Top 10 Myths About Choosing A Major

We're going to bust 10 myths about choosing a major! Ready? Go!

1. There's just ONE perfect major for me

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Nope! There's not one magic major out there waiting for you. There are lots of majors that could be a good fit. The trick is narrowing it down. (We can help with that.)

2. Choosing a 2nd major is just for over-achievers

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Wrong! Have you ever heard of a parallel plan? You might declare a 2nd major so that you can try two different programs out at the same time. Once you have a better feel for which major is the best fit, your work can still count towards something - you may be able to make your other choice into a minor!

3. I have to love EVERYTHING about it, or it wasn't meant to be

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Uh uh. You're definitely going to experience some ups and downs in your major. Some classes are going to be your faves, and others- not so much. It’s just important that you like it most of the time.

4. I have to know exactly what I'm going to do with my life

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Not true! You don't have to know exactly what you want to do with your major, but having a general idea can be good. And did you know that for many positions, employers are open to all majors, so what you do can be pretty loosely tied to what you studied. Either way, we can help if you want to talk more!

5. I didn't get into the major, so now I have to change career plans

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Not at all! You can still seek out internships, part-time jobs, volunteer work, or clubs and organizations that are related to what you want to do career-wise. These experiences also matter to employers!

6. Taking a class in the major is the only way to see if I like it

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Taking a class is one way to learn about a major, but you can also talk with students and professors in the program, read about it in the Catalog, research majors through the CAP website, or take UNST 102 (a class for freshmen which helps with major/career decisions)!

7. Now that I've declared, it's too late to change my mind

It depends. Every major takes a different span of time to complete (it depends on the number of credit hours, if classes have to be taken in a certain order, how much time you have left)... but there's something in MyMadison called the What-If Report that can take all of the guesswork out of it.

8. I can quickly change my major online

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Not yet at least! JMU's developing an online major declaration form, but for the time being you have to print out a form and take it to the departments for signatures. Some majors also have additional requirements for getting in (a portfolio, audition, interview) beyond the declaration form.

9. Being a Liberal Arts major means I'm ruining my life

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Not so! There are so many misconceptions about the job prospects for Liberal Arts majors. Employers really value Liberal Arts skill sets! To get a more accurate picture of the career options for any major, check out the Career Guide to JMU Majors.

10. I can be a Nursing/Engineering/Accounting major and still graduate in 4 years

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Sadly, no. Some programs fit so that you can have a double major and graduate on time, but other combinations will keep you at JMU longer. We can show you to how to do the math to see if programs will fit into a four year plan.

Have questions about your major decision? We can help!

Make an appointment with an advisor in Career & Academic Planning and we can talk more about YOUR plan!