Plan for College
Choosing the Right College Major for You 選對大學主修科系

VIS is authorized by the College Board to provide AP (Advanced Placement) courses. The following article is from the official College Board website.
 

VIS 為美國大學理事會(College Board)正式認證學校,經授權可開授AP課程。以下文章出自於美國大學理事會 College Board 官網,提供中文翻譯給學生家長參考。

Original source 原文出處: 
https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/plan-for-college/find-your-dream-college/choosing-right-major-for-you

Choosing the Right College Major for You
選對大學主修科系

Students often struggle with how to choose a major because they're just beginning to discover who they are. It's OK to not have an exact plan for college and a future career. You can start by choosing a major based on your current interests. Then, using your college experience to learn more about yourself, you can change it if you feel the need.
順利申請上世界頂尖大學、達成出國留學的目標,學生還得思考該選擇主修什麼科系,因為才剛剛開始掌握自己的人生方向、也還在摸索自己的各種特質,對大學生活或未來職涯如果還不清楚,都是沒關係的。也可以先以目前的興趣來選擇自己想要的主修科系,然後在學習過程中了解自己、有必要再修改。

The major you choose will have an impact on the jobs you’ll qualify for after graduation, so it’s important to use your college experience to determine your long-term career interests. That way, you can pick a major that will help land you a job you love. Here are some key factors to consider so that you can choose the right major for you.
主修的科系,影響著未來畢業後找工作的資格,所以得運用大學裡學習的經驗來決定長期的職涯方向。所以你也可以想想你熱愛的工作是什麼,而哪個科系可以幫你進到這行。要選對主修,有以下關鍵因素。

How to Choose a College Major
如何選擇大學主修

All students going to college will ultimately have to ask themselves, “What major should I choose?” While it’s a challenging question, the answer will come down to identifying what you’re most passionate about. Studies show that students who enjoy what they are learning about will perform better in their program of choice. If you choose a major because of the influence of others, you may not be as excited and motivated. Consider the advice of friends and family, but remember that the final decision is yours.
「我該選什麼主修?」是每個要上大學的人都會問的問題,這個問題很有挑戰性,要找到答案得先問自己最熱愛的事物是什麼。研究顯示,學生對學習的事物感興趣時,表現會最好。如果只是受到他人的影響而選擇主修,你就不會這麼有熱情、也沒有這麼有動力。可以尋求親友的建議,不過最終決定權都在你自己手上。

Choosing Your Own Major
選擇自己的主修科目

Choosing your own major motivates you to invest time and money into what you want to do with your life. Consider how much money an individual with that major typically makes, what the job outlook currently is, and if you can see yourself being in that field for a long time. Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics can help determine your projected salary and job outlook.
選擇自己的主修科目,才會對生活有動力進而投入時間、金錢。可以考慮主修某個科目的人通常會賺多少錢、某種工作的目前前景如何、你是否會在該領域長時間耕耘。美國勞動統計處的資料可以幫助你找到預估的薪水和工作前景。

You Don’t Have to Select a Major Right Away
不用急於一時

The good news is that there’s no pressure to quickly choose a major. Most colleges don't require students to declare a major until the end of sophomore year. If you prefer to set your path sooner, you can select a concentration as a freshman or even before taking your first class. This gives you the chance to try major-specific classes earlier and change direction if necessary.
選擇主修科目不用急。好消息是,大部分的國外大學在大二結束以前都不會要求學生選擇。如果你想要早點決定道路,可以先集中修某個領域,先試試之後,有必要再轉換。

The Impact of Major Choice on College Acceptance
選擇主修對申請大學的影響

The major you choose can affect admission if the college only accepts a certain number of applicants into the program. Research the various programs available at each college to better understand their requirements and any restrictions they have on a particular major. If you choose a program that allows only a limited number of applicants, it may be helpful to apply for early admission and consider multiple colleges.
如果你申請的學校某些課程只有一定的名額,那麼選擇主修科目對於申請大學就一定有影響。要進一步了解某個主修、某個課程的申請資格與限制,就要針對每個大學的不同課程進行研究。如果你選擇的課程有限制名額,申請提早入學或是考慮多間不同大學會更有幫助。

