Undecided is my curse. I am actually considered a “deciding” major, just because it sounds more uplifting than undecided. I know I am just a college freshman and I have “plenty of time” to figure out what I want to do, but wouldn’t it be so convenient if I could just know now?! I try to look into things I am interested in, but there are just too many! Hotel management, real estate, interior design or even as broad as art or clothing design. I was really interested in majoring in real estate, until I was discouraged from an adviser because he thought it would be too much math for me. So frustrating!!
Any advice on how to decide? Did you change your major in college? I just need some encouragement!
Hopefully all of my friends with majors will change their minds. That would make me feel better, hahaha. 🙂
Thanks for reading!
This is a really tough one! As someone who was “always decided”, if I could do it all over again I would change my major (I was an English major because I always loved writing and thought I would become a teacher and then when I found out what that was really like I didn’t want to do it and now here I am in the field of HR.). It was nice of my parents to encourage me to “follow my passion” but when I got out of school that wasn’t very practical advice!
I say, go ahead and explore your options, because now is the time to do it! If you have a few different interests, try to find things that overlap so that if you do change your major, you won’t add years on to your college tenure. Also keep in mind the value of a minor (something I again wish I’d spent more time thinking about, since Russian hasn’t really served me too well since I finished school). The biggest advice I would offer someone in college is to talk to as many “real” people as possible in the fields that interest you. Get a perspective on what that occupation is really like. But don’t let people dissuade you from something you really enjoy–despite many people telling me I wasn’t strong enough in math to pursue a science degree, I really think I could have done it, it just would have been an awful lot more work!
In the end, I think you are much more sensible to be “undecided” than to complete 4 years of school only to find out you maybe didn’t pick the right major after all! 🙂
(p.s., good to have you this week, although your sneaky sister commented on one of my blogs today FROM HER HONEYMOON! Ahem!)
If you are interested in real estate then NO advisor should discourage you. Go for it, see what YOU think, and then do it. I have a degree in fine art. I went back to college and I graduate in May ’08 with a bachelors of business administration. Business is a good generic degree to go anywhere with – so if all else fails you fall back on something like that which can be applied to any direction you take from art to realestate. It fits everything.
Diane and Krya gave really great advice. I was a legal studies major with a minor in sociology and am now working on my masters in Criminal Justice. I was law school bound, took the LSATS and everything until I came to the realization that lawyering just isn’t in me. College is the time to explore all your options as Diane said – I wish I did more of that. As I always tell my college aged cousins: do internships! My internship opened up some job opportunites for me. Just don’t feel pressured to jump into a major. Oh, and the advisor’s advice…it sucks. You may not be strong in math, but sometimes when math is applied in an area you like, you may be more apt to succeed in it!
I too was undecided. It opens up a lot of possibilities, but it can also extend your college life interminably. I once declared a business major because it was the only way they’d let me take accounting. And I changed my major my senior year because I couldn’t get into any of the classes I needed in order to graduate. And I really wanted to graduate.
My best advice is to take classes that you’re going to need no matter what degree you decide to go for this year. Then pick up a class or two in areas that interest you and see what you want to know more about. The major will eventually pick you.
Tequila + Dartboard = Major
I went into college as a Creative Writing major then switched mid-way to Women’s Studies but kept a minor in Literature. It took me attending all sorts of classes to really find what sparked my interest at the time. Don’t let anyone discourage you! Screw that guy and his naysaying about the math! Just take what interests you and you will soon find yourself declaring. 🙂
good advice from everyone!!! i changed my major three times but still got out in 4 years with my bachelors in business management and a minor in business administration… like everyone else said, now is the time to explore what makes you happy!!! and don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do something, you can do anything that you want to do!!! 🙂
I changed my major three times and didn’t graduate with a bachelor’s degree. I have two associates degrees that add up to nothing and more hours than most people with a master’s degree.
Because I didn’t make a proper choice, I didn’t get a real degree. I didn’t follow the standard career path.
The bad news: It was tough. It took a long time to get where I am now. I had to eat a lot of shit along the way.
The good news: I use the knowledge I gained from all three subject areas in my career. The work experience I gained by starting lower on the totem pole helped too. I wouldn’t be nearly as good at my job without having this wider base of knowledge.
Choosing a major and following that particular career path might have been easier. It probably would have meant for more money too. Thing is, the journey is far more important than any piece of paper.
You will decide your future, not the major that you choose.
Thank you everyone for your great advice!! I think I will stick with Dave2’s theory of “Tequila + Dartboard = Major”! Just kidding! I’m just going to keep riding it out and hopefully something will catch my eye!!
Thanks again!
You might be on to something with that new major. But I’m trademark it quick!