What Should I Study in College? This is one of the most common questions we hear as parents. While some children know what they want to be from the time they are very young, this isn’t always the case. While the clock seems like it is ticking as your child nears their senior year of high school, some children still have no idea what studies they would like to focus on in college.
As someone who is beginning the process for the second time – it is still overwhelming. My daughter chose her college based on a major, which she eventually changed to something completely different. My son on the other hand has expressed an interest in two unrelated fields and doesn’t know where he wants to go to college.
Being the person I am I decided to search for something to help him decide what he would like to be when he completes college. I happened upon several sites to help him (and you) that I am sharing below.
So the next time your child asks, “What should I study in college?” you can guide them to the following sites that may help them.
A Personality Test
16personalities.com is a FREE website that will help you get a better understanding of your personality, based on the 16 different personality types as identified by the Meyers Briggs test. The great thing about this website, besides it being free, is they will explain in detail your personality type, as well as, providing details about career paths and work habits for the personality type.
An Aptitude Test
Youscience.com is a website that focuses on the student’s aptitude. While not free, this site does frequently have discount codes. With a fee of $29 for one test, it is highly touted by many who have no idea what they want to be when they grow up. It takes what you like and what you do well and brings them together. When your talent and passion meet, you are more likely to find yourself in the right place. YouScience Discovery is designed to reveal both natural abilities & personal interests – the perfect combo. Your profile includes in-depth detail about what makes you awesome, matches to more than 500 careers, and detailed career info, like a day in the life, salary, and how to get there.
Naviance
Some high schools provide Naviance to their students. Naviance is an American college and career readiness software provider that partners with high schools and other K–12 institutions to provide students with their strengths and interests and helps them to connect learning to their life. Naviance has three different assessments a high school child can take. This includes a Strength Explorer that will help uncover the child’s talents and reveal their potential strengths. From there, they can then begin a journey of discovery, and the tools they will need to make the most of their talents. There is also a Career Interest Profiler and a Career Cluster Finder that will show the three areas the high schooler student is most interested in.
We will be documenting the college process so be sure to bookmark the website so you can follow along. Hopefully we can help you and if you think you can help us please leave a comment with any guidance you may have. It takes a village and answering the question, “What should I study in college?” is just the beginning.
