Helping Your Child Choose the Right College Major for Themselves and Their Future

As a parent, preparing your teenager for college has likely been a long and somewhat nerve wrecking process that has been building throughout their high school career. One of the first major choices that they will have to make is to choose the right college major that captures their interest and can keep them motivated for two or four years.  But, as a parent, you not only want to be sure that they are happy with their career path, but that their degree can provide them with a sound future that will allow them to progress in life.

So, how can you help your child with this process, while still allowing them to make the ultimate decision? Take a look at some of the ways you can help them further their education and choose the life path that’s right for them.

·         Help him/her to identify what their true interests are – Encourage your son or daughter to pick a major or program that they like to pursue. Remind them that they like or are particularly good at certain subjects, such as math, languages, etc., and suggest that they pursue those areas of education. According to U.S. News, one of the five ways to help your child pick the right school is through identifying what their passion is as well. Remember that you don’t want to force a major or career on them, it is a decision they have to make for themselves.

·         Encourage them to speak to a career counselor – Encouraging your child to schedule meetings with their high school counselor and even a college career counselor can help them to gather information and gain insight into fields they might be interested in.

·         Encourage them to speak to someone who is already in their desired career field – Finding your child a professional mentor can also be of great assistance in their decision making. Even if they are choosing a field you have no insight into, you can help to pair them with a friend, acquaintance or reach out to mentoring programs that can pair them with a professional in the field they are interested in.

·         Provide them with helpful information – Some teens become overwhelmed by making this decision alone, so help them to gather information about different careers, programs and schools they might be interested in. Let them sort through the information at their own pace and remind them that they have plenty of options and don’t necessarily have to choose a major immediately upon entering college.

One important factor to remember when helping your child to choose the right South University Savannah programs, or programs from any school for that matter, is to let them be in charge of making the decision. It is ultimately their future and their choice to pick the program and major that they want to pursue. As a parent however, you can help to make their decision easier and to support them along the way, which is the best way to help them during this time.

Image Source: http://blog.ivywise.com/blog-0/bid/138489/Choosing-a-Major-in-College