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 “In my experience it might provide better assistance to students if they all were admitted in the 'deciding' category rather than forced to make a selection of a major. I say that because, over the years, I, and I am sure many others, have seen so many students changing majors or, not even remembering why they put a certain major on the college application form while still in the beginning of the senior year of high school.If students were admitted in the 'deciding' category, all would be forced to do interest inventories and major/career searches, they would be forced to talk to Career Center and faculty to gain detailed information regarding possible interests, and make a well-educated selection of the major/career. I believe this would better serve the students and the institution. There would be less switching from department to department, and faculty would be more sure of how many students they have and who those students are.” ~ Carol C. Gilster, Saint Louis University, October 7 “In recent years, I believe that there are many students who are admitted into the 'undecided' category for inappropriate reasons, i.e., their GPA is too low for their desired major (which is especially the case for students desiring teacher certification majors or other restricted majors). These students then remain undecided but are 'closet' majors, hoping to raise their GPA so that they can declare their desired major. For a number of these students, due to the number of credits they have earned and how low their GPAs are, they will never be able to raise their GPA to an adequate level. Intrusive advising must then be implemented to give the student a reality check. However, only a thorough investigation into the records of undecided students to determine courses completed, credits earned, cumulative GPA, etc. can indicate to academic advisers who needs this intrusive advising. Only when the advisers are given the time to do such an intensive 'search to advise' can such a task be completed.However, there are still many students who choose undecided and remain in this category for years for reasons other than inadequate GPA. Some are unmotivated to do the testing and research needed to finally select a major/career. Others don't want to commit to a major that may be contrary to parental desires or employer requirements. Still a few others have the aptitude and desire to follow the path of a number of majors and choosing one means giving up on the dream of another. Finally, the job market is so volatile right now, choosing a major may mean that by the time a student graduates, the job outlook for the associated career may have changed dramatically. The cycle for shortages or gluts in careers seems to be about three years now, fewer than the number of years required to get a bachelor's degree. Although most institutions officially have a limited amount of time that one can remain an undecided student, in my experience, the rule to declare a major is not enforced. It is the institution's responsibility to provide students with information regarding interest inventories, major and career research information, and major/career workshops. I think most institutions could do a better job of following up with undecided students with yearly or bi-yearly letters reminding them of the services available to help them choose a major, while at the same time warning them that the further they get in their college studies, the more likely it is that they may have taken courses that will not fit into the degree requirements of their chosen major. Rather than eliminating the undecided category, students might be better served by making sure they are aware of services available, while enforcing a deadline by which they must officially choose a major.” ~ Linda Bradbury, Kean University, October 8 “The label 'undecided' doesn't tell us what such students are about. It appears from the previous two responses that institutions do not use the name to mean the same thing and do not have the same rules and procedures governing the enrollment of such students. They may be quite capable of making decisions and shouldn't be considered indecisive. A positive name for them is exploratory. If they, and not the institution, have chosen to enroll in such a status, they are saying that they don't know yet what to pick. They know that they want to be college students, but they admit that they don't know yet what curriculum fits what they want to accomplish or how they may do in their courses. They often have decided what curricula won't suit them—'I could never be an xxxx.' 'I don't want to take a lot of courses in xxx.' They may have clear goals, but they need help in researching how to achieve them. In my experience such students can be inquisitive and resourceful in their pursuit of their education. I don't think they are all that 'undecided.' They may have decided to take their time before committing to a given major.”~ Joyce Buck, Penn State, October 23 “I think the indecision is more than just a lack
of desire to commit to a major. Many
freshmen and sophomores are still
operating in a dualistic thinking mode. They
may experience one small thing during
class or while doing homework which
triggers an aversion to that major/field. It is
important that we encourage students to
thoroughly think through their options before
making a decision, even if that decision is to
remain temporarily undecided.”~ Stephanie Moyer, Linfield College, October 25 The Mentor is published by Penn State's Division of Undergraduate Studies Available online at www.psu.edu/dus/mentor/ Privacy and Legal Statements | Copyright | © The Pennsylvania State University | All rights reserved | |
