ton of necessary credits, some have relatively few. Take a look at the types of classes you’ll be required to take and be sure none of them absolutely disgust/frighten you before signing on to that major.

What Classes Catch Your Eye
On the other hand, check out the awesome class opportunities that your field of interest offers. If you see a few courses that you absolutely have to take, chances are you’ve found your major.

What Do You Want to Do When You Graduate
Note: not what your parents want you to do.
This can be the toughest aspect of choosing a major for many students. Parental influence, both mental and financial, can greatly impact your decision in picking out your college curricula. Ignore them. Seriously. If declare something half-heartedly because your dad thinks it would be best for your future, you will most likely end up miserable and full of regret. Go with your gut feeling and don’t be afraid to stick up for your career dreams, no matter what you’re parents say. They’ll support your decision…eventually.

Do you have any advice for freshmen and sophomores about to declare their major? Share it in the comment section below!

Got some college questions? Unsure of a decision? Hate your roommate but still have to live with her again next year? Just wanna chat it up with some really awesome chics? We’ve got the girls for you. Hit them up in the comments or shoot them an email with the subject “College Q&A”! They’ve got all the answers you need, no matter who you are.

Question:
I’m a Junior and I still have no idea what major I want to do. I declared English just because I thought that made the most sense (and could potentially work for anything I want to do after college), but I just don’t know if that’s right for me. I still have no idea what I want to be when I grow up and I was hoping you guys might be able to give me some tips on how to figure that out. I’m really sick of reading literature and really don’t know if I want to continue on this path. Help?

GPA Girl:
If you’re sick of reading literature, you might want to consider changing your major. It doesn’t really sound as if you chose English for a good reason, anyway. You have a couple of options. Number one is to change your major to something that really interests you (music? art? astronomy?) and pursue that, even if it takes you a little more time than planned to get your bachelor’s. Option two is to keep going with the English major, finish it up for the sake of finishing, and do something entirely different after graduation. Why not? You wouldn’t be the first person to get a job (or do something else) that has nothing to do with your major.

It seems ridiculous to me that you are freaking out at the age of 20 or 21 because you have no idea what you want to do with your life. Relax! You have literally decades to figure it out. For right now, do what makes you happiest, whatever that may be. And if you don’t know, explore some different options by taking new classes and trying new extra-curriculars. That’s what college (and all those annoying required classes!) is for! Have fun!

Party Girl:
Giiiirl, I’m a (fifth year) senior and I’m still not sure what I want to do with my life. And all of my friends who graduated on time and are out there in the real world working and bringing home the bacon? Yeah, they don’t know what they want to do in life either. Yes, there are many people out there who know what they want to be when they grow up from the moment they enter college, but that’s not the case for the rest (or the most) of us. And that’s OK. What’s not OK is wasting all your time and money on a major that makes you miserable. You’ve got a long life ahead of you, so live it up now. Take a little time and think about what classes you’ve taken that you enjoyed the most. You’ll notice a trend and that trend should tell you what major you’d enjoy most (hell, that’s how I got into my happy place). Follow your heart and switch things up; you’ve only got 4 (or in my case/potentially your case if you change majors, 5)  years in college and you shouldn’t spend them dreading going to class. This is your time to learn and explore, so learn and explore! (And then save some time to hit the bar at night.) You don’t need to know what you want to do after college, you just need to know what you want to do right now. Focus on that and the rest will fall into place when it’s time.

Busy Bee:
I’ve learned that the best way to figure out what you want to do “when you grow up” is to explore. Take a week (maybe the week of Spring Break? Or some time this summer?) to dedicate towards answering this question. Volunteer with different organizations, take up a new hobby, read your old diary entries, read a book, take personality tests, research unique jobs (911 phone operator, anybody?), or call up your old teachers to see what they think. By trying out different things, reading up on your past, and talking to people who have seen you hard at work, you may realize that there is a common trait that you’ve involved yourself with. Maybe when you were four years old, you were obsessed with airplanes and now you discover that you want to become a pilot. Who knows?!

