In 2017, Indonesian Career Center Network found out that 87% of all university students think they have chosen a wrong major for their higher studies. This results in students having a hard time studying, feeling that what they do on the daily is just useless, and some even decided to drop out. This causes a toll in a student’s life because the mountainous amount of time, energy, and studying materials that have been sacrificed for the process will only amount to nothing. Even if the student eventually graduates, when working in a field of their interest after college, their competence and knowledge may not be on par with their peers that studied in a major that supports their interests and their careers.

This phenomenon proves that students need to think and analyse deeper when deciding on an area of expertise – their university major. As future university students, you need to know yourselves – your passion, talents, personality, and values – before deciding on one major. Research have proven that the better your personality matches your career choice, the happier you will be. Here are some questions that can help you get to know yourself: “What am I interested in?”; “What do I enjoy doing?”; “What are my strengths?”; “Which aspects do I still need to improve in?”; “What are my values, and how prevalent should they be in my job?” Sometimes, you also need external feedback. You can reach out to friends, parents, teachers, or your guidance counsellor for advice. If you’re interested, you can also take a test from a psychologist that will help you see your potentials. When you can find the answers to the questions above and can match them with a major of your choice, you will not suffer from the wrong-major syndrome and you will have an exceptional working experience.