Just because I’m undeclared doesn’t mean I lack ambition

People have told me time and time again that it’s okay to be undeclared as a freshman — a majority of college students will change their major at least once, so being undeclared until completely sure just saves a bit of hassle that comes along with the re-declaration process. However, I am a freshman who is undeclared, and I have no intentions of declaring by the end of this academic year. As I near the end of this year, I have gotten more and more side-eyed looks and dumb comments about the fact that I’m undeclared.

To all the haters: Just because I plan on staying undeclared doesn’t mean I have no idea what I want to do with my life. As a freshman applying to Ross, I don’t really have the ability to declare yet, just because everything is dependent on that oh-so-important Ross application and my admission decision, which will only come out over the summer after I complete my freshman year. Nevertheless, I have still heard some really dumb things from other people about my lack of declaration.

So do you just not have any idea what you want to do with your life?

What I want to say: I have no idea. At all. How did you guess?

What I actually say: Some freshmen may originally be in that boat. However, I would imagine most undeclared majors have some idea of what they want to do after college — it’s just a matter of what major would help them get to that point. Some people are just naturally undecided and may be going back and forth between a couple of potential majors, but that doesn’t mean they have no idea what they want to do with their life.

How could you go through an entire year (or longer) of just taking random classes?

The ol’ point-and-pick method

What I want to say: Yes, I picked my classes for each semester by pointing my finger at a class on a long list of all of the classes offered at UMich during this semester.

What I actually say: My interests lie in a few subjects, so I’ve been focusing on those so I can evaluate my interest after. It’s not that I have absolutely no idea what I want to do, it’s that I want to know what subject I’m the most passionate about so I can actually enjoy the jobs I have for the rest of my life.

Won’t you graduate late since you’ll need extra semesters to finish all of the requirements?

What I want to say: Yes of course, I’ll be stuck in college forever just because I went through two semesters without declaring!

What I actually say: Once again, I have a pretty good idea of potential majors that have some overlap, so I’ve been spending this year getting rid of some of the prerequisites for each of those majors. I’ve also been taking the time this year to take care of some of my distribution credits, so as long as I try a little bit harder to plan out my classes for the rest of my time in college as soon as I declare, it will definitely be possible to graduate on time, just like everyone else.

Advising centers – the place where decisions are (sometimes) made

You’re never going to figure out what you want to do just through introductory courses

What I want to say: We have to take more than just introductory courses? I was planning on taking introductory courses throughout college!

What I actually say: First of all, I’ve definitely been taking more than just introductory courses. Second, unlike what you may believe, I do actually have some sort of plan for the classes I take during college — it may not be as defined as yours because I am still undeclared, but it’s not like I have absolutely no idea what I want to do with my life. Either way, the lack of complete planning means I have some wiggle room in case I do decide to switch majors. As for the people who have planned out every class they’re going to take each semester during college: what happens if you decide to switch your major?

What is my major? You’ll probably never know!

The moral of the story here is that college is an investment — you have to make the most of it. Listening to others put you down because of your major or lack thereof just makes them stupid, not you. You are the only person who knows what you want to do with your life, what your goals and aspirations are.

So you do you, and whether that involves declaring right away or waiting until much later to declare, don’t worry about the dumb things people might judge you for or what they might tell you to do.