Remember, you want to be sure that whatever career path you choose to embark on, that you can imagine yourself waking up every morning excited to go to work. Realize that you will become an expert in your career, so what is it that makes you excited? What topics make your heart race? What field of study makes you want to study a little harder? I know these questions aren’t easy to answer, but then again, you are a junior. The clock is ticking and if you want to change your major, you have to do it ASAP in order to avoid staying in college longer than necessary. Who knows, you might go back to English, or maybe not. Either way, I don’t think you’ve wasted any time with an English major! So take what you’ve learned and improvise on it. Trust me, there is something out there for you – you just have to find it.

Graduating is almost like watching Paranormal Activity; it’s just plain terrifying.

Because of the current economy (read: in the toilet) many of us are making some pretty rash decisions when it comes to choosing majors and getting the ball rolling on our futures. Students are trying to do whatever they can to get ahead of their peers, often choosing majors early in order to get a head start on internships, jobs and other experiences valuable to an attractive resume. Some schools are even getting rid of their “useless” majors – like Philosophy – in favor of majors that will actually get students some jobs – like Business.

But is being so totally focused and career minded in college really the right way to go?
Some people don’t think so.

Besides specializing in “Ramen Cuisine,” college is an essential time to focus on your career. I mean, that’s why we’re here, right? It often feels that you haven’t even unpacked your bags into your tiny dorm room before your academic advisor is pressuring you to declare your major, and fast. And it makes sense; money is tight and it’s important to get moving on a path that will secure a successful job in the future.  Unless you want to live in your parents’ basement with the family pet, college is the key to jump-starting your life.  Declaring your major early gives you more experience in the field and the opportunity to rope in an internship right away. All things that will eventually make you more appealing to that HR guy in the suit.

At the same time, though, maybe this isn’t the only aspect of college we should be focusing on.

Is getting a job the only reason people get a college education? And is a business student who only knows statistics, finance and how the banking industry works really the most appealing job candidate? What happened to being well-rounded? To being multi-dimensional? That was really important during the college application process, so why not now? Even more, how are you supposed to know what you want to do if you’ve never given anything else a chance? College is a time to explore. To learn. To try new things and find your path. Not to choose the major that makes the most money and hope you can survive it.

College, if you take advantage of all the opportunities it has to offer, opens more doors than Inconsiderate Ian did for you on your last blind date.  It also happens to be the last time you’re really given the freedom to explore such a wide variety of options. I get that we’re all desperate to nab those highly coveted jobs post graduation, but that doesn’t mean we have to lock ourselves into a box just yet. Nor that doing so is the key to success.

So, what do you think? Are we wasting our time on those art and religion classes? Should we be more focused on our trade?

College. Sigh. It’s unlike any other time in your life. It has its own set of rules, its own unique circumstances. And it’s not always easy to navigate. Everyone needs a little guidance now and then (or always) so we’ve pulled together a variety of perspectives (the does-it-all girl, the party girl and Ms. Study Lounge) to weigh in on your life conundrums and give you the best advice we can.

Every week they’ll be tackling your questions about college. From classes to keggers to keggers before classes, they’ll do their best to respond and be your Pez dispenser of collegiate wisdom. Got questions? Unsure of a decision? Just wanna chat it up with some really awesome chics?

Hit them up in the comments or shoot them an email with the subject “College Q&A”!

Question:
Help! It took me forever to choose a major and now that I have, I have a lot of catching up to do. Like, a lot. I’m reworking my schedule for next semester right now and I’m not sure if I should load on the classes (and take a full 18 credits) and really struggle through all the reading and writing (I’m a History major), or take an easier load and stick around for Spring/Summer term. I need to get these classes out of the way – I just don’t know if it’s better to struggle during the year or give up my summer to ease the load.

Busy Bee:
Well, first of all, congrats on choosing a major. That’s a major (no pun intended) milestone in your college career and finally puts you on track for your future. That being said, there are pros and cons to both situations. With the economy the way it is right now, grades and extracurricular activities are super important for getting a job. If taking on 18 credits prevents you from doing other things – like taking a leadership role in a student group – you may want to save some classes for the summer. And the same thing goes for your GPA. Too many classes may mean lower grades in all of them, which really isn’t worth it in the end. On the flip side, if you aren’t in any student groups yet (shame on you!), but were planning on getting an internship/related job this summer, pack the classes in now so you can add that important experience to your resume.

