Many students starting university must choose a major (main field of study at university), and parents of these students advise them which major to choose. Some parents tell students to choose the major that most interests the students. Other parents tell students that it is best to choose a major that will lead to a job with a high salary, even if that major may not be the one that interests the students most. Which approach do you believe is better, and why?(2021.5.15)
When applying for colleges and universities, students inevitably face the question about what is an appropriate major for them, hoping to fulfill their dreams of a bright future. As their guardians, many parents feel compelled to push their children by voicing an opinion in favor of a major they believe may, for example, help lead to a high-paying job. However, to me, it is very clear that choosing a student’s preferred major is immensely rewarding, much more than gearing studies towards specious concepts of maximizing potential profit via educational choices.
To begin with, interest motivates students to devote more time and energy to their studies if they major in their favorite subjects, leading to a higher chance of outstanding academic performance and better scores. As a result, students gradually build confidence and gain a sense of achievement, which contributes directly to success in their future careers. However, a lack of passion for studies will not drive them to acquire meaningful knowledge and, in some cases, they may even develop an aversion to the subject, despite the promise of higher financial prospects. My cousin Henry is a good example. Guided by his parents to opt for accounting, he virtually lost interest in all his studies. In fact, he never had a talent or passion for numbers, let alone financial reporting. During his four years of university study, he continually struggled to pass exams and had to force himself to catch up with classmates, and consequently became completely exhausted, physically and mentally. Even worse, he started to skip class frequently and even thought of dropping out of his course.
In addition, selecting one’s favorite major not only has a positive influence on academic achievement, but it also may help some students transform from being unimaginative to being more creative. In other words, the enthusiasm and passion derived from studying propel students to actively engage in their subjects may initiate some of them to propose fresh ideas or conduct unique experiments to test their conceptual knowledge. Only via this process can their potential be fully explored and realized. For instance, Bill Gates, Thomas Edison, and the Greek mathematician Archimedes were stimulated by their interest to repeat experiments until they finally fulfilled their own potential to revolutionize human lives. Furthermore, blessed with innovative spirits, students may be able to conjure up a sense of exploration, discovery, and excitement for life in general. For this reason, stifling their creativity and imagination is a disservice to them. However, the risk may arise when students blindly follow parents’ suggestions to specialize in majors with excellent employment prospects but for which they lack genuine passion.
It may appear that university students will be confronted with less employment stress when selecting the major which appear, on the surface, more promising on the job market. Conversely, considering the immense benefits reaped in terms of improved academic studies and creative output, it seems advisable to select a field of study which greatly interests students rather than one foisted onto them by their well-intentioned parents.
