College, while an invigoratingly new experience, is a stressful time for most. There’s a lot of pressure placed on the shoulders of incoming students to have their life figured out — to have a major path already selected and to have their entire future laid out in front of them.
However, this mentality is a damaging one to hold. Most students don’t have an idea of what program of study they want to pursue, let alone what career they want to have for the rest of their lives.
Students holding even a minor note of uncertainty about their plans are better off remaining undecided rather than prematurely selecting a major and experiencing regret later, as they have to start all over again.
Being undecided gives students the freedom to explore a variety of subjects, free of the restrictions of a scripted pathway.
Yet, there is a stigma surrounding the notion of being undecided. According to UNC-Charlotte, the term is typically associated with a student who, for a multitude of reasons, is “unwilling, unable, or unready to make educational decisions.”
In reality, it is the complete opposite. Remaining undecided gives students complete control over discovering where their passion lies instead of feeling forced into making a premature decision.
There is also the option for students to be labeled as undeclared.
Undecided students have not chosen an academic path for their major. Meanwhile, undeclared students have an interest in a specific subject, but haven’t declared a major.
Being undeclared is a good option for students who are unsure what major they want to select, uncertain about job opportunities post-grad for the major they are interested in, caught between multiple major options or have decided that the major they initially chose no longer fits them and are unsure of their next move. Undeclared students usually take courses related to their subject of interest.
At App State, the Academic Advising Center specializes in assisting first-year or undeclared students. Students can schedule an appointment with the earliest available adviser, select the reason for the appointment and choose what days and appointment style are best for their needs.
Being an undeclared student at App State provides a lot of opportunities for those experiencing uncertainty regarding their major choices — App State offers over 200 major choices across a variety of subjects, including all-online or the option for the Hickory Campus as opposed to Boone.
Due to the large range of selections, App State opens its doors as a college fit for exploration and free-roaming of their extensive course catalogue while checking off general education credits. According to U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 Best Colleges, App State is the second top public university in the South.
Being undecided or undeclared should not be a source of shame for any student — it gives students the freedom to consider their interests, contemplate major and minor pathways and think about future careers before making a concrete decision. The independence being undecided or undeclared garners within students allows them to be confident in their major selection later on.
