For many students, choosing a college major is one of the first big decisions they’re expected to make about their future. At 18 years old, often before even graduating high school, students are asked to decide what they want to study for the next four years and, in many ways, what they want to do for the rest of their lives. But for many of us, that decision isn’t nearly as informed or certain as it’s expected to be, and it shouldn’t be the standard expectation placed on students just entering adulthood.
When I started at Michigan State University, I declared journalism as my major. Looking back, I didn’t even really know what journalism was. I just knew I liked writing and had enjoyed a few multimedia classes I took in high school, so journalism felt like a natural choice.
If I’m being honest, when I was a senior in high school, I wasn’t really thinking about what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Like many seniors, I was more focused on getting into college and graduating. Between applications, classes, and everything that comes with senior year, there wasn’t much time spent truly researching different career paths or understanding what various majors actually lead to.
I also didn’t feel like I had much guidance for figuring those things out. My high school didn’t spend much time helping students explore different fields of study, and my family wasn’t very familiar with anything outside of their careers. At the time, choosing a major felt less like making an informed decision and more like picking something that seemed interesting and hoping it would work out.
During my freshman year, I started taking journalism classes. I enjoyed them, but I didn’t feel particularly passionate about them. When it came time to choose a concentration or minor, I was encouraged to explore public relations since it paired well with journalism. After taking a few PR classes, I quickly realized I was much more excited about it than journalism.
By the end of my sophomore year, I decided to switch my major to public relations. But that decision came with another round of choices. Once again, I was being asked to narrow my focus and select additional areas of study. After hearing suggestions about what complemented a public relations major, I eventually landed on advertising analytics and leadership of organizations.
Now, with only two weeks left of my junior year, I sometimes find myself wondering if this is the path I would have chosen if I’d had more time and guidance earlier on to truly explore my options.
Through conversations with my peers, I’ve realized I’m far from alone in feeling this way. Many students I know still feel uncertain about their majors. Some worry they chose the wrong field, while others feel like they don’t fully belong in their program. A lot of us entered college without really understanding what different majors involved or what careers they could lead to.
For many students, choosing a major at 18 feels less like a confident decision and more like an educated guess.
The reality is that most students simply haven’t had enough exposure to different industries, careers, or academic fields before arriving at college. Yet the expectation of a clear direction is still there. Schools encourage students to declare majors early, follow structured academic paths, and make decisions that can shape their future careers before they’ve had the chance to explore their interests fully.
Instead of expecting students to have everything figured out so early, there should be more emphasis on exploration, guidance, and career education before and during college. Students deserve the opportunity to learn about different fields, gain real-world exposure, and take time to discover what truly interests them before being asked to commit to a specific path.
Choosing a major is an important decision, but expecting students to confidently make that choice at 18 without the time, experience, or preparation to understand their options fully is simply unrealistic.