10 Reasons Your College Major Doesn't Matter

Here's why you shouldn't focus too much on finding the perfect college major.

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Complex Original

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Many college students in this country spend a lot of time stressing out about their major. Eighty percent of students change their major at least once, and many students spend years undecided, stressing out about choosing the right focus. It's easy to feel like choosing a major places you on an inexorable path toward a career that you may wake up one day and realize was never what you wanted in the first place. There is no reason to feel this way. You should take comfort in the fact that your college major doesn’t matter. It’s scary to think that four years of undergraduate study don’t provide anything but a piece of paper, but that is mostly true.

Yes, sometimes, an undergraduate degree can be the fast track to the career of your choice, but more often than not, graduate school, a change of career, or a second undergraduate degree are in your future. It’s probably best for you to relax and not worry too much about how you’ll make money with that theater or psychology degree. Odds are you wouldn’t be making money regardless of what degree you choose (except pharmacy and engineering). Don’t ask why you’re reading 16th century poetry, just buckle down, write the essay, and graduate as quickly as possible. Here's why your college major doesn't really matter.

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Fields Change Rapidly

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College Majors Don't Match Available Jobs

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Half of Your Education Will Be Gen-Eds Anyway

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Many Jobs Require More Education

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Your Professors Are Probably Out of Touch

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Success Can't Be Taught

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You Probably Don't Know What You Want Yet

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Textbook Experience Isn't Real-World Experience

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Education is a Life-Long Commitment

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Quality of Life Matters

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