It’s Perfectly Reasonable to be “Undecided”

By Grace Carballo ‘17

I entered USC as an Undecided Major and I hope to exit triumphantly next spring with 2 majors and 2 minors, pending how some of my abroad credits transfer in.  Though I do not work in the Admissions Office, I do in fact, know almost all of the majors USC offers simply because I’ve considered declaring most of them.

With a few rare exceptions, I think it’s safe to say that most 18 year olds do not know exactly what they want to be doing when they’re 30 or 40. And those who think they know, might change their mind and they might not know what degree will help them get to that career aspiration.

When I applied to USC as an Undecided Major I was nervous about what that might say about me to those in Admissions. Was I “flighty” like a former high school counselor once suggested? 

Was I going to finish in four years (or ever) if I just aimlessly took whatever course tickled my fancy? 

Did being an Undecided Major completely undermine what little credibility I held?

Another school I applied to didn’t list “Undecided” as a choice amongst their majors, but instead had the option for “Multi-Interested” which I think sums up much more clearly what most Undecided Majors truly embody. They have not yet determined one specific major because so many different ones interest them. 

If you’re coming into USC Class of 2020 as an Undecided Major, I salute you. I’ve been there and I’ve done that and after some initial insecurity about it, I flaunted my Undecided Major proudly for nearly all of my freshman year. 

The world is your oyster. You should be exciting about all the possibilities you have open to you! I mean just check out this gorgeous list and don’t rule out the possibility of adding one of the 150 minors at USC for a sweet combination.

http://catalogue2014.usc.edu/undergraduate/degree-programs-list/

Many of my fellow Trojans have changed their majors, some several times. Some wish they had. Undecided Majors are just more upfront about their uncertainty.

Although to graduate, you will have to declare one eventually (ideally before or during your fourth semester at the latest), there’s no reason to rush to a decision. 

Likewise, there’s no reason to feel that once you’ve declared something, you are locked in to that and only that. 

One of the main reasons I chose USC is the flexibility it offers it students and the ease we can study completely different fields in completely different schools. (I have two Dornsife majors at present, a minor in Price School of Public Policy and a minor in the School of Cinematic Arts and none of my advisors have so much as batted an eye at this combo.)

 Many different and surprising foods pair well with peanut butter and likewise, so many different majors and minors make really exciting combinations.

If you’re starting the decision process and wanting to declare in the near future, here’s my advice.

First, print out the list of majors at USC. Cross out the ones that you know you are not interested in. For me, that was mostly engineering-related ones, science majors, and theater. Really cool and rewarding for some, but not for me. You know yourself best.

Next, highlight the majors that interest you most. I narrowed it down to 10 and felt like that was a much more manageable number.

Third, look at the requirements for these classes and see what interests you most.

Fourth, talk to your Undecided Advisor. Before the meeting right down any questions you may have so you get as much out of it as possible.

Fifth, if you have a specific career that interests you, talk to the Career Center about what majors can lead you in that direction. I feel it’s important to note that I know a great many adults who work in fields completely distinct from what they studied in college but if you want some reassurance, definitely talk to the Career experts.

And finally, take an introductory class for the major or a GE with a similar theme. (I took a Communications Class and though I loved the course, realized that major wasn’t for me. I took an I.R. Gen Ed course and realized I wanted a major related to International Relations and went with Global Studies. )

I wish you joy in the journey of choosing a major, an open mind, and a sense of humor. It’s an adventure and adds a little flavor to your college experience. Remember it’s absolutely normal to be Undecided and it’s always better to have many interests than to have none. 

Fight on and don’t fret,

Grace Carballo ‘17 (proud former Undecided Major, currently Undecided in a number of other aspects of life)

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