<p>I plan to do engineering in college, but I have very little idea which kind. Princeton engineering students have to declare a major at the end of freshman year. Does it seem rushed or anything to decide a major in just under a year?</p>
<p>You have to declare a major, but it’s a pretty tentative declaration. IMO, it’s pretty easy to switch majors. This is particularly true if you’re switching from one engineering major to another but also true if you’re switching in or out of engineering. I had friends who switched into engineering well after freshman year and others who switched out (generally easier). Princeton is a pretty flexible place (sometimes too flexible; you’ll have enough rope to hang yourself).</p>
<p>The one thing that you probably should do (as common sense would suggest) is to make sure you take your basic Math, Physics, etc. courses freshman year and take intro courses in the engineering disciplines that particularly interest you. That’ll let you come to a decision sooner and ramp up faster in your major once you do, and it’s probably an achievable goal for freshman year.</p>