A major, something that is going to potentially shape your entire career and future. At the young age of 18, you are being asked to make one of the biggest financial and professional decisions you’ll ever make. Going to college, you think you’re expected to have it all figured out, but that simply is not the case. Even though many students feel they need to know their major right away, many college experts and colleges themselves say it’s okay to go in undecided. It is okay to take your time when deciding your path.
In 2010, the U.S. Department of Education collected that colleges and universities reported nearly 1,500 academic programs in total. That is 1,500 different options for one single person to choose from, not to mention the minors that go along with them. It seems nearly impossible to make a choice just by looking at the numbers. However, we set expectations for 18-year-olds to make that decision. An 18-year-old, who can’t legally drink alcoholic beverages and just became able to legally vote, has to choose the major that will shape their entire professional career. Sure, makes sense…not. You will have time to decide while in college, don’t think you have to know everything before going in. Students have general education courses they have to fill as well as their major requirements. So, don’t worry about falling behind schedule and tacking on years.
Personally, I entered college undecided and it was the best thing I could have done. I went in with an interest in Early Childhood Education and decided to declare as a Geosciences major with a concentration in Environmental Science. Pretty different in my opinion. I knew it was what I truly wanted to do after taking a geology course that caught my eye when I was scheduling. I would have never been able to make that decision if I hadn’t gone in undecided and kept my mind open to other options.
If I had gone in with my initial gut feeling, I would have been taking education classes that I most likely would have hated. I could have possibly taken a science class along the way and then realized months or possibly years into it that I was on the wrong path. I would have already spent thousands of dollars on a major I didn’t truly want to pursue. College is known for a time to try new things. It turns out that just because you hated a certain subject in high school, doesn’t mean you won’t love it once at college. Subjects at a college level are completely different than at the high school level.
All in all, you must remember that all of this is for you and your future. You have to remind yourself to tune out your parents, family, and friend’s inputs to hear your own. This is going to be what you study for the next four years, what you do for a career. You have to enjoy it, so if you aren’t sure, get your gen eds out of the way and explore your options. Who knows what major you might come to love? So, take that nutrition class that caught your eye. Who knows? It might just become your passion.
