During my senior year of high school, I knew I wanted to go to college to get a higher education. But there was one problem: I had no idea what I wanted to do or what I wanted to major in at school. My parents encouraged me to go to college undecided and to figure out what classes I liked and what I didn’t like. That is what I did, and honestly, it was probably one of the best decisions I have made. Here are five benefits to coming to college ‘undecided.’
1. You Are Able to Take a Wide Variety of Courses
As a freshman at college, I was able to take classes in areas of study such as history, English, French, and political science. I was able to gain a better sense of what I liked in a classroom and what I didn’t like.
2. You Meet New Professors Outside Your Major
I loved being able to take classes outside my preferred area of study, because that meant I was able to connect with different professors with various backgrounds. This eventually lead my a summer research internship with a professor in a major I was interested in!
3. You Become More Determined.
Granted, not all students will become determined by coming to college as an undecided major, but for me it was an opportunity to take school and life seriously as I entered this new freedom of being at college. It taught me to take the initiative to go out and to research different career paths, different majors, and it even forced me to make appointments with the on-campus career counselor.
4. You Meet New People
As an undecided freshman, I was put into a class dedicated to presenting the different majors my college had to offer. From this class, I not only gained a better understanding of the different majors offered, but I met so many people who were also undecided. It made me feel better knowing there were other students who didn’t know what they wanted to major in
5. You learn more about yourself
Before coming to college, I thought I wanted to become a history teacher, but I still was pretty unsure. After taking a history class as well as an education class, I quickly realized it just wasn’t the career for me. At first, I felt discouraged and lost because it was something I enjoyed. I enrolled in a political science course during the second semester of freshman year and quickly realized it was the major for me.
Overall, good things take time, so your major should be one of those things. Take your time and don’t feel rushed to get everything figured out before you’ve even stepped on campus. Because, trust me, I feel like it was one of the best decisions I made for myself.