How To Choose The Right College Major

怎么选专业？

做好这几点让你赢在起跑线上

Pursuing a successful career is a dream for every young individual. For some the dream comes true, as they quickly find a fulfilling and highly paying job. For others, it remains just a dream.

追求成功的事业是每个年轻人的梦想。一些人的梦想实现了，因为他们很快就找到了一份充实和高薪的工作。但是对其他人来说，那仍然只是一个梦想。

The difference between the dream and reality is in the education choices individuals make while in college, the undergraduate and the graduate major they pursue.

梦想和现实的区别就在于人们大学时所作出的教育选择——即本科和研究生时期的专业。

That's where the secret is:

下文就为你揭示其中的秘密：

Try something different, march against the crowd, and find your element, your passion.

你应该多多尝试不同的东西、多和人结交、找到最适合你的东西、找到你真正的激情所在。

As I discuss in The Six Rules of Success, pursuing a career is similar to pursuing a business. You must begin with a vision; a place you want to be four, ten, twenty years down the road, and a service you want to provide to the business community and to society, but make sure that there will be a sustained demand for these services.

正如我在《成功6法则》中所说的那样，发展自己的事业和创建一个企业很相像。你首先必须要有愿景；在这条道路上四年、十年、二十年之后你想达到的阶段性目标；以及你想要提供给商界和社会的服务，但是一定要确定这种服务会有持续的需求。

Then, you must think of the educational degree that will provide you the skills for this career; andthe competition, the other people that pursue the same degree at the same time as you.

然后，你必须考虑能够提供给你从事这项事业所需技能的学位、竞争、以及其他那些和你一样追求同一事业的人。

Demand and supply theory suggests that if too many individuals pursue the same career, it will become increasingly difficult for each individual to find a job. That's why you should study something different from the rest of the crowd.

供求理论表明，如果太多人追求同一事业，那么每个人都找到工作的难度就会增大。因此，你就应该学习一些与众不同的东西。

Prepare for careers with little competition.

即你可以选择一些竞争比较小的事业。

Pursuing a different major is one thing, bringing out your strengths and capabilities to complete the necessary work and get the degree is another. What does it take?

选择不同的专业是一码事，但是发挥你的长处和能力来完成必要的工作从而获得学位又是另外一回事儿。它需要哪些东西？

If you ask Rhonday Byrne, she'd tell you it's The Law of Attraction. Byrne argues in The Secretfor the power of positive thoughts, which she says will act like magnets to bring things your way, helping you identify and externalize[1] your internal strengths and capabilities.

如果你向朗达.伯恩询问这个问题，她会告诉你《吸引力法则》。伯恩很推崇“积极思想”的力量，她认为积极思想能够像磁铁一样把人生路上所有事情都拨向正轨，还能帮你找出并体现出你的长处和能力。

[1]externalize：to express feelings, especially bad feelings, such as anger 表露，表达（尤指不愉快的情绪）

You have to learn to externalize your anger.

你得学会把愤怒发泄出来。

While positive thought may be a necessary condition for bringing out strengths and capabilities, it isn't sufficient, counters[2] Ken Robinson and Lou Aronica in The Element. You must also find your own “element,” your passion– the major of study that matches your inner strengths and capabilities, in addition of being unique.

肯.罗宾森和卢.阿罗尼卡在《The Element》却表达了不同的看法，他们认为虽然积极思想是激发人长处和能力的必要条件，但还远远不够。你还必须找到你自己的“元素”、你的激情所在——专业除了要与众不同之外，还应符合你的长处和能力。

[2]counter

to react to something with an opposing opinion or action, or to defend yourself against something 反驳；反对；对抗

When criticisms were made of the school's performance, the parents' group countered with details of its exam results.

当有人对学校的业绩提出批评时，家长团举出具体的考试成绩予以反驳。

The bottom line: The major you choose must match your inner capabilities and your passion with unique market opportunities.

记住一条底线：你选择的专业必须与你内在的能力和激情相匹配，同时还要有独特的市场机会。

英文来源：福布斯新闻

翻译参考：爱语吧