Undeclared?

Going into college undeclared does not solve the problem that many parents think it will solve. It simply defers the inevitable – deciding what to do for a living. Here is an important question that must be asked: What will the student know a year from now about potential career paths that s/he doesn’t already know? The problem is that undeclared students don’t know what they don’t know. Will they learn what their ideal career path should be by taking a few courses? What if one of those courses is a prerequisite for what would have been a perfect major for the student’s personality but the student disliked that particular course – or simply had a boring professor? Should a student who would have been a great nurse abandon that career goal simply because s/he disliked, or didn’t do well in chemistry? Wouldn’t it be better if the student knew, through testing and professional coaching, that s/he would be a great nurse and that chemistry, regardless of whether the student liked it or not, was a requirement to reach his/her ultimate career passion?

What if the student chooses a major as a result of what his/her friends are pursuing? Is that the way someone should choose a college major, and subsequent career path, that is the best fit for his or her own unique personality?

Most students are undeclared because they are confused, unsure and uninformed about the broad spectrum of careers available in a dynamic job market. Wouldn’t it be better to address that directly with professional advice as opposed to leaving it totally to chance?