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It is not the critic who counts; not the person who points out how the strong
person stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The
credit belongs to the person who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by
dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again
and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who
does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great
devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the
end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if s/he fails, at least
fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid
souls who neither know victory nor defeat.
Excerpt from the speech "Citizenship In A Republic" by Theodore Roosevelt delivered at the Sorbonne, in Paris,
France on 23 April, 1910 (Adapted)
How to Live Wisely
By RICHARD J. LIGHTJULY 31, 2015
Imagine you are Dean for a Day. What is one actionable change you would implement to enhance the college
experience on campus?
I have asked students this question for years. The answers can be eye-opening. A few years ago, the responses
began to move away from “tweak the history course” or “change the ways labs are structured.” A different
commentary, about learning to live wisely, has emerged.
What does it mean to live a good life? What about a productive life? How about a happy life? How might I
think about these ideas if the answers conflict with one another? And how do I use my time here at college to
build on the answers to these tough questions?
A number of campuses have recently started to offer an opportunity for students to grapple with these
questions. On my campus, Harvard, a small group of faculty members and deans created a noncredit seminar
called “Reflecting on Your Life.” The format is simple: three 90-minute discussion sessions for groups of 12
first-year students, led by faculty members, advisers or deans. Well over 100 students participate each year.
Here are five exercises that students find particularly engaging. Each is designed to help freshmen identify
their goals and reflect systematically about various aspects of their personal lives, and to connect what they
discover to what they actually do at college.
1. Make a list of how they want to spend their time at college. What matters to you? This might be going to
class, studying, spending time with close friends, perhaps volunteering in the off-campus community or
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reading books not on any course’s required reading list. Then students make a list of how they actually spent
their time, on average, each day over the past week and match the two lists.
Finally, we pose the question: How well do your commitments actually match your goals? A few students find
a strong overlap between the lists. The majority don’t. They are stunned and dismayed to discover they are
spending much of their precious time on activities they don’t value highly. The challenge is how to align your
time commitments to reflect your personal convictions.
2. Deciding on a major can be amazingly difficult. One student in our group was having a hard time choosing
between government and science. How was she spending her spare time? She described being active in the
Institute of Politics, running the Model U.N. and writing regularly for The Political Review. The discussion
leader noted that she hadn’t mentioned the word “lab” in her summary. “Labs?” replied the student, looking
incredulous. “Why would I mention labs when talking about my spare time?” Half an hour after the session,
the group leader got an email thanking him for posing the question.
3. Broad vs. Deep Exercise. If you could become extraordinarily good at one thing versus being pretty good at
many things, which approach would you choose? We invite students to think about how to organize their
college life to follow their chosen path in a purposeful way.
4. Core Values Exercise Students are presented with a sheet of paper with about 25 words on it. The words
include “dignity,” “love,” “fame,” “family,” “excellence,” “wealth” and “wisdom.” They are told to circle the
five words that best describe their core values. Now, we ask, how might you deal with a situation where your
core values come into conflict with one another? Students find this question particularly difficult. One student
brought up his own personal dilemma: He wants to be a surgeon, and he also wants to have a large family. So
his core values included the words “useful” and “family.” He said he worries a lot whether he could be a
successful surgeon while also being a devoted father. Students couldn’t stop talking about this example, as
many saw themselves facing a similar challenge.
5. This exercise presents a parable of a happy fisherman living a simple life on a small island. The fellow goes
fishing for a few hours every day. He catches a few fish, sells them to his friends, and enjoys spending the rest
of the day with his wife and children, and napping. He couldn’t imagine changing a thing in his relaxed and
easy life.
A recent M.B.A. visits this island and quickly sees how this fisherman could become rich. He could catch more
fish, start up a business, market the fish, open a cannery, maybe even issue an I.P.O. Ultimately he would
become truly successful. He could donate some of his fish to hungry children worldwide and might even save
lives.
“And then what?” asks the fisherman.
“Then you could spend lots of time with your family,” replies the visitor. “Yet you would have made a
difference in the world. You would have used your talents, and fed some poor children, instead of just lying
around all day.”
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We ask students to apply this parable to their own lives. Is it more important to you to have little, accomplish
little, yet be relaxed and happy and spend time with family? Or is it more important to you to work hard, use
your talents, perhaps start a business, maybe even make the world a better place along the way?
Typically, this simple parable leads to substantial disagreement. These discussions encourage first-year
undergraduates to think about what really matters to them, and what each of us feels we might owe, or not
owe, to the broader community — ideas that our students can capitalize on throughout their time at college.
At the end of our sessions, I say to my group: “Tell me one thing you have changed your mind about this year,”
and many responses reflect a remarkable level of introspection. Three years later, when we check in with
participants, nearly all report that the discussions had been valuable, a step toward turning college into the
transformational experience it is meant to be.
