It’s safe to say, none of us college students really know what we’re going to do with our lives. In fact, a 2013 analysis by Liberty Street Economics demonstrated that, of all Americans employed with a bachelor’s degree, only 27% of them work in a field relevant to their major.
While this seems discouraging at first, this study also mentions that more than half of college graduates are in an occupation that requires a degree. Whether we like it or not, this reaffirms the age-old wisdom that going to college helps with finding more secure and higher-paying jobs.
So, what does this mean for Mavs with an undeclared major? Well, like most universities, Colorado Mesa University (CMU) recommends that students seeking a bachelor’s degree select their major by the start of their sophomore year. However, the “Choosing a Major” section of CMU’s website mentions “Undecided Major Holds,” which implies that a student cannot register for classes after a certain point without having declared their major.
With this recommendation in mind and the hopes of being able to complete your degree as soon as possible, I would suggest that you pick a major by the end of your freshman year.
This can seem intimidating, but considering that 27% previously mentioned, you can take some solace in the fact that you’re only really picking your major in order to complete your degree.
Of course, there are some professions that are much easier to enter with a specialized degree, such as engineering, construction management or computer science. However, the applicant’s experiences in the field and personal connections can be just as influential.
This importance of experience in the field and extracurricular involvements holds even more weight in professions such as business, medicine and law. According to the Law School Admission Council’s 2018-2019 applicant report, the most popular applicant major was political science. Yet, there are well over twenty different majors with a higher acceptance rate, including French, Spanish, biology, and religious studies.
The diversity of these undergraduate applicants might seem random at first, but they all have one thing in common: their majors are based on their passions. Majoring in something you’re truly interested in is critical to post-graduate success, as it empowers you to go above and beyond with your work and sets you apart from all of the other candidates.
As previously mentioned, getting involved outside of your classes is another essential way to best prepare yourself for the post-graduation world. This is especially true for joining organizations and volunteer services related to your passions and interests.
In the end, there’s no harm in majoring in biology if you want to go to medical school, or political science if you want to get into law school.
Although, you shouldn’t let that limit your options in college, as it is one of the best opportunities to expand your horizons.
Perhaps as an English major, I am a little biased, but as long as we work hard in and outside of the classroom, us Mavs out there unsure of what the right major is will end up doing just fine. The major is simply one piece of the entire puzzle.
