Entering college and being undeclared can make some students feel as though they are setting themselves up for failure. This doesn’t have to be the case, as making the first semester of college devoted to general education classes would relieve this issue.
Students being undeclared during their first year allows them to not only be more flexible in selecting classes, it will also relieve the pressure of having to choose a major straight away.
Yet, despite its benefits, a notable stigma still exists surrounding being undeclared in college.
According to an article by the Appalachian State Newspaper, undeclared students are often characterized as being “lazy” or “unmotivated”.
However, the reality is that if you are undeclared it grants you a much larger range of flexibility when exploring your options for your first foray into college level education.
In high school, college is painted as the place where you select the career that you will dedicate most of your adult life to.
Despite the weight of this seemingly life altering decision, most high schools seem to not do an effective job when it comes to preparing students so that they can choose their major when the time comes.
Being undeclared in college should not be seen in a negative light; however, seeing that the issue is not with the undeclared student, but rather with the school’s system is unfair.
At the same time, this system also pressures students to choose their major before completing their first semester of college, which in turn affects the courses that are selected and can sometimes lead to students taking classes that end up being of no use to them when the time comes to either graduate or transfer.
According to an article posted on the website Frank, at least 80% of college students will change their major at some point in their college journey.
Students being capable of switching majors is somewhat of a solution to the problem at hand, but changing your major does have its drawbacks.
When a student decides to switch their major, they have no choice but to reassess which classes they need to take and often the case will be that a number of classes they have already taken become irrelevant in regards to their new educational plan.
One of the goals of a community college such as LBCC is getting students through their curriculum in a timely manner and onto a university or complete trade programs.
As would be expected, a student being undeclared in their first year may be an obstacle to this goal.
This pressure from the college to finish as quickly as possible also contributes to the negative stigma surrounding being undeclared.
Stopping this cycle of indecision in the first place is also a valid solution to the issue, namely by properly informing students about different career paths before they enter college.
Classes that involve teaching students about different careers, their expectations, and a small amount of first hand experiences should be provided at no cost.
These types of classes would provide students a heightened level of understanding for different careers and how they operate.
College and career centers provide a similar role to these types of classes, but are less effective in both college and high school.
By properly informing future college students about a wide range of career options and the specifics of what each one entails, students will be better prepared to select the major that best suits them.
It is very possible for high schools to be successful in properly preparing students to make the leap from high school to college while at the same time reassuring them that it is completely normal to be unsure of exactly which path they want to go down.