Party Girl:
I know that changing majors can be stressful and make you feel like you should be spending all of your time playing catch up. But honestly, college is just as much about the experience as it is about the grades and classes and if you cram your schedule so full of work that you have no time to enjoy your time as a college student, you’re going to be one unhappy camper. While all your friends are going out on weekends and making lifelong memories, you’re going to be stuck in the library reading history books and living vicariously through their Facebook albums. Take an easier load and stick around for the summer session to make up what you’ve missed. All the fun you’ll have with your college friends will totally be worth a summer semester of catching up. And, honestly, summer semester rocks. You get to be on campus and an easy schedule, meaning you get that much more time to enjoy the fun side of things.

GPA Girl:
Looks like neither option is going to be a picnic, so you’re going to have to choose what you think would be best for you. How do you do under pressure? Be honest with yourself. If you work hard and always have, you’re familiar with your track record and know you could get through a really tough semester. But if it’s more manageable for you to take fewer credits spread out over a longer period of time, there’s no shame in that (even if it does mean giving up your summer). Plus, keep this in mind – you won’t exactly be “giving up” your summer. I’m sure you won’t be the only person sticking around during that time, and you might even have the opportunity to make some really great new friends whom you wouldn’t have met during the normal school year. There’s more good news in that you finally have chosen a major, so the new classes you take should theoretically cover material that you’ll enjoy. So to summarize, if you do well with pressure, feel free to cram it all in, but please don’t spread yourself too thin. There are definite advantages to taking your time!

You got a question? Send it over and our experts will help you out.

College. Sigh. It’s unlike any other time in your life. It has its own set of rules, its own unique circumstances. And it’s not always easy to navigate. Enter…me! Every week I’ll be tackling your questions about college. From classes to keggers, I’ll do my best to respond and be your Pez dispenser of collegiate wisdom.

Got questions? Hit me up in the comments or shoot me an email at melanie@collegecandy.com

Here’s a question: How do I pick my Major? So many options its ridiculous. – Kate
Very true, and I’ve tried them all. Business. English. Human Services. Journalism. True story, I’ve changed my major four times. Trying everything is my recommendation. I personally had a difficult time in the business program because I was unable to explore all the different classes my school had to offer. Switching to Arts and Sciences let me try out sociology, psychology, communications and still pick up some business classes.

You have to do what feels right for you and don’t sweat your career too much along the way. Some of the smartest people I know have the most obscure undergrad degrees. It’s why we have graduate school. Talk to people who have careers that interest you, find out what they majored in and settle into a track that feels best for you. If you do what you love, money and success will follow.

How do I meet cool friends without getting involved in Greek Life?
Yes, some schools are crazy about being Greek (and announcing their affiliation via letters plastered across their boobs and butts).  It’s not for everyone, though. If you’re on a college campus chances are there are tons of activities and outlets to meet people. Love to draw? Join the art club to find others who share your passion for Crayola crayons. Want to meet people and get sweaty? Club and intramural sports. Political science major? Student government. Get involved and you’ll meet people who share your passions. Even if it’s for Rock Paper Scissors.

OH. MY. GOD. My roommate is a SLOB. What do I do?!
Pick your battles with your roomie. If it’s something minor that you can get over, maybe make a joke about it. If it’s something big, have a conversation with her. The best thing you can do is keep open communication with your roommate, even if it’s sparingly. Chances are, she has no idea that her weird behavior even annoys you. If you gently tell her to refrain from singing while she does her homework, clean up her shiz and don’t mack it with her boyfriend while you’re sleeping mere feet away – if she’s a good roommate, she’ll respect you. If it gets out of hand, have a chat with someone in Res Life.

My teacher doesn’t take attendance! Nice! That means I can skip, right?
No. Unless it’s really important. Or you’re really hungover. Which brings me to…

It’s okay to drink during the week, right?
If you get your work done, by all means. Booze it up on a Monday if you must. If alch starts to interfere with your academics, relationships and health? Re-evaluate. College life should be fun and full of ridiculous nights captured only in blurry iPhone pictures, but that doesn’t have to be every night. And it most definitely should not get in the way of your academic success.

In some ways, I like the unclear path. I am taking classes because they sound interesting, not because they will help me complete a major. I am learning just because I want to, and my grades are just because I want to try my best, not because I know I am looking for a certain grad school or want to impress future employees. For all I know, I could be studying subjects which will be completely irrelevant to my future. So I have no pressure.

