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How does choosing classes in college work? What should I consider when getting ready for college and what if I don't have a major?
I am going to graduate from high school pretty soon and I'm worried that I will have a harder time in college if I don't have a major chosen yet.
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Brian’s Answer
Hi Khristian,
I echo the previous suggestions/advice and will reiterate - don't worry yet. From my experience (UCB alumnus):
1). Every school has a different way of selecting classes, but usually Seniors/Varsity Athletes (like Football, Basketball, Track, etc.) go first, Juniors go 2nd, ....Freshmen go last). Thus, step 1 = find out when enrollment period starts and the process
2). Using UC Berkeley as an example: Enrollment is split into 2 periods (Phase 1 and Phase 2). In Phase 1, you can only enroll in up to 10.5 units (full courseload is 15 units). A period of time later, Phase 2 opens and you fill out your schedule.
a). Best thing to do is to PREPARE and PLAN ahead of time. Find out what courses are required for your major or graduation (like general ed requirements) and which courses are most popular (likely to be oversubscribed). At Berkeley, mandatory reading/writing (R&C courses) and seminars fill up fast, so prioritize those in Phase 1.
b). It is okay if you don't have a major, but formulate an idea of what you want to study and find common pre-requisites (for STEM, usually Calculus; for Economics/Business, usually Econ; for Social Sciences, usually Political Science/History; etc.). Prioritize these pre-req's to give you options later on so you don't waste time (as a plus, many of these courses also fulfill the basic general ed requirements).
3). After all your planning on timings and potential courses, find out course pre-requisites (Econ 100A and Econ 100B require successful completion of Econ 1, Econ 136 requires Econ 1 and Econ 100B, etc.). As stated in 2b, prioritize the core courses early so you open options for your in Soph/Jr/Sr. year.
a). Something that helped me was an excel sheet with courses that I was interested in, courses I needed to graduate (reading/writing), and courses I needed to fill my major. I then mapped what each courses requirements were and then sequenced them out over my 4 years. It is a lot of planning but helpful. (aside: unlike HS where you are TOLD what you need to take - 4 yrs English, 3 years Math, etc. - in college the onus is on YOU to KNOW what to take, so a lot of planning and foresight is needed).
b). NOT ALL COURSES are offered every semester, so pay close attention to when courses you like, need to graduate, and need to fill your major are offered by looking at historical course schedules. Plan around that.
In the end, I had an excel of all the classes I needed (I was a dual major) by semester combined with my courses completed so that I knew where I stood at any point in time and could prioritize what to enroll in once enrollment opened.
I echo the previous suggestions/advice and will reiterate - don't worry yet. From my experience (UCB alumnus):
1). Every school has a different way of selecting classes, but usually Seniors/Varsity Athletes (like Football, Basketball, Track, etc.) go first, Juniors go 2nd, ....Freshmen go last). Thus, step 1 = find out when enrollment period starts and the process
2). Using UC Berkeley as an example: Enrollment is split into 2 periods (Phase 1 and Phase 2). In Phase 1, you can only enroll in up to 10.5 units (full courseload is 15 units). A period of time later, Phase 2 opens and you fill out your schedule.
a). Best thing to do is to PREPARE and PLAN ahead of time. Find out what courses are required for your major or graduation (like general ed requirements) and which courses are most popular (likely to be oversubscribed). At Berkeley, mandatory reading/writing (R&C courses) and seminars fill up fast, so prioritize those in Phase 1.
b). It is okay if you don't have a major, but formulate an idea of what you want to study and find common pre-requisites (for STEM, usually Calculus; for Economics/Business, usually Econ; for Social Sciences, usually Political Science/History; etc.). Prioritize these pre-req's to give you options later on so you don't waste time (as a plus, many of these courses also fulfill the basic general ed requirements).
3). After all your planning on timings and potential courses, find out course pre-requisites (Econ 100A and Econ 100B require successful completion of Econ 1, Econ 136 requires Econ 1 and Econ 100B, etc.). As stated in 2b, prioritize the core courses early so you open options for your in Soph/Jr/Sr. year.
a). Something that helped me was an excel sheet with courses that I was interested in, courses I needed to graduate (reading/writing), and courses I needed to fill my major. I then mapped what each courses requirements were and then sequenced them out over my 4 years. It is a lot of planning but helpful. (aside: unlike HS where you are TOLD what you need to take - 4 yrs English, 3 years Math, etc. - in college the onus is on YOU to KNOW what to take, so a lot of planning and foresight is needed).
b). NOT ALL COURSES are offered every semester, so pay close attention to when courses you like, need to graduate, and need to fill your major are offered by looking at historical course schedules. Plan around that.
In the end, I had an excel of all the classes I needed (I was a dual major) by semester combined with my courses completed so that I knew where I stood at any point in time and could prioritize what to enroll in once enrollment opened.
Updated
Bareen’s Answer
Hi Khristian,
Going to college could be a little stressful especially as you mentioned not knowing what to major in, but that's totally fine. I mean we go to college to explore and see what we like and whatnot. So the process is that the first two years basically you will be taking "gen eds" general classes as an undecided major. (A trick or advice is personally being undecided could save you money too.) However, by the end of your second year so the last semester you have to declare a major and you could change it anytime you feel it wasn't the right one. There is so much more to consider but it all depends on what interests you have like are you more toward the medical field, nursing, business, engineering, computer science, or teaching...... But once you're in college you take placement tests and based on those results you meet with an advisor (aka your councler) to help you decide the classes.
I hope this clarifies your question a little.
Going to college could be a little stressful especially as you mentioned not knowing what to major in, but that's totally fine. I mean we go to college to explore and see what we like and whatnot. So the process is that the first two years basically you will be taking "gen eds" general classes as an undecided major. (A trick or advice is personally being undecided could save you money too.) However, by the end of your second year so the last semester you have to declare a major and you could change it anytime you feel it wasn't the right one. There is so much more to consider but it all depends on what interests you have like are you more toward the medical field, nursing, business, engineering, computer science, or teaching...... But once you're in college you take placement tests and based on those results you meet with an advisor (aka your councler) to help you decide the classes.
I hope this clarifies your question a little.
Updated
Madi’s Answer
Hi Khristian!
Many people go into college undecided so don't worry. When you come into college, everyone is required to take general education courses. These courses typically range from science to arts and can be unrelated to your major. Therefore, when you come in undecided, you will most likely take these courses. You can leverage these general education courses to get a feel for what type of field you'd like to major in.
Many people go into college undecided so don't worry. When you come into college, everyone is required to take general education courses. These courses typically range from science to arts and can be unrelated to your major. Therefore, when you come in undecided, you will most likely take these courses. You can leverage these general education courses to get a feel for what type of field you'd like to major in.
Updated
Danielle’s Answer
Hello! Don’t fret about having a major just yet - a lot of people are in the same boat (or even switch majors multiple times)! You can start out getting your general education requirements out of the way - your English, science, math, etc which everyone has to do anyway. It gives you time to explore and talk to people. Talk to your career counselors often, though! Schedule a meeting soon so you can get a game plan down. Elective classes are there to help you dabble in a few things to see what really interests you - but my advice is to save those for later so you don’t “waste” them because some elective classes you take might not count towards your degree (for example, a geology class, although interesting, may not help toward satisfying the degree requirements for engineering) — also, your electives will be more fun once you’re set on what you want because you’ll be interested in learning it!! Electives come later so this won’t be a problem In the beginning while you’re doing your gen/Ed.
Meet with a counselor
What do your friends want to do & WHY?!
Look for school affiliated fb groups in areas of interest
Danielle recommends the following next steps: