Why It's OK to Be Undecided

By Amanda Olavarria on February 27, 2017

The pressure us college students face is often overwhelming. From the ripe age of 18, we are expected to know not only what college we want to go to, but also what we plan to study for the next four years. We have all these decisions in our hands and the weight of the future on our shoulders.

It can be scary to navigate especially when you have no clue what you want to do with your life. For the longest of times, I too felt this way. I felt as if I had no path and no direction. I looked around me and saw everyone else figuring things out, finding their own calling. I could not help but wonder if I would ever feel that same calling. I wondered if I would ever figure it all out, like those around me did so easily. I wracked my brain long and hard thinking of what I wanted to do, of what would be good enough.

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Every time I thought of choosing a major I would put myself in a frenzy because I was so desperate to figure it all out. I wanted to know not only what I wanted to do, but also how I would do it. In my mind, I needed to figure it out and fast because everyone else already had. Everyone else had plans in mind, and I was wandering through life without so much as a guide or a clue. I felt adrift and completely defeated because I could not make up my mind and decide on a path; meanwhile, everyone else made it seem effortless.

I was an undecided major for my first two years of college because of my reluctance and fear of deciding. However, I do not regret this time or feel that I was in the wrong in any way. What I do regret though is how I let my anxiety harbor all my thoughts and put my brain into a frenzy. Instead of focusing on myself and my own progression I often worried about others who seemed so far ahead of me. I was so scared of falling behind that I stressed myself out unnecessarily.

However, we do not need to feel stressed because even though it sometimes feels like we do not, we truly do have time to ‘figure it out.’ The path to deciding should not include constantly berating yourself for not knowing. Instead, you should be proud of yourself for not settling on something merely because you feel like you have to decide.

You should first take a deep breath and realize that there is no urgency or rush to choose now. Instead of thinking of the big picture, focus on what you like and what you do not. Even figuring out what you do not want to do is helpful in finding what interests you. People often suggested to me to do nursing or engineering and me being a person who did not particularly enjoy math or science, I knew those careers were not for me.

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Start taking different classes and this might strike your interest in a subject you never would have considered before. In fact, it was in my intro communication class, which quickly became my favorite class, that made me decide on my major of communication. I knew I loved writing and the idea of public speaking always did fascinate and impress me.

Be sure to look into different careers that you can get with a certain major. In your search, you may see a career that interests you and that can be a great starting point. Also do not be afraid to talk to different people about their majors and what they want to do, as you may find something they say to be interesting or it might ring a bell with you.

Overall try not to listen too much to other people’s negativity or what they think you should do. People may try to steer you in a direction or tell you what they think you should do, but ultimately it is important to remember it is your decision to make and you have the time to make it.

It might feel scary to be deciding on something which will potentially decide your whole career. However, it is important to trust your instincts and decide on something that feels right now, even if you decide to change it later. Remember choosing your major is nothing to stress over, just like how being undecided is perfectly normal and okay.

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