The 13 Biggest Mistakes in Picking a Major
對很多學(xué)生而言，選擇專業(yè)可能是他們大學(xué)生涯所做的最為重要的學(xué)業(yè)決定。然而，它也充滿了眾多的錯誤，從錯誤的時間到錯誤的緣由。所以，這里學(xué)生在選擇專業(yè)時所犯的最常見、代價最重的錯誤（我們還會拿出自己最好的建議來避免犯錯）。
For many students, picking a major is the single biggest academic decision they'll have to make in their college career. It's also the one most fraught with mistakes, ranging from picking at the wrong time to picking for the wrong reasons. So, here's a baker's dozen of the most common—and most costly—mistakes students make in picking a major (and our best advice on how to avoid them):
1.選擇專業(yè)過早。在很多學(xué)校，學(xué)生很早就要求在大學(xué)第一年的入學(xué)介紹或是更早的時候做出專業(yè)選擇。由你的導(dǎo)師——一位教授保證能夠盡快拿到學(xué)位：所有的這些好處被吹噓為只屬于那些選擇迅速選擇專業(yè)的同學(xué)。但學(xué)院和高中不一樣，在高中你所喜歡的課程可能和你在大學(xué)所選擇的課程很不一樣——而且會讓人很失望。
我們的建議？至少在大學(xué)的前兩年不要選擇專業(yè)。
1. Picking a major too early. At many schools, students are under pressure to declare a major as part of first-year orientation or early in the first year. Guaranteed places in classes, an actual professor as your adviser, a quicker trip to a degree: All of these are benefits touted to students who pick early. But college is really different from high school, and subjects you liked in high school might well be a lot different—and a lot less pleasant—at the big U.
Our advice? Remain undeclared for at least the first two years of college.
2.在考慮所有的選擇后做出選擇。有些學(xué)校，尤其是大型的州立大學(xué)，可選的專業(yè)超過了100個。不要在考慮過所有你感興趣的專業(yè)之前做出選擇。不要因為你不是很清楚什么是免疫學(xué)專業(yè)（immunology），古生物專業(yè)（paleobiology），國際發(fā)展研究專業(yè)（international development studies），民族音樂學(xué)（ethnomusicology）或是土木工程（civil engineering）（這些是加州大學(xué)洛杉磯分校的5個專業(yè)），而排除這些專業(yè)。弄清楚！選擇一門課程，或者至少是在系辦公室或?qū)I(yè)主頁上尋求他們所提供的專業(yè)簡介。
2. Picking a major before you've considered all the choices. At some schools, especially large state universities, there are more than 100 majors to choose from. Don't choose before you've considered all the options you're interested in. And don't be put off just because you don't quite know what immunology, paleobiology, international development studies, ethnomusicology, or civil engineering are (these five are from the UCLA list of majors). Find out. Take a course. Or at least stop by the departmental office or Web page and get a description of what they have to offer.
3. 在至少選修兩門專業(yè)領(lǐng)域內(nèi)的高階課程前就做出選擇。很容易只是因為很喜歡課程簡介而選擇某個專業(yè)。然而重要的是在選擇專業(yè)之前，先看看高年級或高階課程。很多領(lǐng)域，高年級的學(xué)習(xí)很具有挑戰(zhàn)性，并且有時在思路、方法或是復(fù)雜性上與那些“灌了水”，為整個大學(xué)服務(wù)的課程介紹大相徑庭。所以，在虛線上簽名前，一定要選修不同教授的兩門或三門課程，他們的課程編號很高（300，400，3000，4000或是別的什么）。
3. Picking a major before you've taken at least two advanced courses in the field. It's tempting to pick a major just on the basis of an intro course or two that you really liked. But it's important to take a sampling of upper division or advanced courses before committing to a major. In many fields, the work at that level is more challenging and also, sometimes, different in approach, methodology, or complexity than in the watered-down intro courses designed to service the university as a whole. So, before signing on the dotted line, take two or three courses, from different professors, that start with a high number (300, 400, 3000, 4000, or whatever it is at your school).
4. 選擇你有時并不擅長的專業(yè)。你可能會對此感到驚訝——總是會有一些學(xué)生選擇自己并不擅長，或是沒有能力修完的專業(yè)。經(jīng)驗法則（如果可行的話）：選擇一個你拿A比B多的專業(yè)。
4. Picking a major in something you're not good at. As surprising as it might seem, there is a regular cadre of students who major in fields they aren't doing well in or don't have the skills for. Rule of thumb (if possible): Pick a major in a field in which you're getting more A's than B's.
5.選擇一個你不喜歡的專業(yè)。假設(shè)你需要修10到12門專業(yè)課程。你對這個專業(yè)的興趣就是一個良好的開始。選擇一個你真正感興趣，有熱情去讀的專業(yè)。
還有的失誤：選擇專業(yè)為了取悅別人。不要僅僅因為家長，兄長，伙伴，配偶，密友或是你在twitter上看到某人認(rèn)為某個專業(yè)是個極好選擇的鼓動下而做出自己的選擇。他們可不是每天早上7：30爬起來去上課的人（但是他們卻會讓你在上課期間為此氣得要命）。
5. Picking a major in something you don't like. Given that you're going to have to take 10 or 12 courses in the major, it'd be a nice touch if you actually liked the field. Pick something that reflects your interests and true passions.
