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is it okay to join a college without declaring a major or is it better to choose one even though you are not 100% sure about it
#college-major #college #career #professor #major
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Mervin’s Answer
I did not choose a major when starting college, however, as time goes on, you will want to figure it out, sooner rather than later. Focus on trying to narrow down your choices, and implement an action plan. Try to stick with it, but like many have said, you can change it later and that's exactly what I did too, 2 semesters later.
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Noah’s Answer
I think it's definitely OK to not have a major declared when you first start college. It's common to take pre-requisite courses during your first year of University study so that you can learn more about topics like art, economics, history, and philosophy without "committing" to a major right away.
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Allison’s Answer
Yes! It's ok to not know and to change it. Depending on your university choice, you may have an option for a first year college program, where you don't declare until your second year and do mostly general education freshman year. Lots of people change their majors, which can impact what classes you need to graduate. You'll have access to a faculty member who should help you with this process once you get started at college, but it may be helpful to talk to some people in your family and community about what they do and what they studied. Many folks may have feedback that their degree isn't super relevant to their career.
It's also helpful to think about what you'd like to learn and what kinds of experiences you'd like to be exposed to. Do you have family members or folks in your community who have jobs you find interesting? Can you shadow them? Do you have an interest in a certain hobby, activity, or industry you'd like to learn more about career and educational options for? Figuring out some of what you're curious about, enjoy doing, and tailoring that into an eventual career can be amazing! If you can even do a little bit of work figuring out what you don't want and should steer away from, that can help you hone your options better.
Good luck!!
It's also helpful to think about what you'd like to learn and what kinds of experiences you'd like to be exposed to. Do you have family members or folks in your community who have jobs you find interesting? Can you shadow them? Do you have an interest in a certain hobby, activity, or industry you'd like to learn more about career and educational options for? Figuring out some of what you're curious about, enjoy doing, and tailoring that into an eventual career can be amazing! If you can even do a little bit of work figuring out what you don't want and should steer away from, that can help you hone your options better.
Good luck!!
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Cassandra’s Answer
Its okay to not know exactly what you want to major or study. You can always change your major if it doesn't fit. Speaking with a guidance councilor can also help you move in the right direction.
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Amy’s Answer
Yes! it is ok to not know what you want your major to be, it is ok to know what you want your major to be and it is ok to know and then change it. I think that first year of college is a great time to take different classes - ideally some that you find interesting, not just ones you are required to take and explore different areas. While you will have a chance to take electives throughout the years, it's a great way to see what else is out there beyond what you may think you want to do. Taking a variety of classes also gives you a lot of things to talk about and makes you well rounded. I only wish i could take some of those classes now.
Good luck and have fun!
Good luck and have fun!
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Daniel’s Answer
Agreed with all of the above. I would recommend to start college by taking the standard classes you have to take regardless of degree: Math/Literature/Science/Etc. Take those first two years to go thru the areas of study that your college/university offers and network with other students, join clubs, sit in on any seminars and meet with counselors to try and see if anything is particularly interesting to you. You should expose yourself to as much as possible to help you later down the road.
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Veronica’s Answer
I think it's absolutely ok as well. Generally, I would say that what you declare as your major is not typically the field you end up in. As an example, I majored in international relations, and while I have always been interested in international affairs, I went into the corporate world. Beef up on business and finance classes if you feel you will head in that direction early on.
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Zahid’s Answer
Most students are undecided when they start out college, myself included. You do not not have to declare a major from the start. If you already know what you want to study then that's great but if you don't then that's normal too. The first two years of university are usually spent on completing the general education requirement and the major classes are done in the last two years. So you have that time to figure out what interests you!
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Adam’s Answer
Personally, I think that you should choose a major before you attend college. This doesn't mean that you have to stick with that major but it does afford you some potential benefits. Declaring a major could possibly open up financial aid opportunities as certain programs have additional aid offered. Your application will be more memorable as someone who knows what they want to do or has at least an idea of what they want to do. Also, you will get the opportunity of getting in the more select classes that could help you determine if what you're doing is the right thing.
If you don't choose a major, that's not the end of the world. There are still a lot of general education classes that you would have to take. By not choosing, this could help you get acclimated to the campus or new routine depending on if you're living at home still. If you really have no idea of what you want to do, declaring the major may be a detriment if there are interviews and essays to complete regarding this.
On potential that you could do is consider smaller liberal arts colleges. While universities offer a lot of different subject matters, they tend to "lose" the undeclared majors in the shuffle. Smaller colleges have the ability to focus more attention on undeclared students because there are just fewer of them.
If you don't choose a major, that's not the end of the world. There are still a lot of general education classes that you would have to take. By not choosing, this could help you get acclimated to the campus or new routine depending on if you're living at home still. If you really have no idea of what you want to do, declaring the major may be a detriment if there are interviews and essays to complete regarding this.
On potential that you could do is consider smaller liberal arts colleges. While universities offer a lot of different subject matters, they tend to "lose" the undeclared majors in the shuffle. Smaller colleges have the ability to focus more attention on undeclared students because there are just fewer of them.
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jen’s Answer
Definitely ok to not have a major declared prior to entering college! However, if there's ANYTHING you're even slightly leaning towards (business, medical, or engineering) it doesn't hurt to go ahead and declare it and then change it later! That way you can meet students who have declared and you can network and get their opinion. Ask them why they're choosing this field. You also get to speak to the specific advisor and they can walk you through the field more thoroughly in terms of expectations and courses for the next 4-5years.