Choosing a College Major: How to Chart Your Ideal Path
The most important piece of advice in this article follows this sentence, so please make note of it and repeat it
to yourself as often as you need as you read this article and make decisions regarding choosing a major in
college. Are you ready for it? The advice: Don't panic.
I know it's easier said than done, but I can't tell you how many students I have advised since the time that I
have been a professor that seem in a state of panic if they are uncertain of their major, let alone a career.
Choosing a major, thinking about a career, getting an education -– these are the things college is all about.
Yes, there are some students who arrive on campus and know exactly their major and career ambitions, but
the majority of students do not, thus there is no need to rush into a decision about your major as soon as you
step on campus.
And guess what? A majority of students in all colleges and universities change their major at least once in their
college careers; and many change their major several times over the course of their college career.
This article is all about giving you some pointers and direction -- some steps for you to take -- in your journey
toward discovering that ideal career path for you. But it is a journey; so make sure you spend some time
thinking about it before making a decision. And don't be discouraged if you still don't have a major the first
time you take this journey...your goal should be narrowing your focus from all possible majors to a few areas
that you can then explore in greater depth. [Editor's Note: See also the What Can I Do With a Major
In...? section of Quintessential Careers.]
Please also keep in mind that many schools have double majors, some triple majors, and most minors as well
as majors. Way back when I was an undergraduate at Syracuse University, I was a dual major in marketing and
magazine journalism. Today I am a college professor and Webmaster of a top career resources
Website...which brings me to the last piece of general advice before you begin your journey: your major in
college is important for your first job after graduation, but studies show that most people will change careers - yes, careers -- about four or five times over the course of their lives -– and no major exists that can prepare
you for that!
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The first stop on your journey should be an examination or self-assessment of your interests. What types of
things excite you? What types of jobs or careers appeal to you? If you are not sure, start the process
at Quintessential Careers: Career Assessment. Also, many, if not all, college career centers have a variety of
self-tests you can take to help you answer some of these questions.
The second stop on your journey is an examination of your abilities. What are your strengths? What are your
weaknesses? What kind of skills do you have? You can begin this self-examination by looking at the courses
you took in high school. What were your best subjects? Is there a pattern there? What kinds of extracurricular
activities did you participate in while in high school? What kinds of things did you learn from part-time or
summer jobs? While you can only do part of it now, you may want to skim through our article, Using a SWOT
Analysis in Your Career Planning.
The third stop on your journey involves examining what you value in work. Examples of values include: helping
society, working under pressure, group affiliation, stability, security, status, pacing, working alone or with
groups, having a positive impact on others, and many others. Again, a visit to your college's career center
should help. You can also check out our Workplace Values Assessment for Job-Seekers, which examines what
you value in your job, your career, and your work.
The fourth stop on your journey is career exploration. You should start with our section, What Can I do With a
Major In...?, which provides great information -- including job/careers associated with most college majors.
You can also learn more about various occupations, including future trends, by searching the Bureau of Labor
Statistics ‘Occupational Outlook Handbook. You can find all these resources -- and more -- at Quintessential
Careers: Career Exploration Tools.
The fifth stop on your journey is the reality check. You need to honestly evaluate your options. Do you really
value physicians and have an interest in being a doctor, but have little skills in science? Does your occupation
require an advanced degree, but your future commitments preclude graduate study? Do you have a strong
interest in the arts, but your family is convinced you will become a CPA like your father? There are often ways
to get around some of the obstacles during the reality check, but it is still important to face these obstacles
and be realistic about whether you can get around them.
The sixth and final stop on your journey is the task of narrowing your choices and focusing on choosing a
major. Based on all your research and self-assessment of the first five stops on your journey, you should now
have a better idea of the careers/majors you are not interested in pursuing as well as a handful of potential
careers/majors that do interest you. What are the typical majors found at a comprehensive university?
Visit Quintessential Careers: College Majors for a listing of the typical college majors.
Take advantage of:

Your college's course catalog -– you'll be amazed at the wealth of information you can find here…from
required courses to specialized majors and tracks.
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 Your professors, including your academic adviser -– talk with your professors, whether you have taken
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a class with them or not…many of them have worked in the field in which they teach and all are
experts about careers and career opportunities.
Your classmates, especially upperclassmen -– these are the folk who are deep into their major,
perhaps already having had an internship or gone through job interviews...use them as a resource to
gather more information.
Your college's alumni -– unless your college was just founded, your school probably has a deep and
varied group of alums, many of whom like to talk with current students…so use them as a resource to
gather more information about careers.
Your family and friends -– there's a wealth of information right at your fingertips. Next time you go
home or call home, ask your family about majors and careers.
