Is it the end of all eternity if one hasn’t decided what major they want to focus on coming into college? Is it bad to be unsure of one’s career path, of one’s future? For Sophomore University of La Verne student, Miranda Chavez, being an undeclared student has provided more benefits than anything else. What once was a minor concern at first, became a great decision for Miranda. For her, the important decision was based on what was best for her, which is something that all students should take into account when making choices for their academic careers.
When asked what made her decide to go undeclared, Miranda responded with, “I am a very open-minded person and I did not want declare if I was not sure what direction I wanted to go yet.”
By deciding to go undeclared, Miranda was able to explore her options and be a part of several different academic experiences. Each academic experience has led to peaking interests that can eventually be narrowed down into a subject area that will entice her the most.
When explaining how being undeclared was mostly beneficial to her experience at La Verne, she stated, “I feel like being undeclared has helped me explore my options. I took most of my general ed my first year and I was able to experience several fields of academia. Because of this, I have a better understanding of what sparks my interest and what does not. It has helped me look into different fields and meet a lot of upperclassmen who already have a major. So I was able to learn more about the different majors and opportunities offered here at La Verne.”
Not only has being an undeclared student allowed Mandy to explore her options in her future, but it also has helped her grow to be independent and meet different people with different interests. Getting to focus on different subjects has allowed her to slowly figure out where she wants to go and what she wants to do and most importantly, it was on her own decision to do so. Her own intuition to be undeclared without anyone else’s possible negativity or influence to do the opposite.
For any freshman who are currently undeclared, Miranda’s message to you is, “Don’t allow anyone to influence your decisions. Keep an open heart and open mind. Because at the end of the day, all you have to be is you.”