If you are undeclared or still unsure about your major, don’t stress! You can still be a successful student without coming into your first year set on what you want to study.
It can be really stressful coming into your first or second year and not knowing if your major is right for you. My advice: take some time within your first couple years to explore your options through your breadth courses. I’ve known people who are set on going into the sciences or the humanities, but once they take classes in other areas of study they switch, double major, or minor in something completely different.
Switching Majors
My freshman roommate (still one of my closest friends) came in as a Psychology major, switched to Pre-Business towards the middle of her first year, and switched over to a Sociology major at the end of her second year (AND she’s graduating a year early. My boyfriend came in as a Pre-Business major, switched to Philosophy in his first year, finished his degree requirements early and is now studying Pre-Med while also being able to have a Philosophy degree by the time he graduates from UCR. Depending on the classes you take and the people you meet, you’ll be exposed to so many different areas of study that you can be interested in. And as you spend more time at UCR, don’t worry if your area of interest or direction changes, as long as you’re using the first couple years to really explore your breadth classes, no matter how many times you explore other majors, you should have time within your couple years to finish all of your major classes and #FinishIn4
Double Majors and Minors
Even though I came into my freshman orientation, convinced on graduating in four years as a Studio Art major and a business minor, I am now entering my third year as a double major in Studio Art AND Media & Cultural Studies. I had heard of Media & Cultural Studies as a major but had no idea how much I would love my major until after I took two or three classes in that department. I didn't begin to understand my love for the major, its diversity, its professors, and its teachings until I let myself get out of my set mindset. Don’t forget, if you find a subject you really love, you can also declare a minor; this option requires a lot less classes but you still have an opportunity to learn within that department. Although there is overwhelming pressure to know exactly what you want to do, college is a time to for you to learn, grow, and enjoy. Once you start coming here and choosing your classes, you'll find what sticks out to you most and what makes you most excited to start your future.
Finish in 4
I strongly advise, starting with your breadth courses (our name for gen. ed) or foreign language courses to start you off in your first year or so if you are unsure about your major. If you are worried about finishing within four years, make sure you are taking at least 15 units a quarter, or 45 units a year. Although 12 units a quarter is considered full time, 15 units a quarter will insure that you will finish with the minimum of 180 units by the end of your fourth year. If you fall behind, summer school is always an option as well! So knowing you have that flexibility within your first few terms, take time to explore major, double major, or minor options while making sure you are meeting your breadth requirements. Also keep in mind, breadth requirements are different for each school of study (Pre-Business, CHASS, CNAS, BCOE), so you may have to take different breadth classes than some of your friends. You will find out more about this at your orientation, or you can click on the college above to see an updated list of courses for Fall 2017.
Take Your Time!
So don't worry if you're coming into your first or second year and are still unsure about choosing your major. You are investing time, energy, and money into your education, and you want to make sure you are learning something you are truly passionate about (and a plus, you'll probably do MUCH better in classes you actually enjoy)!
Students across the country are asked to narrow down their aspirations and dreams to one entity when they arrive to higher education: a major. There is a clear-cut curriculum which controls what we learn and consume in schools from kindergarten to grade 12. After receiving our “cookie cutter” educations, then we are asked what we want to focus on in college. If you are like me, then you knew you wanted to be a lawyer way before starting college. But honestly, you don’t have to. A requirement for applying to law school is to have a Bachelor’s degree. The most surprising twist: you can major in ANYTHING and go to law school. Seriously! You can pursue a Bachelor’s in anything from Art History to Zoology. Now, this can be a great thing or it can bring you some serious anxiety. How do you know what will be the right major for you? What will the law school admission offices want to see? What major is going to benefit you the most in law school? There are no right answers to these questions. It’s all based on your preference and your career goals. But let me tell you how I reached a decision.
Ever since elementary school, I have always loved to read and write. Every time I’d visit a library, I would check out 10 books at once (not an exaggeration). I’d even spend my free time creating my own little books. It wasn’t until my senior year of high school when I truly started thinking about majoring in English. My breakthrough occurred while reading Othello in my senior year English class. One of the greatest plays ever written, in my opinion, and yet, no student in my class cared for it. Seeing our mutual passion for Shakespeare, my English teacher and I spent a lot of time discussing other literature. She showed me that pursuing English would not only satisfy the law school admissions office but it would provide me the skill set needed for another dream of mine: to be a published author. I want to write and I want my writing to make a difference. So, here I am, an English major attending Rutgers University.
