Applying to colleges as an “Undecided Student” during my senior year of high school felt liberating as all of my counselors, teachers, and family members told me how exciting it would be to try different classes in college that differed from my high school classes until I figured out what I liked. Because I did not have any idea of what I wanted to do, beginning college without a specific path in mind seemed better than diving in head first and changing my major ten times. In the beginning of college, my hopes about trying different classes were fulfilled and I had great opportunities to try classes that I ended up loving like Psychology and Anthropology and classes that were not for me like Chemistry. Although not every class was perfect, trying classes outside of my comfort zone allowed me to discover my likes and dislikes while there was still time, so the combination of being Undecided and fulfilling Tulane’s core requirements worked out in my favor.
However, the semesters of trying classes to figure out what you want to do with your life eventually have to come to an end and some major decisions have to begin. In my case, my very first class freshman year, Intro to Psychology, turned out to be my favorite and it has now become the reason for my Psychology major, but not everyone is as lucky in terms of finding a favorite class to base the decision off of. Therefore, the following steps can hopefully help anyone who is either applying to college completely undecided or struggling to pick a major once already in college.
1. Take classes that differ from your high school schedule! Chances are none of your high school classes necessarily “spoke” to you, which is leading to your trouble with choosing a major. In this case, you should try classes that aren’t a repeat of what you learned in high school. Try a new language, a computer science course, or a sociology class just to see if any of these new opportunities that college gives you end up leading you to a major.
2. Don’t put yourself in a box! If you end up taking a class that you love and could see yourself majoring in, that is great and you should definitely continue taking classes that could lead you to that major! However, don’t change your schedule to fit the first class that you like because you may end up not liking it and having to start from scratch a semester late.
3. Get out of your comfort zone! Students who are undecided with their major often still have some idea of where they will end up, whether that is in the sciences, the theater, or anything in between. However, not having a major in the beginning of college is a chance to try something new! You may have taken all AP Sciences in high school, but adding one three credit Art History class to your schedule may open your eyes to a major/minor that you hadn’t thought of before and it won’t waste too much of your time.
4. Meet with your advisor! Although this seems like an obvious and cliché solution to problems with picking a major, your academic advisor will know a lot about that courses your college offers. Academic advisors have a lot of experience with helping people find a major that fits with them, so even if you have no idea at all, they may be able to help you find something that matches your interests outside of academics. Even if you are sure of your major, it is a good idea to meet with your advisor to make sure that you are on the right path to an on-time graduation.