It’s normal to not know what major to choose. Lots — most — students have a period of wondering, questioning, and uncertainty. It’s unlikely that you will be struck by a sudden moment of enlightenment, so we suggest you take action! By taking action, you will gain more information and your perspective will change.
THINK
Think about the classes you’ve already taken. What was your favorite? Least favorite? Were there any classes for which you wanted to go above and beyond?
If so, that might be a clue to what kinds of classes/topics/subjects you like.
REVIEW
Review the list of majors and minors. Pick 5 that you’re considering. Make note of the ones that you’re not considering. Explore the U-M websites for the majors and read anything you can. What do you like or dislike about what you’ve read? Review your notes with an advisor to help you see trends or similarities in the things you like & dislike.
MEET
Meet with a general advisor or an advisor in the departments of the majors you’re considering. You’re allowed to meet with departmental advisors before you’ve declared, so ask them questions about the classes in the major, what students do during or after the major, and what else you’re not able to know/understand from their website. All advisors are happy to talk with you while you’re in an exploration stage.
LOOK
Look to the future and think about what you want to do after graduation. Does your major really matter? If you’re not sure, explore careers via the U-M Career Center or LSA Opportunity Hub, or talk with someone there about the different paths to get to what you want to do. You can also explore the “What Will You Do with an LSA Degree” interactive data or use the career assessment tools offered by the Career Center.
TALK
Talk with U-M alumni and other professionals for career related conversations (aka: informational interviews). You can read about or talk with U-M alums to see what they majored in and what they did after graduation. This is like LinkedIn, but the alums have expressly said they are willing to talk to you! You have two options for this:
