In 2015, the top five majors of Biola’s undergraduate students included business administration, psychology, theology, and visual and performing arts. But in reality, almost 80% of college students change their majors at least once before graduating. It’s (almost) impossible for millennials to know what they want to do for the rest of their life, especially with the ever-broadening list of career possibilities.
Luckily, most colleges now offer a special undecided or undeclared degree, wherein students can explore their options. This is especially helpful to those who are still unsure with which major to pick. (There’s nothing wrong with not knowing what you want to do with your life). The following are several reasons why I am a proponent of beginning your college career with undecided!
Complete your GEs first.
If anything, do it just to finish your general education within the first couple of semesters. Most students who pick the undecided major as a freshman take on more of these courses, and therefore are able to focus more on their majors in the coming years. Plus points because major classes are always really engaging and interesting. (If you like your major. Hopefully you like your major. If you don’t, please rethink it).
Opportunities.
Many colleges require students to take a certain number of credits for electives. This gives us the chance to take a variety of classes that may not even coincide with our prospective careers. Art majors can take chemistry classes and theology majors can take business courses. No one is stopping you. Except for yourself, of course. Once a major is decided, it’s hard to schedule the time for other courses that may not seem as significant for the future. On the other hand, an undecided major would allow you to make time for even the oddest of classes without feeling constantly overloaded. Take that pottery class if you want to – you have the time!
Don’t settle yet.
After all, you never know until you try. College is a time of exploration and figuring out your identity. Regardless if you think you’ve figured out what you want to do for the rest of your life, coming into college with undecided is a wonderful opportunity to keep options open to what the ‘real world’ has to offer. In most universities around the world, undecided isn’t even option for most students. Majors must be decided from the moment we enter college, since both money and time are at stake. We should be making the most of this opportunity that allows us to explore a variety of subjects before settling with a major.
Everything doesn’t have to be figured out yet.
Millennials have so many opportunities that most students our age seem to have figured everything out by now. But in reality, four years of college is relatively short. It’s not enough time to plan out the rest of our lives. Undecided doesn’t necessarily mean not knowing what to do with your life it just means that you’re taking the time to figure out if it’s certainly what you want to do.
After all, college is an era of learning and seeking for the truth. Undecided simply allows you to have a wider spectrum of opportunities, never tying you down to a specific major (and future) just yet. It shows you a world of possibilities that you may never even have thought of before.