Except, I still have pressure. In some ways, it’s even more than I had in high school. Sure, it’s not like I know I have to get a certain GPA and do certain activities to get into college. But now that I’m here, I can’t believe there’s no more plan. I am the kind of person who plans out her entire future—not minute-by-minute or a 10-year-plan, more like a general idea of what’s to come– but now I have no concept of past college. All my life, I knew I was going to go to graduate high school and go to college. Now I’m here, and I can check that off the list.

What’s next? Grad school? An internship? A job? All I’ve ever done is be a student. I am good at that; I can study, write essays and take tests. I envy my friends who know what they want to be. One studies political science, so she wants to go into politics. One has a knack for design and math, and he’s planning on being an engineer.

I just like learning Spanish. But no, I don’t want to be a teacher, and right now I don’t think translating sounds that wonderful. I like writing, but I’m not betting on that being a life-long career. In fact, I like most of the subjects I learn, but none link directly to a career which catches my eye.

So here I am, one semester down, seven to go. And then what? Well, I guess I’ll figure that out soon, hopefully. But for now, I’ll settle for an undeclared student with no plans whatsoever except one part of her 10-year-plan: start planning one.

Orgo was my wake-up call. There was one exam where I literally laughed the entire two hours (crying wouldn’t help and there was no way I was passing). When the curve was being set by less than 30% scored on a test, and no matter how many hours I kept my head dutifully in my books, I decided to bow out gracefully. It wasn’t worth feeling like a moron and beating myself up anymore. At the end of the day, I was happiest reading, analyzing, writing, as opposed to drawing benzene rings. And I was pretty damn good at it. (In college. Judge as you deem fit at present.)

This is NOT to say that people who stick through courses like these, no matter how much they hate them, are wrong in doing so. Au contraire, dear readers. If you can see the big picture and are content knowing that your hard work will make for a better, happier future, stick with it by all means. Ultimately, no one but you knows what’s going to be best for your future, not your parents, your friends, or your advisor.

Sadly, no one hands you a roadmap saying how your life is going. It’s not like high school, where your biggest decision is what college you’re attending after four years. It’s the rest of your life, and at 18-22, we’re ill-equipped to decide what we want to do forever. My belief, after having gone through this nerve-wracking process, is that you shouldn’t close off options just because it’s not part of your initial plan. If you do change your mind and have regrets, you can always go back to school.

College is definitely a 4-year course in hedonism—you have to be a little selfish so you can figure yourself out, and this is especially true in the case of determining your career path. For me, the hard part wasn’t deciding to change my major. I knew I needed to make a change, but explaining this to my parents was tough. They saw me as their future Doctor Daughter, after all. Sometimes you just feel trapped, almost as though since your parents have raised you and are (possibly) footing the bill, you owe them their dreams, even if it kills you. At the end of the day, a miserable child is not exactly a reward, especially if you blame them for your stress.

Am I saying give up if you’re unhappy in a class? Not at all. A lot more goes into it than that. My decision was based on many other factors (namely a general wave of nausea at the thought of veins/hunting for them in order to administer anesthetic of any sort, and a general distaste for lab work). Just don’t be afraid to go for something you love.

Any other major-changers out there? What’s your take on the process?

[photo courtesy of corbis]

Turns out, I made a big (HUGE) mistake.

According to recent stats by some important people at the Wall Street Journal, a major in liberal arts is…well, worthless.

OK, maybe not worthless, but definitely not nearly as valuable as majoring something a little more 21st century. Just check out these stats for first year earnings in various fields:

Accounting: $46,000

Consulting: $47,000

Aerospace: $54,000

Engineering: $49,000

Retail: $34,000

Education: $30,000

Journalism: $23,000

Depressing, right? Well, it doesn’t have to be.

• If you are still in your first years of school, you still have the chance to re-think your major based on the current employment trends.

• If you are on your way out of school, having a Psych or Soc major doesn’t eliminate your chances of getting a job in consulting or even finance. And, if all else fails, there is always grad school.

• Not all people need high paying jobs to be happy in life. Perhaps the gratification of teaching children is worth more than the $20,000 pay increase you would have as an investment banker. And if not, you can always find a better job later.

I am not a math person – so I would never be very appealing to a finance/aerospace company anyway – but I still wish I could have known this before I locked myself into a life of little money and lots of work.