Growing up, we all had overly ambitious career goals of being astronauts, doctors, or professional athletes. We would convince our friends that our career aspirations as children would become realities, and that we would live happily ever after.
Fast forward to college, when some of us have a slight idea; some know exactly, and some of us have no clue what we want to do. It's reasonable to assume that those who know exactly what they want to do are smarter, that they have their lives more “together," than those who don't know what they want. For the students who know, planning a schedule is a walk in the park, with a four-year plan already made before summer orientation. But for the rest of us, it's more like driving in the fog: you feel lost and you have no idea which direction to go in. However, undecided majors are not nearly as bad off as it seems.
People usually don't see the positive aspect of being an undecided major, but there are many positive aspects to it. For instance, undecided majors have complete freedom with no agenda, and are able to explore the breadth of classes that their university has to offer. Some of the most interesting classes and professors that undecided students come in contact with can have the most significant impact on one's college academic experience.
Another benefit for undecided majors is that no class is a “waste of time" or “doesn't apply" to a given major. Through every class taken, undecided students discover which classes are interesting to them and which classes are created to make our lives stressful. School isn't seen as “failure" but rather as valuable input into what works for a specific student and what certainly doesn't. Also, any knowledge acquired in college is helpful to know. Even though it might not apply to a future career, it's important to be aware of what's going on on campus and in the world. One of the most interesting classes I took this year was Gender and Women's Studies. Will that be my new major? Probably not, but I recognize aspects of gender inequality in my daily life, that I wouldn't have, if I hadn't taken the class.
Undecided majors usually have resumes that look like a bowl of trail mix; they have a little bit of everything. This is an excellent attribute to have when applying for jobs because it shows one's diverse interests. So you're in a marketing club and take photos for the school's newspaper? Awesome. Volunteer at the hospital, and manage social events for your sorority/fraternity? More power to you. One reason why college is more personal than high school is that most schools have something that pertains to everyone's interests. It gives students complete freedom to figure out what their interests are and what they are not, so they don't have to feel pressured to become involved in activities because they have to, or because their friends are involved. Also, a wide variety of academic interests will lead to experiences and a more diverse perspective of one's campus, and of the world in general.
