Choosing a college major is one of the biggest decisions you’ll make over the course of your life. It will shape your career and future. Before you know it you’ll be thrust from sitting in your last high school science class wearing one of your favorite high school t shirts to sitting in a huge lecture hall surrounded by unfamiliar faces. But don’t worry! You will meet new people and make long lasting friendships over these next few years.

First, don’t feel bad if you aren’t entirely sure of what you want to do with the rest of your life. At age 18 that is perfectly normal. There is the option to explore some different subjects your first semester. Take classes from zoology to finance and everything in between. Don’t pressure yourself to immediately know what you want your future career to be.

Ask questions. If there is a particular subject you are interested in majoring in, ask the school counselors and representatives about the program offered. Find out if the school you are attending specializes in that degree, and if you will get the certification you need to pursue that career after graduation. You don’t want to get to senior year only to find the credits you’ve earned won’t get you into the field you desire.

Try and find your passion. You’ve probably heard this a thousand times, but take it to heart. You will possibly be doing this job for the rest of your life, you want to love it! We know that being a professional ice cream eater is not an option, and you need to be able to pay the bills after graduation, but maybe you could be a pastry chef! Try and spin some of your hobbies into an actual career. Love animals? Maybe veterinary school is right for you.

Your passions might change. It happens, you are in your second year of college and begin to wonder, what am I doing here? Don’t panic. A lot of the credits you’ve already earned will go towards another degree. But keep the finances in mind; spending an extra year in college would be really hard on the budget. College is expensive!

Overall, choosing your college major is something that deserves a lot of thought. Write out your interests, create pros and cons lists, do your research, and be true to yourself. If you do that, the rest will fall into place.