Green industries are changing faster than ever, and with change comes a vast array of new technologies. We need experts who know who understand the bigger picture and how to incorporate these new technologies into our lives. For you aspiring college students considering majors, you’re facing one of the biggest decisions of your life. Green is the way to go. Here are some emerging fields of study revolutionizing the way we live:

Sustainable City Planning – The future requires innovative city planners who know how to can organize our lives to live with the environment rather than against it. What may have once come across as a drab field has now become very exciting as concepts we have never even considered are being factored into planning out living spaces. Portland State University, located in the only U.S. City qualified as in the world’s stop ten sustainable cities, offers a minor.

For those with long-range goals, you can get a Master of Science in Sustainable Urban Design at Lund University in Switzerland.

Human Ecology – A one of a kind university with a unique approach, The College of the Atlantic in Maine has only one degree – Human Ecology. Students are free to focus on resource areas, designing their own degree from a wide spectrum of disciplines, but the main focus is how humans interact with natural ecology. This has been dubbed as the greenest college on Earth.

Environmental Law – Radical new paradigms shifts require new laws, regulations, and civic responsibilities. Smart lawyers need to bring big corporations who think only of profit to justice. The Vermont Law School offers one of the best programs available.

Conservation Biology – Learning to live better with the land requires a deeper understanding of how the environment functions. We need to conserve what we have not already destroyed for generations to come. The University of Minnesota offers an in-depth graduate program for those with ambitious goals.

Green MBA Program – Entrepreneurs have finally come to the realization that not only can making money and saving the world mix, but economics is one of the most powerful motivators of social change. If you want to mix your entrepreneurial spirit with your social responsibility, check out the green MBA program at the University of California, Berkeley: Haas School of Business.

Energy and Environmental Engineering – Obviously, energy development is a huge field as well and sharp scientific brains are needed to unlock Nature’s mysteries. Opportunities abound in solar, wind, hydro, biofuels, and many more emerging technologies especially at programs offered by Illinois State University and Texas Tech University Wind Science and Engineering Research Center.

Sustainable Architecture – One of the most vital ways we can change our environmental impact is by rethinking the way we build our homes. Creative new innovations implement new techniques based on biomimicry and other concepts to achieve in our homes what Nature often already does perfectly.

Arizona State University School of Architecture

Sustainable Agriculture – Our agricultural systems are wasteful, inefficient, and take a big toll on the water and land. This field alone raises very challenging questions about the way we live. Warren Wilson College in North Carolina with offers hands-on training in a 300 acre farm and a 600 acre forest for hands on learning.

This list is far from complete in terms of both available degrees and universities offering them, but it is a good start to get you thinking. Be at the forefront of change. Make your living doing what?s right. For perhaps the first time in America?s history, that is where the money will be.

University students don’t necessarily have the discretionary income to back their political and ideological views with buying power; however, what they lack in funds they make up in passion. America’s schools have long been the leaders of revolutionary social thought, which in the long run often leads to top-level policy changes.

Maybe you’re off to college this coming fall, and you want to start living in line with your beliefs. You no longer live with Mom and Dad, and you’re ready to make your own decisions about what equals a responsible life.

Here are five ways you can make your entrance into college life a green one.

1. Live on campus – Even if you have the choice to live off campus, do yourself a favor and opt for the dorms. Living at the college is appealing to students for many reasons. It is great for jumpstarting your social life, makes it easier to get to school in the morning, and keeps you up on your work because of constant submersion in a learning environment.

Did it occur to you it is easier on the Earth as well? Living walking distance from class, the library, the cafeteria, the gym, and all your new friends means less unnecessary driving around. Many universities are small cities in themselves.

2. Get rid of the car! – Get creative about transportation. It is better for the environment and likely better for you. Many of the best university towns are the most bicyclable in the nation – Santa Cruz, CA and Eugene, Oregon spring to mind on the West Coast.

Riding a bike keeps you in shape and gets you out into the real world.

Walking, the world’s oldest means of transport, is also great for your health. You will be surprised how many miles you log just walking about your day. I know winter is coming, but a good hard pedal or brisk walking pace will keep you nice and warm.

No matter how far you need to go, there are options. Many university towns have fantastic transportation systems to fill the needs of a student demographic. Riding along with your friends when going to more secluded places is more fun than driving alone, in my experience. A combination of transportation solutions makes a car completely unnecessary.

For more about the health benefits of active transport, click here for information from the NIH.

3. Stay active – I know you want to be in shape to look your best when you?re out on the town, but the truth of the matter is spending all that time on a tread mill is a waste of energy. But you’ve been riding your bike and walking to class, haven’t you? Active transport alone will do wonders for your figure, but you can do more to stay in shape by playing amateur sports, lifting weights, or running on the track. There was a time when staying fit wasn’t so much like being a hamster on a wheel. Bring back the old school with hands-on physical activity.

4. Plan for the Future – Some of the hottest fields of study today are in greener industries. Make no mistake, the world is changing and changing fast. Students who see the opportunity are diving in and getting the know-how in order to be better equipped for the jobs of the future.

Not a tech guy or gal? No problem! Your options are only as limited as your thinking. Career opportunities abound in environmental business, environmental ethics, government policy, and advocacy. With a green future looming ahead, there is room for forward thought in nearly every industry. Click here (link to the green tech majors article, which is coming soon) to learn more about the opportunities available.

5. Get Involved – The beginning of the semester is the best time of year to launch your brain-child club that organization your school needs to come along and start pushing for new policies. Why not start a club focused on solutions? How about organic food options in the cafeteria? A university garden?

Petition to start your new club as soon as possible. These are issues people care about and a lot of new students are eager to meet like-minded people to form those lifelong friendships.

College is a new beginning. The paths before a young adult entering the real world offer limitless choices, and it is time to start thinking about the mark you want to leave on the planet. Make the right choices. Take control of your future and inspire others to do the same.