Undeclared. It just sounds like something you don’t want to be while in college, but believe it or not it’s not a horrible thing to be. In many situations, recent high school graduates think they have to go into college with their whole life plan laid out. This idea is formed because of all the “career path planning” that is required in high school. They want to know all your hobbies and interests and try to fit you into a career path, but they are going about it all wrong!
At some universities, freshman seminar is a required class in your first semester and they cover all of that career pathway bologna plus goal setting, semester planning and every study technique under the sun. One thing that is drilled into your head in this class is the importance of the general education requirements, which are decided by the school and whatever system they may be a part of. Also, at most liberal arts schools, general education courses are requirements to get a bachelor's degree. Often these courses take a year and a half to two years to finish, and in most cases these requirements are prerequisites for upper-level electives you might have wanted to take. You need these classes to graduate regardless of what major you declare, so don’t worry you have some time.
Going into school undeclared could actually be more beneficial to you as a student as well, because you have the opportunity to take any class that interests you; you just have to be smart when picking your classes. It’s well-known that college is expensive and you don’t want to spend more than you have to because you were trying to figure out your major. Most majors require a certain amount of free electives, anytime you take a class that isn’t general education or related to your major it will fall into this category. Your freshman and sophomore years are the perfect time to get some of those free elective taken care of by exploring what different fields of study have to offer. Even if you go into your freshman year declared, that doesn’t necessarily mean that’s where you’ll stay.
For example, I went into school as a fine arts major, and when at the end of my freshman year I decided it wasn’t for me I sorted the four theatre classes into my free electives. Some of those electives even fit into general education requirements! The next semester I took a few communication classes because I thought that was my calling… it turned out I was wrong, but I took the time to fit the extra classes into my free electives. So when I finally settled on social relations as my major, I had six free electives already done. When you pick your classes, remember that just because it doesn’t fall under your major doesn’t mean it’s not useful for the completion of your degree.
As a current sophomore, I almost wish I had gone in undeclared, I would have had more time to explore different areas of study. Instead of six theatre and communications classes, I could have taken six classes spanning six majors and probably found where I fit in sooner, and trust me when you’ve found your calling you’ll know. Suddenly the classes won’t be so trivial to you, and every class within your area of study will be interesting to you on some level. This semester I’m taking social statistics. I don’t like math, but I get excited when I grasp a concept in that class because I know I’ll be likely to use it down the line.
Remember, college is the part of your life where you really find out who you are. In high school, there were a lot of social factors affecting the way you were thinking and acting. Take the time to find yourself and your passions and don’t worry too much about declaring yourself to the world.
