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With seemingly endless possibilities, choosing a major can seem like a daunting task. Join student blogger Katie Overby to see what led her to choose her major International Studies.
Research
One big piece of advice I can give incoming students is to do their research. There are so many fascinating jobs and majors out there waiting to be discovered. My high school counselors were adamant about students learning about all the possibilities available to them. Some of my peers found personality and career quizzes to be helpful as well. Some of the most popular are the Myers Briggs Type Indicator, Enneagram Personality Assessment, and the Strong Interest Inventory Assessments. These are self-guided assessments where you can learn more about yourself, your personality, and your work style which could help potentially find a major and career field that suits you.
Family Influences
My dad has been a pilot in the US Military for as long as I can remember. I always enjoyed hearing his stories from his travels in different countries. From Manchu Picchu in Peru to the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, his sense of adventure was passed down to me and made me want to see all of these destinations with my own eyes. I wanted to pick a major where I could not only learn about different countries and cultures but also be able to travel for work. I knew International Studies would offer me the opportunity to do so. My grandma was also a huge help in picking this major. For a long time, I felt stuck with what to choose, but she recommended I do international studies because of my interests and hobbies.
Hobby and Interests
As previously mentioned, my grandma recommended International Studies due to my personal hobbies and interests. Even from a young age, I always enjoyed social studies and was fascinated by history and world cultures. Due to my dad’s job I got to live in Germany for two years, during which I was able to travel to different countries. In high school, I loved watching foreign TV shows and excelled in my history and foreign language classes. All of these interests and experiences lead me to my perfect major, International Studies. International Studies is a mixture of politics, history, foreign language, and other humanities courses, all of which I have thoroughly enjoyed. I never saw my interests or hobbies leading me to a particular career field, but after the recommendation from my grandmother, it just seemed to make sense. Furthermore, I knew I had chosen the right major when I actually enjoyed going to class and learning about all of the different global topics. This eventually led to me being awarded the Best Undergraduate Research
Award in my senior capstone class.
The Job Field
The final reason I chose my major is because of the ability to use my studies and skills to make a difference in the world. Once I have completed my studies, I aim to seek employment at a governmental organization, such as the Department of State or Department of Defense, or an intergovernmental organization, such as the United Nations. I would love to work in a job where I have the opportunity to work with people from different backgrounds and learn from each other in order to make the world a better place.
Hear from others
I asked some of my friends why they chose their major and here’s what they had to say:
“I chose Forensic Psychology because I felt the field is still vastly undiscovered and holds the potential to greatly improve someone’s quality of life”
-Aaron, B.S. Forensic Psychology, Coastal Carolina University
“I chose Broadcast Journalism with a concentration in Political Science because of how much I value the importance of information. To me, the most powerful tool is information and the most harmful is ignorance. I’ve always wanted to be a part of the reason our country can grow to be less ignorant with one another.”
-Abby, B.A. Broadcast Journalism, University of South Carolina
“I chose Early Childhood Education because I can build relationships with my students in a way that can positively impact their lives and change the way that they view learning”
-Allison, B.S. Early Childhood Education
“I chose to do Political Communication because of my strong interest in the American political system. With a more divided nation than ever. We need stronger and more thoughtful leaders and I feel like I can make a profound difference in our communities and political landscape.”
-Dylan, B.A. Political Communication, Louisiana State Univerisity
“I chose Forensics so I can help people. Help the bad people go to jail and have victims be able to walk around with a sense of relief that that criminal is locked up and can’t hurt them anymore”
-Elle, B.S. Forensics, Southern Mississippi University
“I chose Computer Science because it is a challenging field that is always changing. It also gives me the ability to make something that actually has tangible value and makes people’s lives easier”
-Gabe, B.S. Computer Science, Louisiana State University
“I chose Early Childhood Education because I enjoy working with children and I wanted to empower future generations through education”
-Grace, B.S. Early Childhood Education, Winthrop University
“I chose Accounting because it appealed to the analytical side of my brain and French because it appealed to the more creative, dreamy side.”
-Hannah, B.S. Accounting and B.A. French, Louisiana State University
"I feel called to Nursing because it allows me to empower people at their most vulnerable"
-Jessica, B.S. Nursing, Franciscan University
“I chose my major because I wanted to have a meaningful career in protecting and improving the environment”
-Katie, B.S. Environmental Science, Louisiana State University
“I chose my major because it was the most efficient way to utilize my skills. Through refining and adapting the existing chemical compass, there is a creative space for engineers to thrive”
-Kylie, B.S. Chemical Engineering, Auburn University
“I chose English because I genuinely enjoy the art of literature and writing is something that I see myself doing forever.”
-Makayla, B.A. English, Louisiana State University
“I chose my major because I really wanted a major that can help me learn about people and why they choose the path they choose or their decision-making process. I think everyone is a unique character and I want to learn the stories that created them to be that way.”
-Mitchel, B.S. Psychology, University of North Georgia
“I chose International Business because I want to travel while making money. I’m also doing real estate because I’m really interested in the business side of the field.”
-Peter, B.S. Business Administration, University of South Carolina
“I chose Human Factors Psychology because it’s the perfect intersection between human and product/technology! To simply put it, I get to help make the product or technology better through the lens of users”
-Pitch, B.S. Human Factors Psychology, Embry Riddle University
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