We know that choosing a college major can be very hard. But have no fear! Your choice of major will not lock you into a specific career for the rest of your life. Here's what you need to know about college majors before you commit.

What is a major?

【小题1】Beyond general college requirements， you'll also take a group of courses in a subject of your choosing such as Chemistry， Literature， or Political Science.

How important is my major?

The major you choose will neither predict nor guarantee your future. Many graduates find jobs that have nothing to do with what they studied in college. If you intend to earn a professional degree after college， you will probably need certain courses. 【小题2】

When do I declare a major?

This varies widely across schools and programs.【小题3】Others require that you declare upon a major by the time that you set foot inside your first class.

【小题4】

Definitely. One of the most exciting aspects of college life is that it introduces you to new subjects and arouses new passions. However， keep this in mind. Every major has necessary coursework. If you change your major late in the game， it may take more than the traditional four years to earn a degree.

What are minors and double majors?

If one field of study doesn’t satisfy your intellectual appetite， consider a minor. A minor is similar to a major in that it’s an area of academic concentration.【小题5】A double major provides you with an understanding of two academic fields. It allows you to become familiar with two sets of values and views while it also requires you to fulfill two sets of requirements.

John Koh is one who finds joy in learning.

He graduated with a diploma (毕业文凭) in accounting in his youth, but after a decade in the industry, he decided to make a change. He took an undergraduate course in social work at the age of 33. He graduated in 2010 and went on to do a Master’s degree in social work in 2014.

His most recent educational attempt, which he took on last year, is a Master’s degree in gerontology.

Gerontology is the scientific study of old age, the process of aging, and the particular problems of old people. As the population in the United States continues to age, earning a degree in gerontology could be a good investment in one’s future. “It became more in demand in 2017,” he described. “I’d always been interested in it, but what motivated me to take on the Master’s program was when my wife started studying again. Watching her enjoy her studies gave me the desire to go back to studies too.” As an adult learner, John said, “When I started to study social work, I really enjoyed it because I already had work experience, plus I had been serving in the Dialect Service looking after the elderly. Whatever I was taught in school, I applied it to my work; whatever I learned at work, I related back to my studies. Work experience really benefits the learning.” John also noticed that his grades were a lot better when he was doing his Master’s degree, compared to his undergraduate studies.

As a passionate lifelong learner, John Koh believes communication with family members is another important thing. “Support is very important,” said John. “I told my daughter that Papa was studying and that on certain days I would have to focus on my tasks. It’s actually a good example for the next generation — that’s why my daughter likes to read too!”

There are times when attending class and studying your textbook just aren’t enough to help you to understand the class material. 【小题1】 When you study with a tutor, you are able to get one-on-one attention and interaction where you can ask any questions you may have and focus on parts of the material that you really struggle with. 【小题2】 If you follow them, you’ll surely understand the material better and pass your class.

The most important thing when you study with a tutor is to attend class. This is where most of your learning should come from, not your tutor. Keep in mind that your tutor is there to help you with the specific problems you are struggling with and not to teach you all of the material from the class. When you attend class, make sure that you pay attention and take thorough notes to bring back to your tutor. 【小题3】

Before each tutoring session, make a list of questions that you had come up during class and still do not have the answers to. This will not only help your tutor with the direction in which to take their lesson, but it will keep you both from wasting time on material that you do already understand. 【小题4】 Too many times students will go to their tutor and forget what they had questions about.

When you study with a tutor, it’s important that you participate in the session. Don’t just let your tutor talk to you and lecture you. 【小题5】 Instead, ask questions if you do not understand something or need your tutor to expand a little more. If you need something explained in a different way, speak up. Have a discussion with your tutor about the material. Sometimes just talking it out in different ways can make something click where it suddenly all makes sense.