There are many benefits of having an idea of a college major before creating your college list and heading off to college.  While about half of college students change their major after beginning college, having thought through your strengths and interests and areas of study that may be a good fit can be helpful.  

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Here are just a few reasons why identifying a major (or two or three) prior to launching into your college journey can benefit:

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1. College List.  Having an idea of your areas of interest can help build the college list.  All colleges have their 'top', most sought after degrees that have been well developed and are well-respected among the community/region/country.  Selecting a college with a strong major in your area(s) of study can reap benefits at the end of the college journey; i.e., help the student land a job.

2. Financial Savings.  Understanding areas of strength and interest and, therefore, pursuing majors that align can save valuable time in the exploration process in the freshman, and possibly sophomore, years.  This can help the student graduate in four years as opposed to five or six.  

3. Instill Confidence.  Having identified a college major can help the student build confidence upon their initial launch to college.  One of the most common questions asked among new peers is 'what is your major?' To a new student, it may appear that other students have their path all planned out, while the student who just plans to explore may feel a drop in confidence as the perceive others as having their college path laid out.  This can be a contributing factor to the fact that 30% of freshmen do not return for their sophomore year.

4. Internship Opportunities.  Having identified a major early opens the door for exploration in their field in earlier ears giving the student more experience and more opportunity to receive a job offer before they graduate.

5. High School Exploration.  High school is a great time to gain some experience or at least exposure to a field of interest.

6. Increase College Acceptances.  Colleges want, first and foremost, to know that they can help students reach their academic goals.  A student who has explored their major and gained some experience or even exposure may have a leg up in the college admissions process.

7. Extracurricular Pursuits.  Understanding a potential area of study and/or career projection can help students identify meaningful extracurricular pursuits both in high school and college.