Monday, May 25, 2020

Undeclared Major Meaning and Relevance

Youve probably heard the term undecided major (also referred to as an undeclared major) tossed around in a conversation about going to college or choosing a career path. In reality, undecided isnt actually a major at all—youre not going to get a diploma with the word printed on it. The term is a placeholder. It indicates a student has yet to declare the degree they plan to pursue and hope to graduate with.  (Reminder: Your major is what your degree is in. So if youre an English major, you graduate from college with an English degree or a Bachelor of Arts in English.)   Fortunately, even though the term sounds somewhat wishy-washy, being an undecided major isnt necessarily a bad thing in college. Eventually, youll have to settle on a degree youd like to earn and make sure youre taking the required curriculum, but many schools allow you use your early terms to explore. Undecided: Before College When youre applying to schools, many (if not most) institutions will ask what youre interested in studying and/or what youd like to major in. Some schools are pretty strict about knowing your major before applying for admission; theyll make you declare your major before you even enroll and simply dont accept undeclared majors. Dont freak out if you havent chosen a career path before youve graduated high school. Other institutions are more lenient and might even look favorably upon an undeclared student as someone who is open to learning about new things before committing to one course of study.   Of course, youll want to have some idea what you want to do before you choose a school: Youll want to make sure your college of choice has strong offerings in your area of study, otherwise you might not get what you need from your education. On top of that, college can be very expensive, and if youre thinking about pursuing a career that doesnt pay very well, it may not be a good idea to take out student loans to attend a pricey institution. While you certainly dont have to commit right away, dont overlook the importance of incorporating your career ambitions into your school choice. How to Go From Undecided to Declared Once you arrive at college, youll likely have two years before you have to decide your major. Most schools require you declare your major by the end of your sophomore year, meaning you have quite a bit of time to take classes in different departments, explore your interests, try something new and possibly fall in love with a topic you never thought about before. Being an undeclared major doesnt have to indicate you arent really interested in anything; it can actually indicate that youre interested in a lot of things and want to be deliberate about making your choice. The process of declaring a major varies by school, but youll probably want to sit down with an academic adviser or go to the registrars office to figure out what you need to do to make it official and plan your courses. Remember: Youre not necessarily stuck with what you choose. Changing your major isnt a decision to take lightly—it could affect your graduation plans or financial aid—but knowing you have options could take some of the pressure off your decision.

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