Your major is a central part of your college experience, affecting what classes you’ll take and what you’ll spend much of your time thinking about. But your major doesn’t define you or lock you into a particular career or future—opportunities can arise from anywhere.

It’s also okay to be undeclared for as long as your school allows you to be! Exploration can be one of the most valuable things about college.

That said, there are reasons to choose a major and officially “declare” your major (that is, register your choice with your college). Here are a few:

• it might give you priority access to classes in your major
• it can help you plan your classes
• psychologically, it can help you feel “on track”
• you may be assigned a new academic advisor who specializes in that field
• virtually all schools have deadlines for doing it—so even if you can’t decide or don’t want to, eventually you have to pick something!

When you’re getting ready to declare your major, start by creating a list of potential candidates. To qualify for your shortlist, a major should align with:

• your interests. Ask yourself what topics do I find fascinating? what classes do I like? what do I want to explore more?
• what you can do well in. Being challenged is great, but you also want to set yourself up for success, get the best grades you can, and feel rewarded for the hard work you do.
• what careers interest you. This may not be as big a deal as you’d expect. People often end up in careers far afield from their majors. But if you have a sense of what you want to do, by all means choose a major that’s compatible with the career you want to pursue.

Start with the practical: for each major on your list, check the major’s website or your college’s course catalog to find out:

• the list of required courses
• any prerequisite courses or other requirements you need before declaring

Does the major look like what you expected? Do the classes appeal to you? Are you on track to take them (or have you taken prereqs already)?

Next, look into the career paths of people who’ve graduated with this major. Try looking on LinkedIn or indeed.com and do general internet searches (like “what can I do with a ________ major?”) To learn about grads from your college, check the major’s website or the career center.

Remember: a major doesn’t lock you in to a specific career. Many, many people end up in careers that aren’t related to their majors.

Your list should be getting smaller by now, and it’s a good time to check in and get insight from the pros. Set up appointments with:

• your academic advisor
• the chair or advisor for the majors on your list (check the major’s website to find out who this is)
• your college coach, if you have one

Be prepared to explain why you chose certain majors for your list. Then ask for their input. These conversations may help you narrow down your list.

You can also seek input from family or friends—but remember, this is your college experience, and your major is ultimately your decision.

Once you’ve decided on a major, you need to officially let your school know.

How that works is a bit different at each school, but you might need to:

• fill out a declaration form with the registrar or dean’s offices
• meet with the person in charge of your intended major
• switch from your current academic advisor to a new one who advises students in your major

And don’t forget to update your education plan based on your new major!