Dear Unsure Student,

I know being undecided about your major can be extremely stressful — especially when you feel like you're the only one who doesn’t have their sh*t together. Your friends proudly say, “I’m on the pre-med track!,” or, “I’m part of the teaching program!” Then there’s you, still trying to work it all out. And believe me, you will. Remember you’re not the only one who hasn’t yet.

At this point, your family and friends have asked you what your major is countless times and your answer is basically the same whenever it happens. It is probably some variation of, “I’m still thinking about it,” to which their response is likely some form of, “Don’t worry! You still have time.” As much as you may think this is just a lie to comfort you, it holds a lot of truth.

College is a place for you to try to learn who you are, and this takes different amounts of time for everyone. Just because your classmate figured out their major during their spring semester of freshman year, does not make you're a failure if you figure it out junior year or later. You may even already know what somewhat interests you, but choosing a major is much more than this.

Essentially, when you pick a major, you are picking a career. You need to explore what jobs are possible in your field, the salary, how many years of schooling you’ll need, etc. It’s like being sent on a scavenger hunt without even having a list of what to look for. It is a huge decision for your future — how can you be expected to determine all of this so quickly when not too long ago you needed permission to go to the bathroom?

This is a confusing time and it becomes even more difficult when you discover majors you were never exposed to in high school. (Who knew there was such a thing as a Jewish studies major?) But this is why you take intro classes for subjects that were never available to you before. You can then continue studying whatever grasps your interest and eliminate what does not with an even clearer understanding. Plus, most of the courses you put into your schedule will complete general education requirements you need to fill anyway — it isn’t like enrolling in them will turn out to have been a waste of time. It is extremely common that students declare a major just because they thought they’d be fascinated by it, but then realize it really isn't the area for them. It is no more progressive to be pressured into declaring a major you know little about and having to switch it as opposed to just waiting. (Of course, there is also nothing wrong with switching your major if need be.)

Do what you can to help yourself realize what you want to do: talk to a counselor, do online research, go to career fairs, etc. Take it one step at a time and stop stressing. Just relax; the fog will clear soon enough.

Sincerely,

Another student who is equally lost