Your college's career center -– almost always under-appreciated, these folk have such a wealth of
information at their fingertips that it is a shame more students don't take advantage of them…and not
just in your senior year –- start visiting in your first year because most have resources for choosing a
major and a career, as well as internship and job placement information. Read more about this option
by reading our article, It’s Never Too Early -- or Too Late -- to Visit Your College Career Office.
Choosing a College Major Worksheet
Step 1: Self-Assessment of Interests. Write down a list of activities, course subjects, and topics that interest
you, inspire you. What are your likes and dislikes -- about school, hobbies, work, and volunteering. If you taken
an assessment test in school (or online), you can enter some of the results here as well. You can also use
our Career Passion Tutorial and Career Passion Worksheet to help you assess the types of things that excite
you. See also our collection of Career Assessment Tools & Tests.
Step 2: Examination of Skills and Abilities. One of the most important elements in choosing a major (and a
future career) is a realistic review of your strengths and weaknesses, skills and abilities. It’s important to take
an honest view of the subjects/skills you are best at, as well as those you struggle with. Write down your best
and worst skills and abilities.
Step 3: Understanding What You Value About Work. Different jobs and careers provide a range of intrinsic
rewards to people working in them. For example, teachers place a much greater value on educating and
impacting the lives of their students than they do on financial rewards. What are you seeking from your
career? Some examples include helping society, working under pressure, group affiliation, stability, security,
social status, financial rewards. Write down a list of what you seek from your future career. For additional
help, review our workplace values assessment.
Step 4: Researching Occupations and Careers. Many students have an idea of the types of work they may
want to do, but rarely do they have a full understanding of the requirements of the work -- or even what the
work fully entails. Others have never really thought about careers and have little or no knowledge of what
they want to do after college. This step involves conducting research and recording the information you found
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about one or more potential career fields. Write down summary notes below and use additional sheets or
printouts to keep detailed information about each career path. Besides using the Internet and library for your
research, consider both job shadowing and informational to gain more personal insights into careers. See also
our collection of Career Exploration Tools and Resources.
Step 6: Matching College Majors to Career Paths. For many jobs, the choice of college major is not as
important as the actual degree, but choosing a major (or combination of majors and minors) that is directly
related to your choice of career often provides a deeper level of skills and understanding of the subject as well
as opens door to internships, co-ops, and other part-time work experience in the field prior to graduation.
Conduct research on the careers from Step 5 to help determine the best college major. For example, if you
think you want to be a high school math teacher, what should you major in? Write down your list of potential
majors and minors here.
There are also a number of books that you may find useful, including:
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Choosing a College Major, by Randall S. Hansen -- my book. (Alpha).
College Majors Handbook with Real Career Paths and Payoffs: The Actual Jobs, Earnings, and Trends for
Graduates of 60 College Majors, by Neeta P. Fogg, Paul Harrington, Thomas Harrington (Jist).
The College Board Book of Majors (College Board).
How to Choose a College Major, by Linda Landis Andrews (VGM Career Horizons).
Major in Success: Make College Easier, Beat the System, and Get a Very Cool Job, Patrick Combs (Ten Speed
Press).
Four Steps to Choosing Your Major
By NATHAN GEBHARD
JULY 31, 2015
What will you be doing on this date 20 years from now? No, really. Try to answer that. Given what you know
about your ever-changing self, and factoring in the breakneck pace of societal change, can you accurately
predict what the future world around you will look like and what role you’ll play in it?
Grave warnings from parents, advisers and the news media suggest that whatever major you choose will
dictate where you end up. Suddenly, you’re not just choosing a major, you’re choosing your ultimate fate.
What I wish I’d known in college is that most people’s work shape-shifts in unforeseeable ways. I’ve learned
this not just from statistics, but from sitting down with thousands of people in candid conversations about
work, life and what it takes to forge something that matters to you. It started after college when I realized I
didn’t have enough knowledge to decide what to do with my life.
Two friends were equally lost, so we started on a road trip of self-discovery, seeking out people who had
found something they loved and asking them how they’d done it. That trip turned into Road trip Nation, a
career exploration organization that produces, among other things, a curriculum for middle and high school
students and a long-running public television series about finding meaningful work.
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After 15 years of talking to everyone from C.E.O.s to camel ranchers, what we’ve learned is comforting: Most
people are unsure when they’re starting out. Where they end up isn’t a direct result of their major; it’s the
result of a meandering process. Their major — whether they stuck with it or applied it in new ways — was the
start of channeling their interests, values and skills into work that made the struggles and hard work it took to
get there worth it. Here are steps to help you do the same.
1. Separate your goals from other people’s goals for you.
How do you quiet the noise that’s coming at you from family, friends and society? Parents suggesting you
should be a lawyer, policy makers defining “success” in terms of paychecks, even the voice inside your head
saying you’re not smart enough.
For the Oscar-nominated director Richard Linklater, the noise said that the arts wouldn’t lead anywhere.
