I have a friend who has NO IDEA what his major is.  Or what school he wants to transfer to.  He does know, however, that he wants to earn a bachelor's degree.  What should I, I mean, what should he, do?
Answer:  Your friend is not unique.  Many students at Triton College are trying to make up their minds about what their major should be.  That's ok.  One of the advantages of community colleges is that they allow you to experiment at a very reasonable cost.  In the long run, experimenting with a variety of classes and subjects helps undecided students to make a good choice at a reasonable cost.  But remember, being undecided does have some costs. 

One cost is that you will be taking classes during your experimentation phase that you pay for but may not finish.  Another cost is that some of your courses may not transfer.  Even courses designed to transfer may not necessarily work for the major or school you eventually decide on.  Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the cost of being undecided is that sometimes, undecided students - those who do not have a goal - quit.  That is the biggest danger and cost. 

Being undecided is akin to floating on a raft on a wide and unpredictable river.  There you are, on your raft, never knowing what's going to happen next; what obstacles are up ahead; what you should be doing, or even why you're doing what your doing.  If the river is placid, you may need to paddle to keep moving; on the other hand, there could be rapids that toss and turn, and perhaps, dump you.  You never know where you'll end up or what shape you'll be in when you arrive.  On the other hand, your decided friends have a goal.  They know that to get where they want to be, they must follow a steady course; use the river currents to help them get to where they want to be; steer clear of dangerous rapids; be willing to paddle furiously when they see their landing spot; even get a little wet if they really have to. 

Being undecided isn't bad, but it does make it more difficult for you. The best advice for an undecided student is that you should still map out a plan and have, as your goal, completing the IAI core curriculum in the Associate of Arts degree as outlined in the Triton College catalog.  This will get you through the first three semesters if you are a full-time student taking twelve credit hours per semester.  Use this time wisely to earn as a high a GPA as possible.  Do not withdraw from classes unless  necessary.  The only thing that looks worse than a slew of withdrawals are F's and D's.  Use this time wisely and work like heck to figure out a major and a transfer school.  After all, it's so hard to explain to yourself what you're doing in a math class three times a week when you hate math and you don't know why you're in the stupid class to begin with! 

For help choosing a major, go to majors and careers

 home