The Undecided Undertaking: Why it’s ok to not declare a major

Who says you have to have it all figured out? If you’re anything like I was my senior year of high school, you may have no idea what you’re doing or where you want to go. But that’s totally cool. Lucky for you and me, Le Moyne LOVES undeclared students. Le Moyne seeks to educate “the whole person” through a Jesuit and liberal arts education– “an education of mind, body and soul.” At Le Moyne, undeclared doesn’t mean unfocused or even unconventional. Being undeclared can introduce you to an unbounded world of possibility. Here are 4 things you can expect if you enter Le Moyne as an undeclared student.

1. You won’t be alone
   About 15% of freshmen enter Le Moyne as undeclared, so you’re definitely not the only who isn’t sure what they want to do. Actually, almost everyone is unsure. Roughly 75% of students change their major at least once during their college career. And I can tell you that probably half of my friends have changed their major at least once. As long as you’re putting the work and time in, college gives you the flexibility to learn what you’re good at and what you like to do.
2. You’ll be required to take an advising class your first semester
   It’s not so much a class as it is a regular meeting with an advisor and other undeclared students; but it’s the college’s way of making sure you’re on track. The Student Success Center staff is totally committed to helping you in any way they can, and they truly enjoy helping you on your way. These regular meetings mostly consist of a little extra support and direction to help you plan your path through college and to make sure you have an active academic involvement even though you haven’t declared a major yet. While you may think they’re unnecessary or annoying, they’re actually a great way to meet other people who are in the same boat as you. A lot of students make friend groups through their program of study, and you may worry that you’ll be left out; however, I met one of my best friends when she sat next to me in our undeclared advising class, and we’re still close 4 years later!
3. The Student Success Center can be your best friend
   While you’ll be assigned a specific advisor to help you with coordinating classes and deciding on a major, all the people in this office are a golden resource, and really do want to help you succeed at something you truly enjoy doing. Feel free to email or meet with you advisor or the other advisors in the office whenever you have a question or concern. Even just chatting about what you enjoy doing and what career paths you could have in the future may help you decide on a major or course of study.
4. You won’t be expected to declare until sophomore year
   While you may be thinking, “sweet I have two more years to figure it out,” don’t just push it to the back of your mind. If you haven’t prepared, that deadline will hit hard and you’ll most likely re-experience a lot of the panic and pressure that you feel right now; you don’t want to try to cram your whole college career into your junior and senior years–that’ll be one major headache. Be ACTIVE. Explore your options, take any classes you’re interested in, stay on track with your core curriculum and talk to anyone and everyone you can about what they’re doing and why they like it; try to take steps towards a specific program of study ahead of time

Written by: Claire Nakoski, Communications major