Everyone has their own advice when it comes time to choose a major in college. Some suggest following your passion, while others believe that taking the time to consider what you want to do with your life is the best guide. Many advise picking one that will reap the biggest financial reward.

On the student side of the dilemma, some concentrate on a subject based on the passion a certain professor has stirred in them for the field. Some choose a major based on convenience; maybe they had enough credits in a particular field and decided to simply continue on rather than start from scratch. And we can’t forget about those whose major is chosen based on familial or self-induced pressure.

Many people claim it doesn’t matter what you major in as long as you’re disciplined and determined. After all, there are successful doctors who have bachelor's degrees in the humanities, and writers who studied math and science.

With so many examples of success and happiness that are independent of “choice of major” it makes a person wonder whether majors matter at all. It would seem impossible to provide a definitive answer. The average college student in the midst of choosing a major is in their early 20s, an age when a person has barely begun to live or know what it is they want to be doing with their life 10, 20 years down the road.

Though opinions are numerous, I believe that in the end a person’s major does matter.

What makes college so important is the abundance of opportunities available. College is a place of invincibility, a place where you can explore fields you never knew existed and choose or create a discipline you want to pursue.

Think about it: you’ve gone through 12 years of required schooling and standardized tests, worked hard on submitting college applications and their fees in addition to interviewing at schools. After making it through the setbacks and pitfalls, it would be unfortunate to graduate lacking the acquisition of knowledge and passion in your chosen field. Though your success post-college is not completely and utterly dependent on your major, you would be better off in the long run if you take the time to decide what you want to spend four years studying and possibly doing with the rest of your life.