Living the College Life: When Should I Pick My Major?

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"The major that you want at 17 or 18 isn't necessarily the major that still interests you at 21 or 22."- Patrice Williams, Temple University

"What's your major?" might be the most commonly asked question on college campuses"it's a way of summarizing, in as little as one word, what you're all about. An answer of "philosophy" might evoke one kind of response, while "biology" elicits quite another. Respond with "I don't know yet," and you might as well prepare to answer a few more questions.

This article will explore the critical but sometimes laborious process of selecting a major"a focused program of study that may or may not play a significant role in where you work after graduation.

"Before the beginning of junior year.""ASAP."

"By the end of freshman year."

"Whenever you feel most comfortable."

Those are some of the responses students offered to this question. It reflects the gulf that separates what some wish they did, what some actually did, and what their colleges recommend that they do.

Except for a few untraditional colleges or programs where it's not required, just about every student must formally declare a major, typically by the end of sophomore year or the start of junior year. Since it's a choice fraught with consequences, students who don't know what they want to major in can get stressed out by the process. Indeed, few things can produce as much anxiety for a college student as being unsure of what to major in. (Midterms and finals come close, though.) Yet students can take comfort in the fact that most freshmen aren't sure of their major when they arrive on campus.

One reason for the conflicting guidance about the best time to choose a major is that no single piece of advice takes into account the differences between individual students. All factors being equal, it's obviously better if you know earlier than later"so try to decide early, some recommend. On the other hand, there's no sense rushing into a decision that you might regret"so take your time picking a major, others advise.

About the only certainty is that a decision must be made, and as freshman year slips into sophomore year, the clock begins ticking more audibly. It's true that you shouldn't rush your choice, but you do need to make a decision. Among the many consequences of being undecided are

• Having to tell people you're still undecided when they ask about your major. That gets old very quickly.
• Not knowing what classes to schedule because you don't have a major sequence of classes to follow.
• Waiting too long to decide might make it too hard to fit in all the classes in four years, meaning more time on campus and more tuition to pay.

Selena Moshell (Rollins College) suggests holding off on choosing a major until at least end of the freshman year"after you've had the chance to explore a diverse range of your college's class offerings. "I can't tell you how many of my friends have gone through four years in one major, and then take one class in another major and then regret four years in a major they thought they were set on," she says.