Staring at the thought of college, which rapidly advances from a far-off idea to a reality, can be terrifying. Huge, life-altering questions that were once small, distant specks on the horizon are now giant, ever-present challenges that demand answers, and it can feel like you have to have everything figured out the moment you step onto your college campus or else you’ll make a colossal misstep. But, believe me, you do not have to know exactly what you want your future to look like before your freshman year or even during it; freshman year is not meant to pose a fear-inspiring ultimatum, it is meant to provide the space and time for new college students to acclimate themselves to a wildly new environment. It is a year for exploration, for giving yourself the grace to make mistakes, and for beginning to determine how you want the next several years to look.
However, I want to emphasize that I am not suggesting total unpreparedness or irresponsible apathy towards the future; you should be utilizing this time to grow, and you should be considering your vision for the rest of your college experience (and, to an extent, beyond). And this is the point I want to address in this article: I want to help all those worrying about how to best take advantage of the breathing room their first year allows, as I have gathered a lot of advice as I’ve progressed through my college career — advice that I would have loved to have had as I embarked upon such an important, life-changing journey.
Planning Ahead
Gain as much information as possible about different majors and careers
Believe me when I say I know how frustrating it is to be an 18-year-old faced with the daunting task of choosing a major that will dictate the next four (or more) years of your life and greatly impact your career path (or at least the beginning of that path). I remember frustratingly wondering how I could, without having been exposed to or even knowing about the vast majority of career options, decide on the field I would study and job I would aim for; and, to be completely honest, you’re always going to have that gnawing doubt — that at times paralyzing should I or shouldn’t I? anxiety that will leave you wondering whether you’ve made an irreversible mistake that will haunt you for your entire life, especially in the beginning, when everything is new and uncertain and you still have the possibility of switching majors if necessary.
However, despite all of this uncertainty, you do not need to stumble blindly into the next four years; although it is impossible to learn about all of the endless degree plans and jobs or to even get a substantial grasp on fields that you know you’re interested in, it is more than possible, and advisable, to gain as much information as you can about majors and careers that you are interested in (and maybe even a few that you don’t know much about). Universities now have so much information online regarding their many programs, certifications, and degree plans, and if you’re unsure about what career paths specific majors would lead to, that information is often also included. Additionally, I know from first-hand experience that asking older friends and family about their jobs is a great way to ascertain whether you are interested in a field; this is probably the best way, when you’re starting your inquiry (excluding internships), to gain real information about what the day-to-day is for different careers.
Of course, you don’t need to have everything neatly and definitively determined as you enter freshman year. I know that it can feel that way — that if you don’t immediately and firmly decide on a path you will entirely mess up your plan for the next four years — but trust me when I say that is not true. Especially during your first year, I recommend enrolling in core classes that you are interested in, joining academic clubs, asking new friends about their majors, and taking advantage of campus resources (career centers are especially helpful). And (you will hear this a million times when you’re in college), your major will not dictate your entire life; further, there are jobs out there that you have never even heard of that you may be perfect for.
Overall, seek out as much information as you can online and ask anyone you feel comfortable asking about their career and how they got there, but don’t feel like this choice will decide your life.
Decide if you want to double major or add a minor
Unfortunately, there is something of an asterisk needed for the previous section of this article: while there is time for changing your mind and ascertaining your options before choosing a path, if you are thinking about double majoring or adding a minor or two, your wiggle room becomes a little (maybe even a lot) narrower. Again, you don’t need to declare a second major right off the bat if you’re uncertain, but it is extraordinarily helpful to at least plan — as much as is in your power — your schedule to make adding that second major more seamless.
For example, entering TCU, I started as a business major in the honors college, but I knew I wanted to either major or minor in English or Spanish. So, as I began to lean increasingly towards adding an English minor, I decided to take a lower-division honors English class, which would satisfy both a lower-division honors requirement and two English minor/major requirements while also fulfilling the prerequisite to take upper-division English classes. And that was the best move I could have taken, as it allowed me to dip a toe into the TCU English world while not having to fully commit to it, as I was simultaneously taking a step toward completing my lower-division honors path. Additionally, the class acquainted me with the TCU English department, providing me with peers and professors who were eager to answer all of my questions and help me chart a course that would permit me to not just minor but major in English.