My educational journey so far has provided with many skills that I overlook. No, I do not know how to write a novel. But I do know how to close read, analyze characters, think creatively and critically, and argue points. There are other less obvious skills that I have developed as an English student. I have learned the ability to take constructive criticism. Not all professors love my writing but with their feedback, I can understand that people may not always agree with me but I can use their criticism to my advantage. I have learned the ability to work under deadlines which connects to the skill of time management. I have also learned the ability to improve my communication in terms of spelling, grammar, and speech. This entire skillset will genuinely aid me in my future at law school and my future as an attorney.
I personally believe being an English major will help me in law school because I’ve developed analytical reading, writing, and research skills. And if you’ve heard any horror stories about law school, it’s that there will be a ton of reading and lots of writing. But this was my decision. I wanted a degree in something that could be useful to me even if I didn’t attend law school. And if you’re really ambitious, you might already know what kind of lawyer you want to be. If you have an interest in corporate law, maybe going to business school is your path. Or if you want to pursue environmental law, then you could major in a science. It really falls on what is appealing to you. My advice is this: major in something that you truly have an interest for and something that will be of use to you even if you decide later that law school isn’t what you want to do. You can’t choose a major based on what you think law schools will like. They’re just looking for strong candidates with a good GPA in any major along with an excellent LSAT score.
Sometimes, choosing a field of study can be difficult. Having “undecided” next to your major on your transcript and having no idea of what to change it to can feel distressing. Waiting too long to decide could mean spending money and time on an education that you’re unsure of. Luckily, there is time to decide and ways to help make the process easier.
While progressing through your college education, you’re bound to hear of students who’ve changed their major multiple times. There are also students who enter college with a pre-determined major and end up receiving a degree in something else; sometimes, something completely different from what they first had in mind. An undecided major is very common during the first year or two of college, meaning there’s no reason to fret about it if you’re in a similar situation.
There are many on-campus resources to help you make your decision. Professors, counselors, fellow-students, and career resources are all extremely helpful. If you’re unsure of a major, talk to a few professors in different fields that you think you might be interested in. Professors, can explain in detail everything you will experience, learn, and need to know about their field of study. Faculty members are considered experts because they are exceptionally brilliant and dedicated to student learning. Chances are that after speaking with several professors, one of them will help spark interest in a particular field.
Talking to fellow students and alumni can also help in making a decision because they can tell you about their first-hand experiences. There are many graduates and peers who have been through the same exact thing you are going through and conversing with them can be enlightening.
Career resource offices on campus and counselors are also a great resource in that they have many helpful tools for choosing a major. They have interest surveys that can help determine what professions you might be interested in, pamphlets and websites on everything about each specific field of study, and connections with various programs and conferences for each kind of study.
The first few years of college usually consists of taking an array of classes to fulfill the general education portion of your degree. While fulfilling your general requirements, you might enjoy a few of your classes more than others which could lead to a good idea of what you want to study. Most times, that’s how students ultimately determine their major.
Another helpful tool can be job-shadowing. Job-shadow opportunities can be a day or month-long (or longer) process depending on how much you would like to learn and how much you enjoy the profession. These experiences help you dive deeper into a profession and show you what it’s like having a career in the real world.
An important part of college is taking the time to find what you are truly passionate about and learning as much as you can about it. The last thing you want to do is spend years studying something you don’t like, and regretting the outcome. No matter how long it takes to decide, once you find the profession you love, it makes it all worth it.
For years now I have been hesitant and indecisive about the inevitable question, "What do you want to do with your life?" We have all been through it, schools start asking this question by the time you hit the third grade. Every since then I have been wiry about the topic. Scared because I had no clue. I had so many interests and the thought of choosing just one, insane.
I was never a straight A student, I would rather be with friends and involved in my social life then my studies. I never showed much interest in the science department. I always did have a passion for animals and the marine life around me. I believe I found my calling, I have decided. I want to further my college education and have chosen to study a science major. As to which one, that is yet to be decided.
Now that I have decided on science, here comes the next stressful decision. There are so multiple different degrees and fields in the science field alone. I will update you more of this later. :)
