The time has come for you to decide upon your future career and declare your college major. Instead of a sense of anticipation, however, you feel only confusion. How can you choose a major after only a few semesters of college?
This next step on your journey to a career, choosing a college major, is critical. Don’t waste time in classes that don’t align with future plans. Instead, use this Future Sprout guide to explore the possibilities and determine whether the hardest college major will help you reach your career goals.
Which Major Is Right for You Right Now?
Making a final decision on a career can feel disconcerting when you’re in the process of applying to colleges and programs of study, or if you’re expected to declare your major at your current school. This crossroad can feel like you’re trying to chart the rest of your life based on very little information and even less real-world experience.
Take a moment to assess and clarify your aims. You might discover that your perceptions of the hardest college majors rely on incorrect assumptions about workload or academic rigor.
What Fields Are You Interested In?
To say that you must pursue your dreams can come across as idealistic, but exploring your intellectual or creative interests has value, especially when you’re trying to ascertain which path to take for your education and your career.
Interested in the sciences? Peruse the course catalog at your school and read the descriptions of the STEM majors. You can select from broader science majors, like biology and chemistry, or specialize in astrophysics or mechanical engineering. In love with the creative arts? Read up on the humanities or the fine arts to narrow your search.
How Can Your Grades Help You Decide?
As a college sophomore, you should be developing an appreciation for your innate strengths and weaknesses as a student. Although you should explore your passions as part of the process, you should also reflect on the grades you’ve earned thus far in a particular discipline.
If you notice a trend of average, rather than above average or excellent grades, in the relevant field, perhaps consider a degree more aligned with those classes in which you earned higher grades. In other words, earning As and Bs rather than Bs and Cs may indicate greater chances of success in that major.
How Long Are You Willing To Remain in School To Achieve Your Goals?
Most STEM careers require advanced degrees, usually a doctorate. Many jobs in humanities also call for terminal or professional degrees. Graduate studies can extend from one year to more than 10, so you must consider your willingness to commit to extended time in school.
The GPA admission requirements for graduate schools tend to be higher than those for undergrad, so bear in mind that the numbers listed further down in this article may not suffice for acceptance into a graduate program in that field.
Which Major Is Best for Your Career?
Meet with your advisor to discuss the specifics of your career goals — or to create some — so you can make a choice based on the realities of the job. In some cases, multiple pathways to the same profession exist, and you can find the most suitable one for your skills and interests.
Conversely, if you’re struggling to sort out your next steps, you can work with your advisor to choose a major that will provide you with multiple career options when you graduate.
When Do You Need To Declare a Major?
Most colleges and universities require students to declare a major at the end of their sophomore year after completing the initial core courses. Some schools request an intended major upon acceptance, particularly if you’re interested in a specialized program or track.
Declaring your major is not an irrevocable decision. You’re establishing a particular direction for your studies. Once you’ve confirmed your choice with the registrar and your department, you’ll be assigned an advisor who guides you toward degree completion.
What If You Change Your Mind?
Changing your major is straightforward, often involving little more than a visit to your school’s online portal or a trip to the advising office. Most students shift to a similar degree, such as a move from biology to microbiology or English literature to English education. Nevertheless, changing after you’ve completed a significant portion of your current major isn’t advisable; you’re likely to end up staying in school longer to catch up and graduate.
While this decision is consequential, especially in more specialized fields, it’s crucial to remember that your final choice isn’t really final at all: You can adjust it more than once, with attention to timelines, of course.
How Is the Hardest College Major Defined?
Let’s consider three methods for defining the relative demands of a major: reported weekly workload, average GPAs of degree recipients and additional degree expectations. The first can indicate that a degree requiring more course prep and study hours must therefore be a particularly hard major.
Along the same lines, if students earning a degree in a particular major have low GPAs, then that major might consist of more formidable courses overall. Finally, a field that expects significant commitments beyond typical homework, such as internships or lab time, might feel burdensome when coupled with classes and other responsibilities.
Weekly Course Preparation and Study Time
Overall, STEM majors tend to be the busiest. Indiana University’s National Survey of Student Engagement collected data in 2016 and ranks architecture as number one, with 22.2 hours per week, followed by another 20 STEM courses, ending with nursing at 16.8 study hours.
BigEconomics.org gleaned similar data from a student rating site, showing STEM majors in the first 31 spots. Statistics and decision science, at number 31, carries a workload of 15.8 hours per week, while genetics, in first place, calls for 19.4 hours.
GPAs for Degree Recipients
The GPAs of STEM majors tend to be lower than their humanities counterparts. Chemistry, math and economics all have average GPAs below 3.0 (2.78, 2.9 and 2.95 respectively).
Remember, however, that GPA represents only a small part of a larger picture. Using GPA as a measure brings up questions about workloads, grading standards, teacher quality and student support programs. Additional expectations, such as lab time, mandatory research projects and post-graduate internships, should also be considered when examining the relative significance of GPA as a measure of difficulty.
Considerations Beyond the Classroom
Some majors need students to continue learning beyond an undergraduate degree with internships or graduate school. You’ll need to evaluate whether additional time in school seems more like an obstacle or a stepping stone. For many students, an extra 7 to 14 years to become a doctor seems like far too many; for others, that’s just the next step to their success.
What Are the Top Three Hardest College Majors?
