Picking Your College Major (no BS rankings, just the truth)

Here's the ultimate guide to picking your college major. I even wrote out a diagram for potential majors and subsequent career paths based on your academic interests and strengths! I wish I knew all of this earlier on in college; I really hope this video will help you in picking your college major. The right one - one that's tailored to your interests!
This won't be a BS 'best college majors' and 'worst college majors' video. Just the unfiltered truth so that you can choose the right path.
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Welcome to my channel - College Tips From the Almost Astrophysicist! I'm Priya and I'm here to help you get into college. I'm a University of Chicago grad with an Astrophysics degree that currently works as a Data Scientist and I want to break down the college application process and tackle all of the misconceptions about college for you! Let me know in the comments section down below if you have any video requests, or just want to say hi! :)
LinkedIn: / priya-l-520311145
Instagram: / plingutla

[@TheAlmostAstrophysicist]

It feels like we're conditioned to pursue certain majors and career paths because they're lucrative, not pursue them out of interest and genuine curiosity. Your major doesn't define your entire career path or determine your quality of life, it's a stepping stone that sets the foundation for your future. Hope my video shed some light on college majors; let me know what you want to see next!

[@tasniahhoque6545]

as someone who has a deep interest in astrophysics/cosmology and english equally all while having zero confidence in where they will lead me - especially when math is literally such a weakness for me - your channel is really helpful and i love that you explained it so well. thank you so much!!

[@TheAlmostAstrophysicist]

I'm so glad I could help! I genuinely believe it's about following your interests and you'll learn as you go. :) Everyone's interests change as they grow up so as long as you keep loving learning, you'll be golden. Good luck to you!

[@PaulomiMukherjee]

Hi! I am the friend :D that majored in animation and is now working in advertising/marketing :D SO PROUD OF YOU PRIYA!

[@TheAlmostAstrophysicist]

Hello!!!! Thank you for watching and thank you for ALL OF THE SUPPORT, thumbnail and content wise but also morally lol. ❤️

[@journeyawaits1771]

I think declaring yourself as undecided is quite interesting. I think personally for me that I wanted to figure out my passions/interests throughout high school and luckily junior year I found my love for psychology! I know some think it's unrealistic to be an undecided major but there a lot of benefits, I personally feel that people aren't transparent about the consequences that come with being undecided tbh. When I finally decided I wanted to major in psychology a lot of people around me said I should major in Biology just because I was doing pre-med. I love getting advice but never cross the line of losing my own voice! I think as long as you are certain in yourself and can make a realistic and effective pathway towards a career, lifestyle, or job then you will excel in college! I am glad I learned this early when in high school and as a senior now very certain of what I want to do.

[@TheAlmostAstrophysicist]

Oh, 100% about being undeclared. The truth is that, at least on my campus, a lot of people switched majors after a year or so in college! I think exploring all of your options is so important, especially when college is our first real opportunity to do so and take classes we never could before. Also, two of my best friends majored in psychology and they loved it! You're completely right about being certain in yourself, and never letting others' opinions cloud your thoughts. You have a great mindset about this already!! :)

[@nycto16]

Business is the only degree which opens thousands of career paths... you can do anything from UX Research to Data Science, Corporate Law to Art Direction etc.

[@elisaortiz1000]

I don't feel smart enough to pick the majors I want, I never been good at math. I always struggled with it.

[@sakinamoawia]

If you are interested in math, don't let that stop you from pursuing your desired major. Math is a skill that can be improved with the right approach and working hard. You've got to practice lots of questions and learn from your mistakes. Also, please take care of yourself because it affects your performance more than you think.

[@crustyseashell8848]

You're videos are so in-depth and helpful, thank you! I'm so used to hearing, "And here's why your major is useless."

[@TheAlmostAstrophysicist]

Of course, I'm glad I could help! I can't believe people say that about majors, especially when each one has its own depth of knowledge and cultivates a broad range of skills. Don't let others put you down. :)

[@theschoolofhistory6126]

You're a lifesaver, all of your videos have helped me out on my applications!

