What to major in when you don't know what to do
The immediate barrier is a ticking clock forcing you to declare a degree when every option feels like a potential mistake. This fear of choosing wrong creates decision paralysis, leaving you stuck weighing a job you enjoy against a stress-free life, or avoiding fields like computer science out of fear that AI and unpredictable job markets will leave you jobless.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1switching majors multiple times based on current interests or perceived versatilityDid this help you?
- 2doing an electrical engineering degree insteadDid this help you?
- 3pivot to something like Electrical EngineeringDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“Hello, I am a 20 year old college student with absolutely no idea what I want to do in life.”source ↗
“I feel like no matter what I pivot to I’m just going to change my mind again.”source ↗
“I feel like I have to choose between a job I would enjoy or a job that lets me have a relatively stress-free life.”source ↗
“I just feel like time is running out for me to pick something, and I kind of do need to figure out what I want to get my degree in as soon as possible.”source ↗
“Im now 18 and in 12th grade and essentially heartbroken about what AI can do in terms of CS... I don't even know if I should pursue it”source ↗
“I don't want to have a degree and without a job in IT ever”source ↗
“But I'm scared of the current job market, I get nobody knows what's gonna happen in 4 years but still...”source ↗
“Should I still get a CS degree or pivot to something like Electrical Engineering in fear of not getting a job after graduation (even after about 1 year of serarching)”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 2How to choose a career when you have no passion
- 23Should I get an accounting certificate or degree while working?
- 19Is teaching still a realistic option for me?
- 13Accounts receivable vs bank teller for a finance degree?
- 18Industrial engineering or accounting?
- 5What career paths are parents suggesting for high school graduates?