As a college student, I am constantly being  asked “What’s your major?” But what do you say if you don’t have one?

About 20-50% of college students start out undecided and around 33% of students in bachelor’s programs change their major at least one time. 

I was an undecided major for over a year and because of that experience, I’ve realized there are many benefits to not choosing a major right away. 

First, every student has general education requirements to take care of. If you are on the fence about what major to pick, you can focus on those requirements while you figure it out. Plus, taking those different classes may inspire an interest you hadn’t thought of yet. 

After you tackle those gen eds and choose an area of study, you can spend your last couple of years in college focusing on major classes. 

Additionally, being undecided means you will not take classes for a major you will later switch out of. If you keep changing your major, which I did a few times, you will rack up credits that will not count toward the degree you end up choosing. Staying undecided will ensure you are in classes that will benefit any degree. 

Most people try to pick a career and then figure out what major will get them there. However, if you figure out what you like to study, you will then have an idea of what you can do with those interests. An undecided major has the flexibility to explore those different areas. 

The University of California, Davis has a major exploration guide that can guide you in choosing classes and emphasizes interests and talents instead of just possible careers. 

The transition from high school to college can be daunting, which is another way going in undecided can be beneficial. Instead of jumping into difficult and specialized courses, you can take more basic classes and take some time to get used to the college environment without worrying too much about grades. 

Similarly, taking time as an undecided major can give you time to boost your GPA, according to U.S. News. General education classes and electives tend to be less demanding than major classes, so a semester of only those classes can allow you to achieve high grades in all of them. 

This can be helpful if you want to major in a competitive area or apply for academic scholarships, especially if you are not proud of your high school GPA. 

When I was undecided, I felt aimless because I felt like I was not working toward a degree. But if you are an undecided major, know you are making progress. You are getting gen ed requirements, elective credits and trying out new things. 

Eventually, you will have to pick a major, but you can use your time as undecided to take risks, explore new things and make mistakes. 

College is all about self-discovery. It is about asking questions and figuring things out. It is OK to take your time and not know everything; that is why you are in school in the first place. 

Categories: Opinion

Tags: Opinion