Extra Mistake: Picking a major to please someone else. Never pick a major just because your parent, older sibling, partner, spouse, best friend, or person you're following on Twitter thinks it'd be a bang-up idea to major in that. They're not the one who'll have to go to the 7:30 a.m. courses that are required for the major (though they will be the one you're steaming at as you sit through those courses).
6.因為某個教授的魅力選擇一個專業(yè)。專業(yè)不會要求你的學(xué)習(xí)、研究深度和教授一致，所以不要因為大牛教授的“引誘”，而選擇了一個充滿平庸教師、水平低下的系。
6. Picking a major because you are enthralled by one professor. A major is going to require you to study with a broad variety of professors, so don't let some cult professor lure you into a department full of mediocre teachers and bad scholars.
7. 選擇一個專業(yè)只因為學(xué)校在這個研究方向上很強(qiáng)。如果你不喜歡那個專業(yè)方向，大學(xué)的專業(yè)實力也是毫無意義的。
7. Picking a major only because the school is strong in that field. The fact that the university has a national reputation in some field won't help you if you don't like that field.
8. 不要因為專業(yè)簡單或是要求低而選擇它。如果你學(xué)不到任何東西或是可以為所欲為，這個專業(yè)再好有什么用？！說得更多的了。
8. Picking a major because it's easy or has few requirements. What good is a major if you learn nothing or it lets you do whatever you want whenever you want? 'Nuff said.
9. 做好二手準(zhǔn)備。有些學(xué)生，尤其是小學(xué)校的，他們確實是選擇自己喜歡的專業(yè)，但學(xué)校并不提供這個專業(yè)。如果你想學(xué)的專業(yè)不在官方的專業(yè)單子上，那么考慮為自己定制一個專業(yè)：很多學(xué)院允許交叉學(xué)科或是自主式的學(xué)習(xí)模式。如果你發(fā)現(xiàn)學(xué)校處事并不靈活，沒有辦法達(dá)到這個目的，那么看看同城的大學(xué)或其他的學(xué)院組成的大學(xué)聯(lián)盟是否允許交叉注冊（cross-registration）（例如，馬薩諸塞州 Amherst的Five College Consortium（五所學(xué)校聯(lián)盟）或是哥倫比亞大學(xué)和Juilliard音樂學(xué)院或Manhattan音樂學(xué)院的交換項目）。
如果這一切的努力都失敗，那么就做好轉(zhuǎn)到你理想學(xué)院的準(zhǔn)備：缺少專業(yè)在招生辦看來是你從小學(xué)校跳到大學(xué)校的最好理由之一。
9. Settling for second best. Some students, especially those at small colleges, pick a major simply because the major they'd really like to take isn't offered at their school. If what you want to study isn't on the official list of majors and programs, consider constructing your own major: Many colleges allow the possibility of interdisciplinary or self-directed programs of study. And if you find there's just no way to make it work given the puny offerings at your school, consider consortiums of schools or other colleges in the same city for which your school allows cross-registration (for example, the Five College Consortium in Amherst, Mass., or the exchange program between Columbia University and either the Juilliard or the Manhattan schools of music).
If all else fails, consider transferring to a college that has what you want: Lack of a major is viewed by admissions officers as one of the best reasons for trading your little college for their ginormous university.
10. 只為職業(yè)理想而選擇專業(yè)。 當(dāng)然，在緊縮的經(jīng)濟(jì)形勢下選擇專業(yè)時最好將眼光放在獲得職位上。但這不應(yīng)當(dāng)成為你選擇專業(yè)的唯一考慮。首先，專業(yè)和職業(yè)之間并沒有一一對應(yīng)關(guān)系：你不需要因為在商界發(fā)展而選擇市場營銷或是商學(xué)院的專業(yè)；同樣你也不必因為選擇哲學(xué)或政治學(xué)專業(yè)而繼續(xù)去讀法學(xué)院。確實有很多的職位是要求專業(yè)背景的，但是更多的職位并不看重你所學(xué)的專業(yè)，他們看重的是你的數(shù)學(xué)、寫作、溝通、外語或是分析的能力，而這些各個專業(yè)的學(xué)生都可以鍛煉獲得。
10. Picking a major only because of its career prospects. Sure, in a tight economy it makes good sense to pick a major with an eye to what jobs you can get. But that shouldn't be the only consideration in picking a major. For one thing, there's not a one-to-one relation between majors and careers: You don't need a degree in marketing or business for a career in the corporate world or a major in philosophy or political science to have the inside track to law school. Indeed, there are a slew of jobs-perhaps most jobs-for which a particular major is not required, but what's needed are skills in math, writing, communication, foreign languages, or analytical thinking that could be acquired in any number of different majors.
