A third of all college students change their majors within the first three years.

Choosing an undergraduate program is easily  the hardest decision a teen may ever take. Even after receiving tons of help through the decision, many students leave school without knowing which major to go for. In the US, students are able to go to college with an undeclared major, meaning that they don´t know exactly what to study, however, they know their area of interest. This means that students are able to take core classes from their branch of interest for approximately two years. After that, they can decide which major to go for and validate the courses that they already took.  Undeclared majors should be implemented in all Colombian universities, as they allow students to take appropriate decisions and use their time wisely.

High school students have many options and tools to decide which undergraduate program to go for. Most universities offer introduction classes to students before they go into college. “My EAFIT class consists on international business, I take it with three other people from my school, we go to the university on tuesdays at night. We learn about international business and we do it through group activities,” Simon Escobar, TCS student said. Other local universities such as CES and EIA, also offer this one semester introduction class to any future students. Seniors also take a test, in which they are told their strongest areas of interest. “Many of them are confident with their decision, they have appointments with the career deans of their interest. They also do semilleros or pasantias which means you take one class for a whole semester and understand whether you like it or not,” Maria Teresa, High School College Advisor states.

Even though it seems like a lot of support, seniors are in a constant rush to take this huge decision as pressure acts upon them. According to a major study conducted by YouthTruth only 45% of 175,000 high schoolers know confidently what career they would like to study.  A report made by the Department’s National Center for Education Statistics found out that, 33 percent of bachelor’s degree students which entered college in 2012 changed their mind on the degree by 2014. Also, 28 percent of students in associate degrees changed their mind in the same period of time.  Colombia´s educational system is different to the one implemented in the United States. None of Colombia´s 289 universities offer Undeclared Major programs, owing a major disadvantage.

The Columbus School seniors visibly understand that not all of them are going to take the right decision once they leave school.   “Many of my senior classmates are not confident deciding what they want to study. They know their area of interest but they are not sure which major will be best for them,” Maria Quintero, TCS senior said. Undeclared majors would be very beneficial, they can help students by giving them extra time and allow them to find themselves and their true passion. Colombian universities should implement them for the benefit of their students. This programs will encourage a wise use of time, as they can validate their classes. It will help all students to take the best possible decision and guarantee satisfaction at their work field.