Journal

At the age of eight, an elementary school student is usually asked what they want to do when they grow up. At the age of eighteen, the student is still being asked the same question. As a teenager, it can be challenging to narrow down what one would like to do with the rest of their lives. It is okay if a student has not selected a major during their freshmen year of college. It has been estimated that about twenty to fifty percent of first year college students go in undecided and 75 percent of students switch their major at least once or twice before they finally graduate. Sometimes when a student graduates with a declared major, they end up not working in their field of study. Picking a major that one is interested in will benefit them so they can land a career that they are passionate about. Choosing the right career is tricky, but by analyzing the requirements of various careers, a college student is able to make the process easier.

One aspect of choosing a major is the amount of education required to prepare for that career. Many jobs require a degree above an associate’s, which is completed in two years. However, there are some well paying jobs that require a minimum of an associate’s degree. Some examples are dental assistants, physical therapy assistants, and registered nurses. The next level of education is receiving a bachelor’s degree in a specific area. It takes four to five years to complete this. Having a bachelor’s degree in business or nursing will not limit a person to an exact career choice, and they are able to branch out to other jobs. A master’s degree is one step up from a bachelor’s and takes an additional year to two years to complete depending on what the student is studying. A bachelor's degree must be completed before a person can move on to a master’s. The highest degree that one is able to accomplish is a doctorate degree. The amount of schooling is substantial, but not impossible to achieve. A student must decide how long they want to remain in school as one way to narrow down their career options. Becoming a doctor of any type of specialization would be out of the question if a student does not want to stay in school for a long period of time.