Friends and family — people he respected — told him to go to medical or law school. But Mr. Linklater
suggests you consider where these people are coming from. “Do they really want you to be a doctor? Do they
really want you to be a lawyer?” he wondered. “No, it just sounds good.” Instead he realized: “I don’t want to
live like them, you know? I don’t want their life. I remember just sitting there going, ‘O.K., I’m going to reject
the advice and do the complete, polar, 180-degree opposite of what everyone is telling me to do.’ ”
Dropping out of Sam Houston State University after sophomore year, he took a job on an oil rig. He used his
savings to buy equipment and take film classes at a community college. The auteur of “Boyhood” indeed
defied the expectations of people at home.
2. Forget passion; follow an interest.
Most advice about majors includes the admonition “Follow your passion.” But passion is something you
discover over time, by finding an interest, however small, and nurturing it. There’s no epiphany; it’s a
collection of small decisions that move you step by tiny step.
Adam Steltzner, an engineer with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, barely made it out of high school,
dropped out of music school and was playing in rock bands as restlessness crept in. “I had actually started to
notice that when I would return home from playing a show at night, the stars were in a different place in the
sky. I was thinking, ‘Whoa, they’re moving. Why do they move?’ ” That moment would have passed by without
changing anything in his life except that he went to sign up for an astronomy class at a community college and
was told he had to take a physics prerequisite. This started him on the path to a degree in engineering
mechanics, to getting his Ph.D., to landing the Curiosity rover on Mars.
He wasn’t chasing engineering because it would get him a steady job. When he felt that little tug of curiosity,
he followed it. “Surrender to the process,” he advised, “rather than the goal.”
3. Put your decisions in real-world context.
Whether you’re attracted to something because of its promise of prosperity or because it stirs you on a deep
level — neither inherently right or wrong — experts warn: Determine whether expectations match reality.
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Veronica Belmont, a Web and TV host, producer and writer (Twitter followers: 1.75 million), advises this: “If
you’re really passionate about a topic, and you want to work in that field, you should already be doing it.”
Now more than ever, you can glimpse the inner workings of industries. Follow someone on Twitter to gain
insight into a field, read industry publications to track trends, or watch free online lectures.
If your interest is piqued, go for full immersion with an internship. Ms. Belmont started out studying audio
production at Emerson College in Boston and added new media studies as she became more interested in
Internet culture. An audio production internship at CNET clinched her interest in tech.
The important thing here, Ms. Belmont suggests, is not to master something but to test before you invest
years of education and time.
4. Yes, you do have to be good at it. Be flexible.
Dips in the job market, failing at a venture you wanted to succeed in badly, or just realizing that something
isn’t as envisioned — these realities will force you to bend, contort or even redesign your ideal.
Jad Abumrad’s carefully planned vision came undone when he realized he wasn’t suited for the job he thought
his major pointed toward. He had studied music composition and creative writing at Oberlin College and
Conservatory, intending to score films. “That didn’t really work out. I just wasn’t very good at it. And so, at a
certain point, I just gave it up. I thought my plan was wrong.”
He was ready to start from scratch when his girlfriend reasoned that he didn’t have to abandon what he’d
worked toward. “She made the suggestion, ‘You kind of like to write. You kind of like to make music. You’re
not really good at either on their own terms, but maybe you could somehow find the middle ground. Try out
radio.’ ”
It wasn’t a seamless transition — he began by working for free — but he stuck it out, creating a style of radio
that fuses science and storytelling with music and sound. As a producer and host of WNYC’s “Radiolab,” his job
is eerily close to what he originally imagined for himself, scoring films; he just had to stretch his thinking to get
there
It’s that kind of flexible mentality that our interview subjects point to, time after time. A major isn’t a lifelong
sentence; it’s a jumping-off point. You’ll still stumble and have to recalibrate. But if you live life by connecting
each successive dot, you open yourself up to possibilities you never could have planned.
BOOKMARKS FOR FUTURE USE
Transition from your college life to your work life. Use this site.
Quintessential Careers:
http://www.quintcareers.com/
Information of jobs and careers
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Dictionary Of Occupational Titles:
http://www.occupationalinfo.org
Work-Life Earnings by Field of Degree and Occupation for People With a Bachelor’s Degree: 2011
https://www.census.gov/prod/2012pubs/acsbr11-04.pdf
The College Payoff:
https://www2.ed.gov/policy/highered/reg/hearulemaking/2011/collegepayoff.pdf
May 2014 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates United States:
http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm
Career Profile Salaries:
http://www.careerprofiles.info/salaries.html
Pay Scale Comparisons:
http://www.payscale.com/research/US/Country=United_States/Salary
Pay Equity & Discrimination:
http://www.iwpr.org/initiatives/pay-equity-and-discrimination
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