At 18 years old, I thought I knew what I was doing when I declared my major, but I really didn’t. I wish I would’ve started my freshman year of college undecided (otherwise known as undeclared); however, at that time, I couldn’t understand what college and life in general would offer me as well as how I would change in the following years.

Applying to College and Choosing a Major

During my senior year of high school, I struggled to choose a college, let alone a major. I decided on Ball State because it was the best public school that I applied to. They had good programs and my scholarship would cover four years of tuition. While I ended up feeling confident about my choice in college, the decision to choose a major my freshman year still lingered.

During orientation, I felt so much pressure to just pick a major already so that I wouldn’t look completely clueless about my future. It seemed like other students had a clear idea of what they wanted to pursue, and I didn’t feel like starting undecided would be a good decision for me. I was hoping to graduate in four years and start a full-time job afterwards.

If I didn’t make a decision now, how would I be on track to achieve my long-term career goals?

Choosing a major was incredibly difficult for me because I was interested in so many things: writing, reading, art, music, offering advice to others, and listening were skills that I had in my toolbox. But what did I want to pursue as a major and how would that translate into a future career? I had a particular love for writing, but I wasn’t sure I could make a career out of it. In fact, I was convinced that I couldn’t make any money as a writer.

Trying to combine my interest in writing with a defined career path, I decided to choose English education as my major. This would allow me to pursue writing through a teaching career. It sounded perfect at the time; I didn’t know how many different career options were available with a degree in English or creative writing, and this seemed like a safe bet.

What Happened When I Realized This Wasn’t What I Wanted

While pursuing my English education degree, I took a variety of classes related to English, communication and education. I did well in these classes. I was thriving, even, keeping my GPA well above the 3.0 that I needed to be in the program. I was proud to be a part of the English education program, too, and I really enjoyed working with students.

But as I took more English classes, such as creative writing, I started to realize that I enjoyed these types of classes far more than the ones related to education. Eventually, I began feeling disappointed that I couldn’t take more writing classes due to my major requirements. 

Additionally, as I settled in with college life, I got involved in extracurricular activities such as National Novel Writing Month, writing for my college’s newspaper as a columnist, and various writing internships. These opportunities only helped solidify the persistent feeling I had that writing was something I enjoyed immensely, had a talent for, and really wanted to pursue as a career.

As college progressed, I started to realize that I didn’t seem to have the kind of interest and passion in teaching that I thought I would. Nevertheless, I gave it my best for a couple of years and was determined to succeed even though I had so many doubts about whether or not I was meant for the teaching profession. However, while I had a truly rewarding experience and learned so much through my English education classes, I finally recognized that teaching in a K-12 school simply didn’t feel like a profession that I could do for the rest of my life.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t until my junior year that I finally accepted the fact that I actually wanted to be a writer instead of an English teacher.

I decided that I couldn’t stay in the program when I began dreading practicum and student teaching instead of feeling eager like I had once been. It became apparent to me that I couldn’t stay in the program, even if it meant graduating a semester or two late. 

What I Learned, and My Advice to Others

Trying to make a switch my junior year was a bit overwhelming. It took a lot of time and effort to evaluate my options, trying to figure out the right major for my future career as well as how previous coursework and new requirements would impact my graduation.

I ended up switching to an English major, which seemed to be the best option for the career opportunities I want to pursue and graduation requirements. Additionally, I decided to pursue a creative writing minor. However, while I was able to successfully transition out of my English education degree, I had to take four semesters of 18 credit hours just so I could obtain my English major and creative writing minor.

Essentially, for two years of college I had to take a rigorous course load; it truly took a toll on my well being.

In retrospect, I wish I would’ve had more time at the beginning of my college career to figure out what I really wanted, rather than choose a major based on what I thought would be best. If I began college undecided, I could’ve explored a lot more options before settling on a major that I knew I loved. 

College is a place where you are able to discover which of your interests you really care about and want to explore, and possibly even find your future career path. If I had taken this approach, it would have allowed me the opportunity to take classes that I was interested in rather than stress relentlessly over how I was going to get through the program that I was in.

The pressure to choose a major throughout the college process—from others as well as myself—made me feel like I had to make a decision before getting started. You don’t, and there is nothing wrong with starting college undeclared. In fact, if you aren’t certain about your long-term goals after college, I highly suggest you consider it as an option. It will save a lot of time and headache if you realize later on that the major you chose—before even starting college—isn’t the right one for you.

My advice to those that are in the college process is to take your time, do your research and talk to others about options. Unless you have a really clear idea on the major you want to pursue, don’t feel pressured to go in declared.

If you’re already in college and having second thoughts about the major you’re in, then I suggest you don’t just ignore it. The earlier you figure out what degree you want to obtain, the easier it is to make the transition. But even if you are deep into the process—I didn’t make a switch until my junior year—you can still make a change. Even if it requires a lot of work, you’ll be much happier in the long-term.

Once you have an idea of your passions and the type of life you want after college, pick the major/program that will lead you there, even if it scares you and even if your parents don’t readily approve. In the end, this college thing is about you. This is your life. It is your  life and happiness at stake. It is up to you to make the most out of college, and to live a life that you can truly be proud of.