Most college students change their major at least once during their college career. And you probably know some people who've extended their four-year stay in school to five or maybe six years because they couldn't settle on a major.

There's definitely nothing wrong with switching your major —but if you can do some upfront exploring in your chosen field, you might save yourself some time and the expense of additional semesters in college.

One good way to help ensure you're in the right major is to observe a professional in your field. A few weeks ago, I mentioned that my stepdaughter was planning to job shadow in the field she's considering (occupational therapy). I thought I'd share a little bit about what she learned:

1. 1) The job is interesting. This is BIG. You may be good at a job, and you may make a lot of money at a job—but if you don't find the work interesting, you probably won't be happy for long. I'm glad to report that my stepdaughter liked what she saw.
   
   
2. The salary  range has given her pause. She researched this ahead of time, but her day "on the job" made her think about it more closely. She's not sure the salary potential is enough to satisfy her. Another excellent thing to start thinking about early on (especially if you'll have student loans to repay).
   
   
3. Paperwork and repetition are part of the job. Along with some excitement about her chosen field, she also got a good dose of reality. She saw that it wasn't just about working with patients—there was a lot of paperwork involved as well. And she noticed that they went through the same routine with many patients. I'm glad she got to observe that. It's good to know the potential downsides of any job you're considering.
   
   
4. She wants a closer look. After her job-shadowing day, she thinks she'd enjoy occupational therapy, but her experience prompted us to talk about different options she has within the field. It's made her want to take a closer look—maybe shadow another occupational therapist in a different setting.

All in all, her job-shadowing experience helped my stepdaughter confirm that she was pursuing the right career path. And if it didn't? Well, if you're in the wrong major, it's better to know sooner than later.

Have you switched your major? Is it prolonging your college career?