The Benefits of Being Undecided as a Freshman

Some students seem destined to pursue their declared college major. You know the ones: they’ve dreamed about being a doctor or a teacher since they were a little kid. Now, as a college freshman years later, they’re still 100% sure of their chosen profession. 

Other students start the first year of college with an undeclared focus. These undecided students often worry that deciding on a major while already a freshman is a disadvantage over their more settled classmates. 

Rest easy, undecided freshman. There are many benefits to being an undeclared major early in your college career. Let’s take a look at a few of them. 

Undeclared majors have time to explore the range of fields of study offered by their college or university. This is a rare opportunity to try on different possibilities for your future. 

Have an interest in art? Take a drawing class. Thought about a career in politics? Check out a political science course. Interested in getting philosophical? Take Philosophy 101. 

If you don’t have a declared major, you won’t be pigeonholed into a series of courses that are pre-determined by the university. Undeclared majors have the freedom to spend their freshman year pursuing a variety of interests. 

Students often feel pressured to select a major before or during their first year of college. This creates a sense of urgency that can lead to stress at a time that is already potentially one of the most stressful times in your life. Sometimes, it even leads to making the wrong decision. 

When you have an undeclared major and you feel confident in that choice, you reduce the pressure on yourself to hurry up and decide—at least, for the next year or two. 

Additionally, because you’re not necessarily enrolled in courses that will define your future degree, you might feel less stress around milestones like test scores and grades.

Deciding on a major is an important step in your college career, but it doesn’t have to be one you take under pressure or with any sense of urgency. 

While exploring your interests and trying out different areas of study, you’ll also be building a diverse skill set. That varied, willing-to-learn kind of adaptation that employers today love to see.

For example, if you eventually major in business, but took a few journalism classes before deciding on business, you now have bonus writing investigative skills that you can use to market yourself to potential employers.

A diverse skill set can also help you remain flexible in your professional life, by opening up a range of opportunities that you might not otherwise have noticed or been able to access. 

While the benefits of being undecided as a freshman are real, you will, eventually,  need to declare a major. Here are some dos and don’ts to help you navigate what could be one of the most consequential decisions of your educational career.

• Explore your interests through classes, clubs, and organizations.
• Take a class on something you’ve never tried before.
• Enlist the help of a university career counselor.
• Relax! It’s normal to be undecided as a freshman.

• Feel pressure to declare a major as soon as possible.
• Choose a major based on what someone else wants you to do.
• Use this as an opportunity to neglect your academic performance.

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