This past year i have had no clue what i want to major in. I have recently been heavily considering Computer Science but i have no knowledge about computers or programming, i am considering it because i am a problem solver. ive been all around with majors i looked at economics, chrmistry, accounting, civil engineering, and software engineering in addition to CS. As a student myself i am top 15 in my class (size: 120ish maybe more) in mathematics and am a fantastic algebra student and consider myself a good calculus student. In science i was not so hot in biology, but i was the third best student in my grade in regards to regular chemistry and i was basically prepping myself to be a chemical engineering major until i took AP Chemistry which was not so bad but i got a 2 on the AP and ever since then ive been avoiding the subject, and in regards to physics my teacher already thinks ill be a good student on that based on my skills. Id say im a well rounded student with no great strengths except for mathematics and solving problems which is another reason i liked Computer Science but like i said id be a raw student. is anybody in the same boat? i just feel like i cant start looking at colleges until i finally settle on a major and i have to apply to colleges in less than six months. Being Undeclared is not an option for me, and obviously im not intending to ask the community to pick a major for myself i have to make my own decisions, but i just need help/advice, thank you in advance
Why is being undeclared not an option for you?
Maybe we could try approaching this from a different angle. You say you’re a problem solver. What kind of problems do you like solving? Which issues out there in the world would you be interested in fixing? From there you could figure out which majors would at the same time be fun for you and help you move toward that goal / those goals.
Many CS students go into college without any experience, so if you do decide you want to study CS, don’t let that hold you back. However, there are many, many majors that let you solve problems, not just CS, so don’t go for CS purely for that reason.
You say you are good at math. Do you like doing math? If so, you could consider a math or applied math major. Just putting those two out there because, unlike with physics, etc., you didn’t mention them as a possibility.
Seconding the question “Why is being undeclared not an option for you?”
80% of US college students change their major at least once, according to the NCES. So whether you declare now or not, take into consideration the high likelihood that you will change your major anyway.
At some colleges, entering as an undeclared student or in a different major means that it will be very difficult to get into an oversubscribed major, which computer science, business, engineering majors, and economics frequently are. This problem is most common at popular state flagship universities, though other public and private schools can have this problem.
If the OP is really undecided, s/he should look for colleges where changing to any of the majors of interest is administratively not difficult.
@ucbalumnus I thought of that, but OP also says “i just feel like i cant start looking at colleges until i finally settle on a major” so that doesn’t seem to be the reason here.
Can you attribute your poor AP Chemistry exam performance to luck, a bad teacher, poor preparation, or something like that? If you tried your best and had a fair shot/didn’t just have a fluke, and still got a 2, then maybe Chemical Engineering isn’t a good idea. But if it was just a bad day or you know you could’ve prepared better, it may still be an option.
Just to note: Chemical engineering is an incredibly difficult field, and it actually involves more physics and calculus than chemistry. Even being a high ranking math student in your high school is no guarantee that it won’t be difficult for you. It’s the same for other fields of engineering, but especially for chemical, electrical, and aero. That doesn’t mean you can’t try it, but you do have to be committed to working hard.
If you like “math and problem solving”, then yeah, computer science might be a possibility. Your school probably has an introductory computer science class that you can check out without committing to the major long term. For that matter, many departments do - could you take a mix of those classes? It’s especially possible with subjects like economics that more people are inclined to take as electives.