Declare when you're ready. | The Odyssey Online
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Student Life

It's OK To Be Undeclared

Aspire to do what you love.

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It's OK To Be Undeclared

At the age of twenty – three, I enrolled for my first semester in community college. I was six hundred miles away from my hometown and completely in over my head. I'd had a strong background in a multitude of interests that came and went for me as a teenager, so naturally,

I focused on a degree that I knew nothing about that I assumed would bring in a large income. I began with nursing, then moved to pre-med, then to pathology. I assumed that each time I shifted to a new focus in medical, I would get some clarity of the proper direction of my life. What I failed to recognize was that it wasn't the focus of medical that I was missing, it was the medical aspect itself. Naturally, a year and a half later when I decided that getting into this field for the wrong reasons was not only detrimental to the medical field, but to my potential for a happy life. I based my entire life because of a paycheck, not the desire to help others.

I wasted two semesters in nursing school in classes that are now considered useless to my new degree. I tried to make myself find joy in something that wasn't the right fit for me. I not only wasted a lot of money, but I wasted my time. I wasted a year and a half of what could be, however, it made me decide that the field I aspired to succeed in was not the right fit for me

For the two-semester where I coasted by and took classes that were useless to me now, I went on to my core classes completely undecided. I changed my mind about my degree around a dozen times. After some soul searching and a period of time where I felt completely lost I found that I began to enjoy my literature classes. I enjoyed talking about literature and reading new texts. I then took online quizzes and talked with different educators about their careers. I became hooked. So, above all, take your time finding what is right for you!

Do your research and find what is the right fit for you!

Most colleges offer career counseling, as well. Make an appointment with an advisor and look into programs that interest you.

It is okay to wait to declare a major.

It is okay to want things for yourself simply because it makes you happy.

However,

It is not okay to rush yourself to make a decision.

The good news is, core classes take a couple of semesters. In those, pay attention to what excites you!

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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