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Traditionally, many students begin college in the fall after graduating from high school, declare a major, and earn a degree in that field four years later. However, this conventional route is no longer perceived as the only or best path to higher education. The stigma surrounding alternative avenues is diminishing, as more students take advantage of exciting, and potentially cost-effective, opportunities such as attending community college, beginning college abroad, or taking a gap year. Alternative paths became even more prevalent after the pandemic, which upended lives in various ways.
Nevertheless, many high school students feel pressure to have their entire academic and career paths mapped out before they even earn a high school diploma. This sentiment is entirely understandable. After all, many colleges require applicants to declare a major and write essays detailing their interest in and experience with their intended major. Some even ask students to detail how they will use that education in their future career. The reality is, however, that many high school seniors are not sure what they want to study, much less what profession they wish to pursue. Yet, students often perceive “undecided” as a bad word, erroneously believing that the majority of their peers have their entire lives figured out. Social media has elevated the pressure, as many high school seniors post their college intentions and intended majors. With such public declarations of intent, it’s no wonder that many students feel like “everyone else” knows exactly what they want to do.
Students are often relieved to learn that approximately 30% of students pursuing bachelor’s degrees change their major at least once. This statistic makes so much sense, given the fact that students are exposed to so many more fields in college than they are in high school. Not only do college students have access to more disciplines and increased flexibility to explore different fields but also they grow and change during college. Many colleges have explicitly recognized this reality and do not require students to immediately declare a major and.or offer programs specifically for undecided students, such as the Program of Exploratory Studies at the University of Colorado-Boulder.
In addition to giving themselves time to explore disciplines, many students choose to begin their college experiences via alternative admissions pathways. Colleges have designed a number of creative programs to increase access and fill empty seats and beds. These programs include spring semester starts at schools such as the University of Miami and the University of Southern California. Other schools, including Tulane University and the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill Global Launch program, offer students the opportunity to begin their studies abroad. Additionally, some institutions allow first-years to start on multiple campuses, such as Oxford College of Emory University and Northeastern University’s Oakland and London campuses. Still other universities make room for additional students on their main campuses in the fall by offering courses via nontraditional delivery methods or at alternative times of day. These programs include the University of Florida’s Pathway to Campus Enrollment (PaCE) program and the University of Maryland’s Freshman Connection program.
Now, more than ever, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to college, and each student is on an individual journey. It may feel like others have their entire lives figured out, but the reality is that the vast majority of students are not entirely sure what they want to do and how they want to get there. By tuning out the noise and focusing on what’s best for them, students will find a fulfilling path that suits their interests and needs.