What Your Major Says About You
你的主修跟個人的關係

When you select a major, you're choosing a specialized field of study that will hopefully translate into a fulfilling career. Is it a major you think will benefit you when applying to jobs? Is it in a subject that matches up with the direction you want your life to take? Your major doesn’t define everything about you, but it does help define a significant part of your life: your career.
選擇主修,就是在選一個領域讓你可以接軌未來的職涯。這個主修在找工作時有沒幫助?跟你的生涯規劃符合嗎?主修雖然不會完全代表你這個人,至少會定義你部分的人生:你的職涯。

Understand the Time Investment for School
大學學習的投入時間

As you advance through your college coursework, you'll experience new challenges that affect your time management. Everything from newfound independence to final exams and extracurricular activities could impact your daily schedule. That's why it's important to understand the required time investment for your chosen major.
當你上大學,每一年的學習都會遇到新的挑戰,也會考驗你的時間規劃。你離家獨立是個新的體驗、期末考、課外活動等等各種事項也都是,都會影響你每天的行程。所以了解某個主修需要投入的時間是很重要的。

Study Obligations
學習的必要責任

Most undergraduate degrees take four years to complete as a full-time student. However, if you plan to become a doctor or lawyer, for example, you'll need to continue your education past an undergraduate degree. Becoming a doctor typically takes an additional four years of medical school and three or more years of residency. Becoming a lawyer will take about three years of law school past your undergraduate study. Before choosing a major, research which degrees you're required to obtain and how long they'll take you to complete.
大部分的大學需要四年的投入,但如果你想要當醫生或律師、大學四年畢業後得繼續深造。要當醫生一般還需要再多四年的醫學院課程、三年以上的住院醫師資格。要當律師,還得要大概多念三年的法學院。選擇主修前一定要了解該門需要多少年拿到文憑、你又預計用多少年來完成。

Note 備註:
Please note that this information is true for the United States, but the process of studying to become a doctor or lawyer can vary from country to country.
以上為美國大學的資訊,但各國對成為醫生或律師的要求可能略有不同。

Not all undergraduate majors require the same amount of effort. For example, a general psychology degree may involve less schoolwork and time commitment than a pre-med degree. Keep in mind that more schoolwork doesn’t necessarily guarantee more post-graduation success and vice versa. When deciding on a major, determine how much time you want to invest in your education and if that major fits into those expectations.
不同主修需要投入的心力不一,例如心理學文憑一般來說就不像其他醫科一樣繁重、費時。大學四年功課如果重、也並不保證研究所就比較順利,反之亦然。選擇主修時,要考量自己想要在課業上投入多少,而這門主修是否符合預期。

Improving Your Chances of Happiness After Graduation
畢業後的幸福,掌握在現在的自己手中

Finding happiness after graduation depends on what your values are. If you choose a major that aligns well with your life values, you could improve your chances of enjoying life after college. If the major you choose leads you to a career that excites you, then you are probably on the track to happiness. There are other factors that affect happiness, but career choice is an important component of your life.
畢業後的人生能否幸福,取決在你的價值觀。如果你選的主修符合價值觀,念完後生活會更快樂。如果你選的主修讓你可以找到你愛的工作,你就在通往幸福的路上。當然人生幸不幸福受很多因素影響,但職涯會是人生重要的一環。

College is a time to develop the necessary skills for a successful, rewarding career. Reflect on what you are passionate about and explore new interests as you venture through college life. You can always change your mind if you discover a new passion. And if you’re wondering why you should go to college at all, try spending more time researching what majors are available that relate to your current interests.
大學是培養必要技能、通往成功富足職涯的重要時刻。這四年的規劃一定要能符合你的熱情、也同時要探索新的興趣,找到新的熱情也是可以轉換跑道的。如果你在想,唸大學的重要性是什麼,不妨多花點時間研究一下,什麼主修跟你現在的興趣是有關的。

 

Original source 原文出處:  
https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/plan-for-college/find-your-dream-college/choosing-right-major-for-you

 

If you would like to discuss college options further, please make an appointment with our college counselor Ms. Rosalyn Shih ( collegecounseling@vis.tp.edu.tw) to find out more.

Please also refer to the following article for more information-
5 Questions to Ask Yourself when Choosing a Major for College
https://vis.tp.edu.tw/academics-college-counseling/417

 

如果VIS同學們想進一步討論如何選擇海外的大學,請與VIS的升學顧問 Miss Rosalyn Shih ( collegecounseling@vis.tp.edu.tw ) 預約晤談以了解更多資訊。

您也可以參考下面的文章獲取更多資訊-
決定海外留學主修科目的5道問題
https://vis.tp.edu.tw/academics-college-counseling/417