I’ve never been that person who knew exactly what she wanted—the one thing that stood out above everything else—and could fully commit to it. No, I wanted it all. I was always envious of my friends who could say “this is it for me,” and just have faith in that. I wanted to have everything figured out, but the truth is that I didn’t. And, the bigger truth is that no one has to have it all figured out when they go to college.

Committing to a college major is hard, but committing to something you’re going to do for the rest of your life is just plain painful. It’s an ungodly amount of pressure. That is, unless you know that it’s the only thing you can do—the only thing that will make you happy and make you feel fulfilled. Obviously, for me this wasn’t the case.

“What we're finding is that kids are taking, on average, two more years to finish a four-year degree," says Amy Erickson, a Certified College Planning Specialist tells SmartMoney.com, "and that could be another $100,000, just to get a bachelor's degree." So, for someone like 17-year-old Tina Gholami, indecision can be costly. “I had a lot of interests,” says Gholami, “and it was kind of hard to focus on one area to major in over the next four years.”

Choosing A Major
When you’re searching for the right major, there are some important questions that you should ask yourself. Gary Anderson, former college Career Center Director,suggest following these steps to help you make your decision:

Step 1:
Look back at which high school courses you’ve enjoyed and done well in, this might help point you in the right direction and allow you to put something on your admissions application about having prior experience in the field.
Step 2:
Consider what the requirements are for your major. Will you need to do more than a four year degree? If so, is it something that you’re willing to invest your time in? Take for example medical and business related fields. Choosing a major in a field that requires more of a college commitment than you are willing to invest in probably should be avoided.
Step 3:
Check out the courses and professors in your major’s department to see if they interest you. Be careful though, these might vary from school to school. However, on the whole if you find yourself interested in the subject, chances are it’s for you.
Step 4:
Do internships! This is a "hands-on" way to get a feel for the kinds of jobs you could get with your potential college major.

Step 5:
Look at the different work fields to which your college major can lead to. Try to choose a major that will offer flexibility when you are looking for a job.
Step 6:
Think about the growth of the career field that interests you. Is the field dynamic and growing, or is it hard to find a job in that field?

Even if you enter college and you’re still undecided, keep in mind that many college students don’t have to officially declare their major until their junior year. While knowing your major before you apply for colleges will help you choose the best school for your interests, it’s not a requirement if you’re still undecided. Many colleges and universities devote a certain amount of undergraduate classes to liberal arts (or general studies) education to not only help round out a student’s education, but to open their eyes to other interests that they might not have considered before.

"Core classes give each student a common base of knowledge and skills that are important and crucial for [all] students," says Reverend Richard Hockman, a professor of effective oral communications at King's College. "They present students with an overview of areas--ones they might consider for a major." Also, keep in mind that many schools allow you to have more than one major, and even minor in other subjects. By taking advantage of this, you can help alleviate the pressure of having to choose just one major.

I chose to combine different majors to create something unique for my field. I had already declared my major as Film, but I knew that I wanted to be writer as well. This is when I took up Journalism—something that my parents were in support of because they viewed it as being more “practical.” However, for me it meant that I had a focus when I entered the entertainment journalism industry. That perhaps one day I could review films like I always wanted to do. By combining majors, not only was I prepared for each field directly, but it also gave me more opportunities on the whole.

In the end, while you want to prepare as much as you can for whatever field you choose to enter, make sure you also leave yourself room to grow. You may find, much like I did, that over time your interests change—that while you once were very passionate about a subject, you discover one that’s more appealing to you.

"People change their mind as they experience these new alternatives and learn new skills and develop new interests,” says John Krumboltz, professor of education and psychology at Stanford University and author of the book Luck is No Accident: Making the Most of Happenstance in Your Life and Career. “Therefore, trying to declare an occupational goal at age 16 is absurd.”

It only makes sense that when you’re trying to create a future for yourself that you keep yourself in mind throughout the process. Never pin yourself down to something that someone else wants you to do—it is your life—so leave opportunities open. "The world is changing, there are new jobs being created, there are old jobs disappearing and there are new opportunities occurring," says John Krumboltz, so take advantage of them!