Architecture
Architecture takes the top spot if difficulty is measured by weekly hours of studying and class preparation. The NSSE says students work an average of 22.2 hours per week, while BigEconomics.org reports 15.7 hours, according to student-reported data. During this time, students draft blueprints and study for courses such as the history of architecture, design theory, art history, physics and calculus.
The average GPA for architecture majors is 3.5, which is higher than almost all of the STEM degrees and even surpasses some humanities majors.
Fine Arts
Fine arts students often spend an average of 16.5 hours per week in the studio, building portfolios and projects for their courses. Thus, while the work may be enjoyable in those majors, artists, designers, dancers, actors and filmmakers don’t necessarily have it easy, at least by this measure.
The average GPA of a fine arts student is 3.2, again demonstrating that more work doesn’t necessarily translate to lower grades. While some might argue that STEM majors have more arduous assignments overall, the sheer volume and intensity of fine arts projects are worth contemplating.
Chemistry
Generally speaking, majors in the STEM fields have higher workloads, with chemistry invariably in the top ten, and usually in the first spot. Survey data consistently shows course preparation and study time at 17.4 to 18.5 hours per week, elevating chemistry above the lower student-reported study time of 15.7 hours for architecture students.
On the other hand, when using GPA to gauge the hardest college major, chemistry takes center stage, although the reasons for the lower grades leave some room for debate. With an average final GPA for chemistry graduates hovering between 2.78 and 2.9, it appears that the courses and assessments offer a particular challenge for even top students.
Other Challenging STEM Majors
Almost all STEM fields require education beyond a bachelor’s degree, so bear that in mind when considering these majors. Graduate schools usually demand a 3.0 GPA or higher: You’ll need excellent grades in an already rigorous discipline in order to continue on your career path.
Chemical Engineering
- Weekly study time = 19.5 hours
- Average GPA = 3.3
- Graduate school usually required for most careers
Electrical Engineering
- Weekly study time = 19.5 hours
- Average GPA = 3.3
- Graduate school usually required for most careers
Physics
- Weekly study time = 18.5 hours
- Average GPA = 3.42
- Graduate school usually required for most careers
Other Challenging Humanities Majors
While degrees in the humanities are often considered easier, the number of hours spent in intensive study, regular practice or creative work can add up. A primary benefit of a humanities degree, however, is the variety of career options upon graduation.
Philosophy
- Weekly study time = 16.2 hours
- Average GPA = 3.1
- Graduate school usually required for most careers
Music
- Weekly study time = 16.7 hours
- Average GPA = 3.6
- Graduate school not required for most careers
Theological Studies
- Weekly study time = 16.3 hours
- Average GPA = 3.2
- Graduate school required for some careers
Should You Pursue Harder Majors To Earn More Money?
Your time in college will influence the trajectory of your life, even though undergrad usually takes only four years. Remember that your working life will last much longer than four years, and that money serves as only one form of compensation. Try to factor the benefits of lower stress, reliable vacation time and work-life balance into your planning equations.
Besides, some so-called easy majors garner respectable salaries. For instance, public relations, often listed in the easy column, with 12 weekly study hours and an average GPA of 3.0, can lead to a median salary of $70K for a Public Relations Specialist and over $142K for a Marketing Manager.
Why Might You Pursue the Hardest Major?
According to information above, in terms of undergraduate workload, additional necessary education and out-of-class requirements, chemistry is the hardest college major. Chemistry majors study for more hours each week, take tougher exams and work on more laborious research. And, of course, they spend extra years in required advanced studies.
Yet, if studying the incredible world of chemical interactions or joining the medical field is exciting to you, then chemistry won’t be the hardest major at all. You’ll know that all of the struggles will be worth it in the long term. We can absolutely assert this point for almost any major, from English to genetics. If you keep your aspirations at the forefront of your mind, then “hardest” becomes relative.
Is the Hardest Major — or One of Them — the Right Major for You?
The hardest college major for you might be the one that doesn’t align well enough with your strengths and aspirations to ensure that you feel the value of all of the work and time you invest in it.
Ultimately, base your decision on your skills, passions and goals, as well as a solid understanding of the various factors at play. Investigate the job opportunities in the field, and explore future job prospects at the Bureau of Labor Statistics. A hefty starting or average salary can seem essential right now, but pay attention to the return on your investment of time, money and strain.
Source:
https://blog.collegevine.com/easiest-and-hardest-college-majors/
https://www.universities.com/learn/articles/hardest-college-majors-average-gpa/
https://ir.ucsd.edu/_files/stats-data/enrollment/apdisc.pdf
https://pages.github.berkeley.edu/OPA/our-berkeley/gpa-by-major.html
https://blog.prepscholar.com/hardest-college-majors
https://www.mydegreeguide.com/hardest-college-majors/
https://thetab.com/us/2017/02/06/ranked-majors-work-hardest-59673
https://www.bls.gov
https://salarship.com/article/good-engineering-gpa
https://aerospace.illinois.edu/admissions/graduate/admissions-requirements-and-process
https://pages.github.berkeley.edu/OPA/our-berkeley/gpa-by-major.html
https://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/professors-guide/2009/12/16/10-questions-to-ask-before-picking-a-major
https://www.glassdoor.com/Career/how-to-become-public-relations-specialist_KO14,41.htm
