Deciding what to major in in college is a daunting task that almost every young adult faces. Some people have known almost their entire lives what they want to focus on, some decide as high school seniors and some do not decide their major until they are already in college. While there are many important factors to consider when choosing a major, one of the most common concerns is career placement and economic stability.

“The most common majors tend to be business, engineering and pre-professional (pre-med, for example),” said OHS guidance counselor Shana Borgen. Counselors meet with students at least three times individually throughout their high school career to talk about post-secondary planning.

With the current state of the economy, finding a job can be a difficult task for college graduates. Senior Laura Kuehn said, “it makes me nervous that it’s so unstable.” The most profitable college majors currently are in the fields of engineering, business, mathematics and sciences. Kuehn said, “I want to conduct public relations for corporations between countries, with a focus on South America.”

Attending college in and of itself is a major economic burden on young adults. With thousands and thousands of students’ (or their parents’) hard-earned dollars going toward their education, it is critical that they are getting their money’s worth. To do this, it is important to have a clear plan and focus that will prepare students as much as possible for entering the job market. Ideally, the major a student declares will be the major they stick with, as extending tuition and education is just another cost and a way of delaying a full-time salary.

This is not to say that it is completely critical to decide on a major before enrolling in college. Experts say that it is often valuable to take a couple years of various college courses before deciding on a specific field of study. There are of course, numerous exceptions to this, such as students interested in programs such as medicine or law, where it is important to get as early a start as possible.

“It’s scary going into college for a specific thing because you never know if jobs will be available in the area you studied,” said senior Kelly Bernards, “I hope that my major, along with my minors, will prepare me for multiple job opportunities.”

Another important aspect to deciding on a major is making sure that your field of study is something you are truly passionate about. It may sound cliche, but experts conclude that if a student’s heart is not invested in their field, it is likely that they will not go very far in that area. Senior Sammie Lundberg said, “Photography is my main passion… I hope to work in some photography studios and eventually work up to owning my own studio.”

Despite statistics on the highest and lowest earning career paths, students must ultimately be passionate about their major if they wish to succeed. While other factors do offer considerable aid, it is truly the student who is in charge of their own success.

Andrea Conover is the Copy Chief for The Spartan Speaks.