Tag: Undecided

You Don’t Need to Have it All Figured Out

You Don’t Need to Have it All Figured Out

For every phase of life there seems to be a list of questions people love to ask you. Senior year you mastered the, “Will you graduate in the top of your class?”, “What are your plans for next year?”, “What university will it be?” and so on. Now, you’ve made it to your freshman year and you’re finally comfortable on a college campus so naturally people start bombarding you with a whole new set of questions. “Where are you from?”, “What residence hall do you live in?”, and everyone’s favorite, “What’s your major?“.

My first two years at Loyola my answer for the latter was “Undecided”. I was totally fine with that. For me, I was free to just jump into school, start taking my CORE classes and not worry (yet) about what exactly I’d end up with a major in. That didn’t stop people from asking me if I had thought about this or that, what I’d ruled out, and what I was interested in. But I could field those questions just fine.

I think one of the biggest mistakes college freshman make is choosing a major just for the sake of choosing one. Even though switching majors isn’t a difficult process at Loyola (it really just involves a meeting with your academic adviser and altering your 4-year plan) I think that it’s very easy for students to feel trapped by their major, and then they get scared to leave. I would bet that if I had started my Loyola career as a History major it would’ve have taken me even longer to figure out that Public Relations was the best fit for me.

Loyola has nearly 80 majors to choose from, how could you ever know right from the start that Marketing is your calling? Give yourself some time to feel things out and ask around. Talk to upperclassman that have gone through this before (I would bet a lot of them have changed their majors once or twice), definitely talk with your academic advisers (its their job to know exactly what a major in International Studies entails), and do a little research for yourself to make sure what you find is the best fit for you.

There are definitely a lucky few who know from the get-go exactly what they want to study. When they start taking their classes they fall in love with the material and become passionate for their field. From day one freshman year until graduation day four years later, they may never even think about another major. Those people are lucky. I would love if I had been able to do that, and if you could too. But trust me, that doesn’t happen for everyone and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

The most important thing is for you to love what you’re studying.

When people ask you, “What’s your major?”, I hope you’re excited to tell them you major in something that you absolutely love.

Choosing a College Major VS Undecided

Choosing a College Major VS Undecided

 

While there are over 80 majors and minors to choose from at Loyola, believe it or not, one of the most popular majors in college these days is UNDECIDED! So don’t be afraid or embarrassed if that’s your current major of choice; you have plenty of time to finalize your choice during the first two years.  If you apply as a traditional Undecided student, you will be admitted to the College of Arts & Sciences which is home to most of the majors on-campus (but you can easily do an internal-transfer to the other schools should you choose a different major). Or, if you know you want to major in something related to business, you can choose the Undecided Business major so you’ll be enrolled in the Quinlan School of Business, but you’ll have time to narrow it down from there.

If you apply undecided, there are many different resources on campus designed to help you choose a major:

There is only one major at Loyola that is impossible to transfer into and that is Nursing. So if you are interested in nursing, be sure to indicate that on your incoming freshmen application, as you can transfer out but you cannot transfer in (even if it’s only your second day at Loyola and you started as a Biology major). You are able to transfer into any other major, so again, don’t be hesitant to apply undecided!

It’s more important to submit your application in a timely manner instead of waiting because you can’t choose a major. However, if you are certain which major you identify with, be sure to indicate that on your application, because all of our programs are direct-entry, so you are admitted to them and will begin in that program on you first day of classes.

All of our majors fall under these different undergraduate schools:

Good luck, future Ramblers!

 

 

 

The Downs and Ups of Declaring an Undecided Major

The Downs and Ups of Declaring an Undecided Major

So you’ve finally decided on a college, it was a long process, but you’re here. You went on countless college visits, received way too many college letters, felt pressure from your parents as you filled out applications, and now you’re home free. All you have to do is buy some extra-long twin sheets and meet your roommate. Oh, and pick a major.

As soon as you step onto a college campus there is pressure to know exactly what you want to do with your life. But if you are anything like me then you aren’t quite ready to commit to a major. I assure you that you can rest easy because guess what? You’re 18 and you don’t have to have your life figured out. So as a college sophomore -who is still technically an undecided major- I want to help you navigate the nearly uncharted waters of the Undecided Major.

The Downs:

  • When other people tell you a detailed plan of their major and career path you’ll feel a little awkward telling them that you just don’t know yet.
  • You won’t have a group of friends from within your major right off the bat, so you’ll have to wait on ordering a “Quinlan School of Business” or “Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing” t-shirt.
  • The “freedom to explore” is pretty intimidating. Loyola has a lot of majors, which means you won’t be able to try them all. (You might want to spend some extra time with your advisor to get a feel for your options)
  • You might get stuck. Now that I’m going on year two of being undecided I’m pretty comfortable where I’m at, but am also feeling the pressure to choose a major soon. This has made it tough for me to abandon the Undecided Major ship.

The Ups:

  • When people ask you what your major is you get to be creative in your answers like, “Oh, I’m just here to hang out” or “I’m majoring in a little bit of everything” or “I’m majoring in the Magnificent Mile”. These answers might spark some genuine concern, but I get the most worried facial expressions when I say, “Nothing”.
  • Meeting other Undecided Majors is the best feeling in the world because they know exactly what you’re going through.
  • All your friends will try and pick a major that they think best suits you, which may actually give you some direction. (Asking for advice has definitely helped me!)
  • Your freshman year is going to consist of a lot of CORE classes, which is good for two reasons. You get to explore a lot of different academic areas that may help you decide on a major- while staying on track for graduation. Plus you’ll finish your CORE in a timely manner and won’t be a senior taking UCLR (University Core Literature Requirement).

I highly recommend starting your undergrad years as an undecided major, because we’re young and our thoughts about the future change. But don’t forget that Loyola won’t actually print you a degree that says “Bachelor’s of Undecided”. Don’t panic about starting college without a major. It’s definitely scary at first, but you’ll learn to own it and eventually learn to let it go. Who knows maybe next year we can get some “Undecided Major” t-shirts, too.