"Don't panic."

That’s what Randall S. Hanson, Ph.D., says is his most important advice in “Choosing a College Major: How to Chart Your Ideal Path.”

Choosing what to use as a major in college can be a complicated process for some students. Not everyone follows a childhood dream or even makes a definite decision by the end of high school. However, Web sites, books or even the advice of well-meaning individuals can aid in the process.

Laura Ciarolla, a freshman premed student at the University of Pittsburgh, says that her parents aided her in deciding on her major by providing information on the topic. “My father studied it in med school as he planned to be a psychiatrist, then changed his mind, so he could tell me a lot about it.”

Although some students receive input from their parents, others do not. West Virginia University freshman Becky DeVito fits this profile, as she instead chose to follow her childhood dream of becoming a veterinarian. The 18-year-old preveterinary sciences major says, when asked if she would ever allow peers to influence her decisions, “No, I will only choose what makes me happy and what I know I will enjoy. Others cannot make my mind up for me.”

Carol Fox, a freshman who intends to study international studies and political science at WVU before law school, adds, “My friends and I have a lot in common, but I know I could never be happy with any of the things they are considering,” while Brittany Bailey, a Fairmont State sophomore, states “if you choose a major you don’t like, then you will end up taking classes you do not need, and that is just a waste of money and time.”

Though advice from peers or elders can be helpful or even somewhat entertaining, Web sites such as mymajors.com can also provide information about the selection process, as well as suggest majors you may enjoy.

Students have the opportunity to fill out a survey with questions varying from students’ interests and hobbies to values, culminating with the suggestion of five separate majors that correspond with the answers given.

While this method may be a good way to help some students, sometimes the student has other plans. Donté Newsom, a WVU freshman who intends to pursue nursing, states, “Interest surveys tell me to be an engineer, but I am more interested in working in the medical field and helping people.”

On the other hand, WVU English freshman Jordan Weisenborn based her “major decision” on her interests and strengths. “I love English, I seem to excel in it, and it is a good thing to major in to get into law school.”

Majors can also be used as a way to build for a certain career. Eric Allen, a freshman at WVU, chose his major because “it’s just what I have to do in order to go into the career that I’m pursuing.” He plans to study prebiology, due to the fact that “being a prebiology major opens up many career choices (in the health field) in which I hope to choose.”

Despite the negative connotation sometimes associated with changing majors, it can also have positive influences, such as being happier with the course work and occupations involved. In addition, it is also important to recognize that interests change.

Some students, however, change their majors due to realizing a more in-depth interest in a subject. WVU sophomore Megan Ciarolla changed her major for this reason. She says, “I think I became interested in my major while writing a speech sophomore year about women as sex slaves in foreign countries.” Ciarolla, 19, adds, “I changed my major from political science to international studies because it’s something I definitely wanted to do.”

Her sister, Laura Ciarolla, 17, states, “Well, it is important to take classes that pertain to your intended field of study, but in the first couple of years of college I think it is okay to change your mind — a lot of people do. I mean, you can’t be expected to make a major life decision like this right out of high school and stick with it forever!”

As Dr. Randall S. Hanson says, while your major in college is important for your first job after graduation, studies also show that most people will change careers, let alone majors, about four or five times over the course of their lives.

To close with some words of wisdom from an experienced college student, Megan Ciarolla advises: “It may take a while to choose the right major for you, so don’t worry if you’re not sure the one you’re focused on is the one you’re going to stick with.”