How I Chose My College Major: Marketing

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Anna Garner
Blog author Anna is pictured next to a page showing a marketing report.

Choosing a major for college can be overwhelming, especially with all the options out there. Lucky for me I was able to figure out what I wanted to major in while still in high school. My name is Anna Garner, and I am going to share the story about how a teacher from my high school helped me find my love for my major.

How It All Started

I was a junior in high school when I decided I wanted to major in marketing. I had taken lots of different elective classes because I was not sure what I wanted to do for a career. I took animal science, nursing, and marketing classes for three years trying to figure out which path was right for me. Did I want to be a vet, a nurse, or a businesswoman?

One Special Teacher

So how did I decide? I found myself always excited to go to my marketing classes. I liked the way I got to be creative and show a different side of me. It seemed to be something that came easily to me. My marketing teacher Mrs. Miller also played a big part in my decision. She was a great teacher who came up with projects that challenged me in a good way and sparked my interest in learning more.

Join the Club

She had a career in marketing before teaching and was able to share her experience with me. She also served as the advisor to a school club called Distributive Education clubs of America (DECA) that I joined my junior year. This club was business focused, and we would practice real world situations and come up with business plans for fake companies. Each year we would compete in a competition with other schools to show off our business skills. This club gave me experience I needed to peacefully choose my major.

Explore the Possibilities

Whether you are still in high school or already starting your college career, utilizing your resources is the best advice I could give someone trying to figure out what they want their major to be. Take advantage of any electives offered and look at them like a trial run. Get involved with different clubs to see if any of them spark your interest. Network with people who are in the career you are considering to see if their experience can help you decide. I know those things helped me and I am sure they can help others too!

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