When you started the college application process, you took a whole slew of factors into consideration. You looked at where the school is located, its football team’s statistics and the variety of student organizations it has on campus. Despite these fun and seemingly inconsequential characteristics, one thing tends to come out on top when selecting your university: the possible majors you could pursue.
Through its 14 different schools, the University of Michigan offers nearly 300 different major programs. You can study anything and everything here, from cellular and molecular biomedical science to social theory and practice. With the chance to mix and match majors, minors and sub-majors to your heart’s content, the possibilities seem to be endless. Here at the University, you can craft an academic experience that both perfectly encompasses your personal interests and pushes you closer to your desired future career.
You’ve got time, though, to decide what you want to study. It isn’t required that you come into your freshman year with a concrete plan in mind for your major. Most people declare their major in their sophomore year after several semesters of general education courses and prerequisite classes. With so many options to choose from, you may need this time to “test the waters” of potential paths. But, I’d advise you to jump in head first.
When I applied to colleges, things like good sports teams and a vibrant social scene were certainly on my list of requirements. However, what came out on top was how the school fared for my desired major. I knew pretty early in my academic career that I wanted to study political science, and the U-M program was an easy pick because of its high rank and professional opportunities. Knowing what you want to study allows you to select the best program possible and an academic environment that will help you grow, thrive and make crucial connections.
Not only does knowing your major help you make that fateful senior year decision in high school, but it also helps you make frequent, fast-paced scheduling choices during college. Course registration is a stressful experience, especially when you don’t know what classes to take and what they count toward. However, if you know what your major will be, you can focus your scheduling needs toward particular departments and requirements.
In my first year, I knew many freshmen who took the strangest combinations of classes. While they may have made these schedules under the impression that it would give them inspiration about what major to pursue, the diversity generally confused them. Without consistency and a clear-cut path toward a singular degree, they floundered in the sea of possibilities and took a much longer time to find their academic niche than other students.
Being certain about your major when you enter college not only saves you lots of academic and personal woe, but it also opens up professional opportunities to you early. The search for a summer internship is not for the faint of heart, especially when you’re unsure about what field you hope to find a career in. However, when you have a good grasp on what you want to study, you can get a head start on looking for work. If you come into your freshman fall knowing you’ll be studying English, you can feel secure knowing that you might be looking for publishing internships. Knowing that you’ll be majoring in biology lets you take the lead on hunting for research or hospital-related gigs. When you know what you want to study, you know what you want to do.
There are, of course, upsides to coming to college undecided. My friends who took a “random” assortment of courses pre-major declaration got to take some incredibly interesting classes, all without the stress of having to “ace” them for their major requirements. Coming in undecided also lets you take a semester or two to get a grasp on what you want to study without the pressure of sticking to a particular academic or professional course. Being undecided doesn’t mean you don’t know what you’re doing: You’re exploring your options, a perfectly normal introduction to your newfound independence.
Still, there is an immense value to knowing your major once you set foot on campus. You can save yourself lots of stress during the registration process, and join niche, major-adjacent student organizations that can propel you to even greater heights. Making connections — whether they be with peers, professors or professionals — becomes a much easier ballgame when you know your major, and you can begin building yourself a community of like-minded, similarly-oriented individuals.
If you’re coming to the University this fall and are still wavering on what to study, I encourage you to ask yourself the tough questions to save yourself an even tougher ordeal later on. Ask yourself what classes you enjoyed the most in high school or what careers intrigue you, and even read through the major and minor options that the University has to offer. It may feel like you’re confining yourself to a box, but I promise you that you aren’t. As someone who came in knowing what I wanted to get a degree in, I can assure you that I have taken my fair share of unrelated course material to my selected major. It’s worth it to come in decided, because if you know your major, you can better know yourself.
Lindsey Spencer is a summer Opinion Columnist and the academic year Editorial Page Editor. She writes about the things that make her tick, which can be anything from politics to mental health to media. She can be reached at lindssp@umich.edu.
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