High School…College…Real World?
The pressure nowadays to declare a major as soon as you come to school is a tad insane. If you don’t know what you want to do yet...YOU DON’T KNOW and that is OK.
1. You would rather stay undeclared than declare something you aren't sure about.
Take some time, think about it and get your feet wet at school before you worry about the real world. Have some fun! It is totally normal not to know what you want to do with your life at 18 years old.
2. Seek advice from upperclassmen.
If you have a few ideas of what you think you might want to do, once you get to know some people, ask upperclassmen. Trust me, anyone is happy to help you out. Maybe ask about what all they have to do for their major, or what is their favorite part of that major. Depending on their answers, that should help you see if you are interested or not in that particular major.
3. Get involved.
It is easy to shy away from opportunities because of busyness or laziness even. But most majors have clubs or internships pertaining to the major. Look around for flyers about what is going on. Maybe there is a presentation from the business majors on a Thursday afternoon. Check it out if you are interested. Do not be afraid. You would rather say, “I tried,” than regret never seeking out a major that could be the one for you.
4. Make a list.
Take the time to write out majors you intend to check out, and write pros and cons for each of them and possible job options that you may be interested in. Yes, this takes some time, but when it comes down to it, you are in college to ultimately graduate and get a job. You want to love your job, not hate it for the rest of your life, so give up some of your time to make a list. You will not regret it.
5. Still not sure? Check out the CDC!
What is the CDC? The Career Development Center, an office full of people happy to help you out with whatever you need. You can even take a questionnaire to see what majors seem best for you. It is not graded and is super helpful to see at least what area you would succeed in. Maybe it’s communication or the field of science or maybe even psychology. Taking this questionnaire will give you a whole list of what types of jobs you personally would be best at! How cool is that?
I’m telling you, take some time to think out what you are interested in. Do not rush it. You would rather maybe stay an extra semester than declare a major and end up hating your job for the rest of your life. Get some advice from others, check out the CDC, and take as much time as you need (until the end of sophomore year) to truly figure out what is the best fit for YOU!
