<p>Have they decided on a particular major or undecided?</p>
<p>When my son started college last fall, he had no idea what he wanted to study. His faculty advisor just had him sign up for classes to get some of his core requirements out of the way. Now it is nearing the end of freshman year and he has finally decided what he wants to major in.</p>
<p>I wasn’t really too concerned when he was undecided. It’s hard to know how you want to spend the rest of your life when you’re only 18.</p>
<p>Mechanical Engineering. Taking her math placement test as we speak.</p>
<p>Bio-Chem–pre-med and math/actuarial science</p>
<p>Mechanical Engineering</p>
<p>Bioengineering…or maybe Chemical Engineering. But I wouldn’t be surprised if she switched to Neuroscience.</p>
<p>Biomedical - either pre-med or research.</p>
<p>But she is open to the reality that many kids change their major - and more than once - during college. Her brother started as a business major (accounting) and is now a double major in business and film - with a desire to do film production. He has an internship this summer in NY city in the film industry which is exciting.</p>
<p>So looking at him she realizes that this isn’t an all or nothing decision - she has options.</p>
<p>It would be more interesting if you asked parents of older kids what their kids’ declared majors were as freshmen, and what they actually majored in. </p>
<p>Oldest is graduating next month. Started as Bio/premed. Graduating with double major in English and Anthropology.</p>
<p>Second is finishing second year. Started as undeclared, leaning towards English. Is now premed with bio major and minors in chem and business.</p>
<p>S knew he wanted to study computer science going in, and he’s still on that path. But he decided this year that he may couple that with psychology.</p>
<p>DD enrolled in college as a undeclared arts and sciences major. Fact is…MOST college students change majors at LEAST one time, usually more, during the four years they are in undergrad school.</p>
<p>And most schools do not require declaration of a major until end of sophomore year (and YES I know engineers have a sequence that starts freshman year).</p>
<p>I’d have to agree with thumper. Lots and lots of kids change their minds, often more than once. If the didn’t, we’d be swimming in MDs and engineers! My oldest changed her major. Unfortunately, it’s a heavily sequenced major, and that meant summer school to catch a prereq and stay on track to graduate in four years.</p>
<p>S1 (who is a college freshman now) did his whole college search with the thought of majoring in theoretical physics. At summer orientation and registration, he didn’t register for one single physics class, and when I asked about this, he said he’d changed his mind and wanted to study economics. So now, he’s an economics major (well, not declared yet) and wants to minor in math… with his eye on grad school.
S2 will be a college freshman this fall. His whole search has been geared toward poli sci, now he wants international studies and German. He is aiming for law school.
I just don’t think you can count on it until they formally declare their major.</p>
<p>Of course it was a zillion years ago ~ but when I starting thinking, in earnest, about graduating, I sort-of laid out all my classes in front of me and asked, “what major does this look like?” Went through the course catalogue and picked a major that would get-me-out. Must have been about junior year since I did manage to graduate on time. I didn’t go to an advisor, ever.</p>
<p>Oldest D went into college wanting Creative Writing and Psychology and graduated with a double major in Creative Writing and Psychology</p>
<p>Middle S went in wanting to major in Math, changed toward beginning of freshman year to Exercise Science. Will graduate in one year in Exercise Science</p>
<p>Youngest S (will be a freshman fall 2013) planning to major in Political Science minor in History. But one year ago if you had asked him he was set on Music Business/Music Industry. He could definitely change again</p>