Amidst the record number of freshmen this year, many have not nailed down which major to specialize in. Instead of picking one, you might have assumed the seemingly shameful title of “undecided.” Maybe you did declare a major but are not passionate about it. You might be worried about making money or just generally unsure.
If any of what I just described is relatable, this article is for you. Upperclassmen have already persevered through these same struggles, and they are excited to share their stories and offer advice.
Adam Kortenhoeven ‘25 remained undecided well into his sophomore year, when he declared an economics major. He still loves economics but attending the Being Human Conference sophomore year inspired him to change his trajectory and declare as an English major with a writing concentration. He stated, “The conference featured Daniel Nayeri, who wrote ‘Everything Sad is Untrue.’ He and other writers talked about what writing meant to them, how it influenced them and what it means to be human. It totally changed my perspective on things.”
Despite this clarifying revelation, Kortenhoeven wishes he’d followed his passion for English from the start. “Being an English major is what God is calling me to, but for me it was like, ‘I’ve always done this, and I don’t want to keep doing this.’ But now this is something I love.”
He recommends that undecided freshmen choose electives with intention, testing their comfort zones—perhaps fulfilling a fine arts credit with an art class, even if you’re not good at it. While Kortenhoeven chose a major that had always been calling to him, you might discover a life changing new passion.
Nicole Graubard ‘25 also changed majors, though she was never technically undecided. She started as a biology major, planning to go to athletic training school. “Athletic trainer is what I do for my work study,” she said. “I work in the training room, and I love it! But I decided it’s not the career path for me.” After her first semester, she declared as a psychology major instead. As a sophomore she switched again, landing on sport management (with minors in coaching and sociology), where she remains to this day.
Graubard said that freshmen shouldn’t be afraid to ask for help. “As a freshman, it’s really intimidating to talk to people because there’s this notion that you have to have everything figured out. And you’re like, ‘I just got out of high school, I don’t know what I want to do!’ I wish I had spoken to our advisors here sooner and been a bit more open about the struggle of trying to figure out what I want to do for the rest of my life.”
Sarah Wynn Caston ‘26 has a similar story. While she was never officially undecided, she originally intended to pursue Interdisciplinary Studies (IDS), focusing on biblical and theological studies (BTS) alongside sociology, philosophy and a music minor. Trying to tackle so many disciplines made her feel overstretched.
She said, “I had a lot of professors telling me I might want to narrow things down …. I had a conversation with Professor Davis specifically, and he spent his whole Christmas break emailing me back and forth.” Dr. Davis talked things out with her and recommended she become either a full BTS or philosophy major, and she committed to philosophy.
Her advice to freshmen is to be proactive in talking to professors, mentors and friends. “People are there to help you if you are willing to say, ‘hey, I need some help.’ If you don’t know what you want to major in, just take classes that can help you do some process of elimination. While you’re in that class, talk to the professor and see what they think about your situation.”
If you are registered as undecided or wavering on the major you declared, hopefully these testimonials will inspire you to talk to advisors and try new classes. Choosing your major can be daunting, but the freedom of having diverse options before you is exciting! There is nothing wrong with taking your time to work things out. This decision will likely impact the rest of your life, so it requires prayer, contemplation and mentorship.