Imagine a world where parents drop their kids off at a place where a whole bunch of 18 to 20-somethings are scrambling to figure their lives out within at least four years. Oh, yeah. That’s college.
Even though college is fun and whatnot, officially declaring a major is a complete pain, especially for the kids who don’t have an interest in anything or have an interest in too many things. In college, you have to go to a website and click on a major that’ll tie you down for four years and maybe some years after that. This is problematic for very many reasons, but here are just a few.
1. Majors are too specific or too broad.
Maybe you want to major in something that’s really specific, but the only thing that’s offered is broad. Maybe you want to major in something that’s broad but nothing pertains to that, so you have to choose something that’s close enough. Either way, it’s kind of annoying.
2. It’s suuuper confining.
Maybe as an 18-year-old, you don’t want to put a label on things. You just want to take classes that are mildly related, graduate, and do your own thing. It feels kind of confining to declare one major. It seems like you have to check a box in red sharpie and push on. This especially sucks for people who struggle with commitment.
3. People immediately judge you on your major.
“If you’re a business major, you’re boring.” “If you’re a science major, you’re smart.” “If you’re a psychology or English major, you probably won’t get a job right out of college.” Who cares? A major is just an imaginary label. So what if someone wants to double major in Agribusiness and Psychology?
At the end of the day, a major is just a major. It doesn’t define you or determine whether or not you get a job in the future. What matters is your application of what you learned and a little bit of networking skills. So, take that Baking in the 1700’s class if you want to. You’re paying for your time in college, so make the most of it.