Also, it's very difficult to bet on what the most lucrative or prestigious jobs will be three to 10 years from now or the amount of time needed to complete a major and, in some cases, postgraduate training. Maybe you think disease mapper, robot programmer, information engineer, radiosurgeon, and Second Life lawyer will be five of the hottest careers in years to come (according to CNN Money). But what will happen when programming is wholly outsourced to India, surgery is all done by physicians working for a nationalized health service, and Second Life has gone the way of Pac Man?
11. 因為職業(yè)夢想而錯選專業(yè)。你可能會對這種情況感到驚訝。我們剛剛還碰到一個學(xué)生想去大學(xué)教書，而不想要教育專業(yè)的學(xué)位的（這是為初級學(xué)校的老師準(zhǔn)備的），而想成為大學(xué)人類學(xué)專業(yè)的“布道者”（在這個專業(yè)領(lǐng)域的工作對他而言顯然是不可能的）。
所以，如果你想要講你的專業(yè)和職業(yè)掛上鉤的話，一定要先問問這個領(lǐng)域內(nèi)的行家——例如，這個系里面最受歡迎的教授或是大學(xué)生輔導(dǎo)員——哪個職業(yè)和專業(yè)相關(guān)。
11. Picking the wrong major for the career you want. You'd be amazed that this happens. We've recently seen a student wanting to teach on the collegiate level unwittingly taking an education degree (intended for elementary-school teachers), and a would-be missionary about to major in anthropology (a field in which mission work is a complete no-no).
So, if you're matching majors to careers, be sure to ask an expert in the field—for example, a favorite professor or the undergraduate adviser in that department—which careers go with which majors.
12. 拿個雙學(xué)位。盡管有很多城市傳奇，但是選擇雙學(xué)位（double major）沒什么好處——相反，還有很多壞處。繁重的任務(wù)要求會讓你窒息，你會在這些對自己或是自己的職業(yè)沒有什么用的課程上死的很難看。堅定！只選擇一個專業(yè)。不要讓你的優(yōu)柔寡斷或是內(nèi)心的矛盾在選擇專業(yè)上犯錯誤——選擇兩個專業(yè)。
額外事項。 同樣也不要著眼于選修專業(yè)。一個更好的辦法是放棄很多系為吸引更多的學(xué)生而提供的“選修課”，而去選修幾門你感興趣或是對你的專業(yè)有用的課程。主修藝術(shù)史的Lynn對文學(xué)感興趣，所以對她而言，可以將選修英語——詩歌，創(chuàng)造性寫作或是古代文學(xué)，這些Lynn一點都不感興趣的課程——的時間放在選修莎士比亞，喬叟（Chaucer），歐洲小說以及幾部偉大現(xiàn)代書籍上。
12 . Piling on majors. Despite urban legend, there's no advantage in being a double major—and there are many disadvantages. You get smothered under tons of requirements, and you can end up taking many courses that aren't of interest to you or of value for your career. Be resolute. Pick one major. Don't externalize whatever indecision or inner conflict you have by doubling (or tripling) up on majors.
Extra Pointer. There is no cachet in piling on minors, either. It's usually a better idea to pick the four or five courses that interest you or support your major rather than taking the prepackaged "minors" that many departments offer to attract additional students. Lynn, who majored in art history but was interested in literature, had a much better time picking courses in Shakespeare, Chaucer, the European novel, and great modern books than she would have had taking the English minor, which included courses in poetry, creative writing, and ancient literature that Lynn had no interest in.
13. 別將走路的時間也花在選擇專業(yè)上。不要走入死胡同——認(rèn)為自己的專業(yè)選擇事關(guān)重大，而事實上并非如此。你的專業(yè)不能預(yù)示你的未來，或是讓你走上哪條不歸路。勞動部的數(shù)據(jù)顯示美國一般員工的職業(yè)會在人生中變上三到五次。所以，放松點！拿出最好的選擇，順其自然！
譯后記：一個國家對大學(xué)生大學(xué)所選專業(yè)的尊重是一種最人本的關(guān)懷，無論這些學(xué)生以后是否會感到后悔。中國處于歷史的原因，嚴(yán)格化了專業(yè)的區(qū)分，培養(yǎng)社會的有用人才，但國家最近的中長期規(guī)劃綱要的舉動，反映了國家在這方面的現(xiàn)實舉動。其中取消文理科的想法我是支持的。
盡管中國現(xiàn)在的學(xué)習(xí)環(huán)境較之歷史上的中國是非常之好，但是國民的素質(zhì)卻是有目共睹，更有甚者認(rèn)為中華民族越來越像是一個無根的民族，我覺得這種人本主義對社會的關(guān)懷精神是需要從教育做起的。
13. Obsessing every waking hour about what major you ' re going to pick. Don't tie yourself into knots by thinking that your choice of major is a bigger commitment than it is. Your major does not dictate your future or put you onto a career path from which there is no escape. Department of Labor statistics show that average American workers change careers three to five times in their lifetime. So, relax. Make your best pick, and enjoy where life takes you.
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