Obi wasn't thrilled with accounting, so she took music, philosophy, psychology and religion classes, before settling on a major in biochemistry. Now a senior, she plans to go to medical school.

"My only worry was I wasn't going to get out of here in four years," said Obi, 19, from Lagos, Nigeria, even though she entered college younger than her fellow students.

The pressure on college students to find a major and stick with it might be intense, but experts say Obi's circuitous path shouldn't be a concern. Instead, they say, employers are looking for students not necessarily with a deep understanding of a single topic, but who instead have abilities to solve problems, work on a team and adapt to the changing economy.

Experts say the job students get after they graduate might not be around in 10 years. Technology will advance far beyond what they know today.

"The general rule of thumb is to figure out what you like and pursue what you like," said Richard White, director of career development at Rutgers University, who majored in English. "The largest major at Rutgers is psychology. Now 600 psychology grads are not all going to become psychologists, but their understanding of human nature, that knowledge of human behavior will serve them very well, regardless of the jobs and careers they pursue."

With the baby boomer generation nearing retirement, the United States by the year 2020 is expected to have 12 million to 14 million job openings, said Dana Egreczky, vice president of work force development for the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce.

Egreczky said employers desperately will need students with science and math skills. .

Students "graduating now may have as many as seven to 10 career changes in their lives, where they have to keep re-educating themselves, learning more to remain employable," said Egreczky.

"We're looking for people who have excellent communication skills, excellent critical thinking skills, problem-solving skills. ...Those things are more important than particular majors," said Fran Durst of Wachovia Corp. "We can train them."