However, looking back, I wish that I had done so many things differently, as my second major is currently in a precarious position. At the close of my sophomore year, I had to select a specific business major to pursue, and that decision wildly altered the carefully constructed plans I had laid out for my undergraduate degree. As I made that choice, I saw my English major rapidly slip away from me; the time I thought I would have to take English classes disappeared as new obligations popped up, and I frantically tried to figure out a way to make two majors and my honors path work in less time. I re-worked my schedule over and over again and chastised my freshman self for taking classes specifically to fulfill core credits that I have probably fulfilled multiple times over at this point. I rued my lack of preparedness for this situation, for not planning better so that I wouldn’t have wasted time taking superfluous classes; but I had to remind myself (although it didn’t help assuage my frustration and regret) that I could not have foreseen this quandary by any means, especially since I didn’t even know what specific business major I wanted to pursue until the end of this past academic year. (And I enjoyed and learned from many of these core classes.)
All that to say (and I am still desperately attempting to maintain my various academic paths) — if you can plan for the possibility of double majoring or minoring, I exhort you to do so. As my personal experience has proven, unexpected monkey wrenches can, and probably will, be thrown into your plans, but defining some sort of path, even if it’s a loose one, is extremely helpful and can save you a lot of futile effort. Additionally, remember to be kind to yourself; as I’ve already said, it’s extremely difficult to decide what to major in, so stumbling is completely natural and even productive, as it brings you closer to figuring out who you want to be in the future.
Create a tentative degree plan
Generally, at TCU, your academic advisor will help you create a degree plan to ensure that you will satisfy your major requirements and are aware of when certain classes are offered and whether a course has prerequisites (at least that has been my experience in the business program). But, if they don’t, I strongly suggest developing a tentative degree plan yourself; this act is vital for understanding how many hours you need to take each semester, for determining whether you can add a major or minor or graduate early, and for strategically creating a schedule. Additionally, I highly recommend asking your advisor and friends which classes you should take together to produce an optimal schedule; if you can, it is best to space out your most difficult classes instead of taking them all in one semester.
Ask yourself if you can graduate early
If you’re looking at your degree plan and thinking to yourself that you could graduate early, that is certainly a possibility to consider. I know it can seem daunting as you are entering college, and maybe it’s not for you (maybe you aren’t certain about what you want to do after obtaining your undergraduate degree and need time to figure that out), but if you have a clear goal and plan for achieving a career path in mind, then by all means, you should take the opportunity to save money and enter the real world. Additionally, for people who have more school ahead of them — whether it be a graduate program, master’s program, law school, medical school, or specific training for your field — it is certainly an appealing and advantageous consideration. Again, all of this chalks up to contemplating the vast possibilities before you and creating some sort of plan for the next four (or maybe three) years so you can maximize your time.
Execution
So, what are some specific ways that can actually help you to achieve your goals in an efficient and enriching manner? (Many of these suggestions are TCU-specific.)
Take summer classes
I know that the very idea of taking classes during summer break may seem repugnant, but believe me, if you are trying to graduate early or double major, it is completely worth it. There are limits on how many credits you can transfer into TCU and where you can take classes (depending upon your academic year and major), so be wise when planning which credits you’d like to fulfill and when.
Double-dip requirements
At TCU, you can take classes that satisfy more than one core requirement, and I strongly recommend taking every opportunity to double-dip credits. I did not take a single core class that only fulfilled one credit requirement, and this strategy helped me to finish my non-major requirements rapidly.
Obtain class credit for internships
If your major permits you to earn class credit for an internship, take advantage of that possibility! This strategy allows you to earn valuable experience that you can put on a resume and discuss in job interviews while propelling you through your degree plan.
Apply to the honors college
The honors college provides many perks. It offers the opportunity to engage in interesting lower-division classes (which satisfy various core requirements); the chance to develop a project related to your major/minor or engage in hands-on learning experiences as an upper-division honors student; and, throughout all stages, the ability to register for classes early and meet students majoring in various fields. I have taken some of my favorite classes through the honors college, and I wholeheartedly recommend applying to the program, as it not only offers fascinating classes and gives you the gift of a stress-free registration (which, as a business major, is so nice) but also provides a wonderful community.
Closing
I hope that this article was able to allay at least some of my readers’ first-year fears, and I wish all incoming college freshmen a fantastic, fruitful start to their university careers. Remember to be kind to yourself as you begin this journey and that no one has everything completely figured out!