[@TheAlmostAstrophysicist]

I'm so glad I can help you!! :) That's the goal!

[@pritikamodhukuru7998]

Your videos are always so detailed and helpful!

[@TheAlmostAstrophysicist]

Thank you so much!! And thanks for keeping up with my content! :)

[@darylhopkins9796]

Outstanding video.

[@prettyme4387]

Pretty good video!

[@madhavilingutla4031]

GREAT INFO!!!

[@TheAlmostAstrophysicist]

Thanks!!! 🌝💓

[@natcatastrophe]

This is a great video! However, is it possible that there's some survivorship bias from your perspective? I definitely respect you a ton and appreciate the time and effort put into this video, but I see so many stories online about people who went into an obscure major and came out unable to find jobs... I recently got into UChicago and am really interested in environmental and urban studies, but i'm not sure if I can find a job afterwards, and even if i do, if i will make enough money in it. With a major in something like economics comes a ton of security, and career options are a lot less dependent on luck. (at least that's how i see it)

[@TheAlmostAstrophysicist]

Thanks so much for your comment - I completely agree that my thoughts with inherently come from a biased standpoint as a physics major. I think my major taught me so much that's easily applicable to other fields, and while I am confident that other majors do the same, I think when it comes to a pay disparity, there is one when it comes to STEM vs non-STEM. If I majored in a social science/humanities, I may not have the computational skills to have the Data Scientist role I have now. I will say though - a Public Policy major from UChicago joined the same program I did as a Data Scientist at my company so... I won't say your major defines your pay. :) It's more of the marketable skills you acquire. I think, in your case, as someone going to UChicago, it may not be as hard not finding a job because you will have learned a lot of campus and there is a lot of credibility to the institutions name in the job market. Also, career advancement is SO helpful in facilitating the process and getting a job during career fairs on campus is much easier than applying elsewhere. I agree that not everyone would have the exact cross-functional opportunities I did, I certainly had a computational major and 'reputable' institution to my name. Pay is something I grapple with when thinking about, but if someone is optimizing for only money, some majors do have direct career paths that are more lucrative than others. It depends on what you choose to optimize your major for - mine was out of pure interest and I ended finding a lucrative path after, it certainly can be different for others though since I did have a privileged background. 😊

[@krishnarao4840]

Useful video

[@TheAlmostAstrophysicist]

Thank you Tata!!!! 😀

[@swaggamuffin2171]

Hey i am wondering how important the school i go to is important for job opportunities afterwords? Do i need to go to like stanford or U Chicago in order to have great job offers? And also after looking at salaries online i was wondering if you know what causes some people to only make like $50,000 a year in astrophysics and others $150,000 a year? Great Video too, your content is very helpful.

[@TheAlmostAstrophysicist]

That's a great question! So for your first question, It's a nuanced answer, but I do believe that *where* you get your degree does play a part in terms of campus opportunities. From my personal experience, going to UChicago and learning a lot on campus/using their resources really did benefit me. In many cases, private schools just have more funding for career resources, paid internship options, pay for campus research, etc. In terms of prestige, it certainly doesn't hurt your application to have a top school on there. But top candidates come from all colleges. :) College prestige doesn't determine your career path though, you do! For salaries, it really depends on what kind of job you go into. Most people, out of astrophysics undergrad, go to grad school where they only get a research stipend and are not salaried, per se. Some may go into aerospace engineering, where the pay is much higher. It just depends on the job you choose to go into after your major. :)

[@swaggamuffin2171]

@@TheAlmostAstrophysicist thank you so much, im doing applications right now and there is a lot to consider when looking beyond graduation. You have been extremely helpful through this all though, thank you!

[@THEskepii]

Hi i need a bit of help , if anyone is seeing this even tho its a kind of old video. I want to follow my studies in litterature but i also want to do cs, both are my top interest , but if i choose one i betray the other andi cannot choose its driving me crazy

[@Sariine436]

Wheres health?