Being undecided going into college always seemed like a big deal to me. Such a big deal, in fact that I wrote about it in two of my college application essays. Whenever I entered the unavoidable "college talk" with an adult I hardly knew, I knew the, "so what are you studying?" question would soon come up. Eventually, I got to a point where I would blurt out one of many random majors that I was interested in. However, I soon realized that this was just as exhausting, as almost always, the "what do you want to do with that degree?" question (one that was equally unanswerable) would follow. I eventually resigned to my simple response of "I don't know."

When you tell someone, especially an adult, that you have no idea what your major will be, there is nearly always a brief pause, followed by, simply, "oh." It is as if no one can remember a time in their life when they did not know their entire career path. It may make you feel less able than your peers, or as if not having found your major yet means that there is no right path for you.

These thoughts, while understandable, could not be further from the truth.

The first moment in which I began to feel better about my indecisiveness was when a doctor of mine broached the question that I had learned to dread. After I reluctantly, but frankly, told him that I had no idea, he paused; however, instead of obviously trying to suppress disbelief, he smiled, and said, "that's the best way to go." He reassured me that I would be okay, and explained a concept that now seems so obvious to me: college is a time of exploration; if you do not know what you want to do, you can take full advantage of the broad and fascinating courses that so many schools bragged about on your campus tours. While he recognized that knowing what you want to do gives you the opportunity to delve right into what you love, he reminded me that many students who "know" their majors end up changing them quickly.

Finally, I understood that being undecided is not necessarily a bad thing, or even a neutral thing; it gives you unique opportunities to find what you love, and run with it.

Even with this knowledge, however, I was nervous when I arrived at college. While we must remain undeclared for our first year, I knew the question would arise. I wanted to be able to say what my major was in icebreakers on the first day. But I soon realized that I was surrounded by plenty of people who were still discovering their interests. As I began to interact with the sophomores and juniors in my classes, I became more comfortable sharing my indecision, as the response was, more often than not, a positive and realistic one.

"That was totally me last year, but now I'm a double major! You'll definitely figure it out!"

"I still have no idea what I'm doing."

"I couldn't decide so my advisor told me to scroll through the list of majors. As if I hadn't done that a thousand times already!! I was so stressed, but I shouldn't have been. It all worked out."

"Hardly anyone knows their first year."

"Seriously do not worry about it. I was exactly like you, and here I am a year later (and on track to graduate early)."

So to all my fellow undeclareds, there are much more of us than you realize. There is not something wrong with you. You simply haven't realized your passion yet. Keep exploring, and everything will be fine.