What's Wrong With An Undeclared Major?
There is nothing wrong with entering college with an undecided or undeclared major as long as you have a solid plan to help you make a decision and eventually declare a major. The idea that a career plan will just materialize after taking a few basic college courses is unrealistic and expensive. Most families do not even take a trip to Disney World without a plan, and yet, we do not think twice about sending a son or daughter off to college without a career plan and with a price tag of $20,000 or more a year. Here are some suggestions for developing a plan:
1) See a professional career advisor. In the past, we relied on our high school guidance counselors to provide individualized career direction; however, with the number of students for which they are responsible and all the non-career type issues that demand their attention, it is unrealistic to expect in-depth career advising for each student. A good career advisor is a wise investment. The money you spend helping your student find a career path before he or she enters college could save your student thousands of dollars in the long run.
2) Set clear expectations with your student. Communicate with your son or daughter that an undeclared major is not merely a pass to postpone an important decision; rather, it is a mandate to pursue all the available resources to help him or her find a meaningful career path. Included in those resources is the Career Services department located on most college campuses – use it!
3) Consider a less expensive school until your student decides on a field of study. Why spend top education dollars when there is no plan to graduate in a specific field?
Don’t let your indecision about a college major cost you thousands of extra dollars for a degree. Do the work of career exploration!
Wendy Erlien
1:26 pm on Monday, June 18, 2012
Great blog! Do you think there is "suggested" time when college students should have declared a major by? In other words, how long is too long to wait to declare a major?
C
9:55 am on Tuesday, June 19, 2012
3) The quality of the overall educational experience before declaring a major is as important as it is after declaring a major. Students who live at home and attend a community college don't learn as much as students who live on campus at a quality four-year college or university - even if they do learn just as much in their courses. It's the interactions and connections made outside of the classroom that are extremely valuable.
College isn't just about obtaining pre-requisite skills for a successful career. It's about gaining a broader understanding and appreciation of ourselves and our world. I think it's a mistake for students to enter college for the sole purpose of prepping for a career. In many cases, that approach will ultimately limit their career success.
Jenny Lancette
9:57 am on Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Thanks for your question, Wendy! It is difficult to give an exact time for when a major should be declared since there are so many variables in each student's situation; however, in general, I would say by the end of the student's third semester he or she should have a career plan. This is not to say that he or she may change majors down the road, but hopefully, the change is just a tweak, not an overhaul. In other words, if a student declares an accounting major and then decides to change to finance, not a lot of ground has been lost, but if a student is not even clear about a general field (business, healthcare, education, etc), then he or she may need to seriously consider whether or not college is a wise investment at this time.