College Freshmen Face Major Dilemma

An article on the MSNBC Web site discusses how indecision about a college major can prove expensive to families. Because 50% of college students who declare a major wind up changing it, sometimes more than once, students will need to restart course sequences or transfer schools, which can become costly. Additionally, changing majors oftentimes extends the college career from a four-year program to five or six years, which also costs more in the long run.

The key to avoiding switching majors and the associated higher costs, according to Dr. Fritz Grupe, founder of MyMajors.com, is to "identify those areas of study best suited for (students) before the college tuition clock ever starts ticking". A survey on the MyMajors.com Web site can help students do just that, as can assistance from high school guidance counselors and parents.

The article can be found in its entirety on the MSNBC Web site.