University of Memphis students, as young adults, are faced with difficult decisions every day, though no decision can weigh more heavily on their future than their chosen major.
"It's scary having to decide what I want to do for the rest of my life, but I know it will come to me," said Guy Kelley, undecided freshman. "I just want to know I'm making the right decision."
Kelly said he's interested in different areas but he's waiting to understand more about these fields before he makes his decision.
"I want to make sure it's what I want to do before I go into it," he said.
According to spring 2011 U of M enrollment data, there were 2,111 undecided students, including 1,366 freshmen, 579 sophomores, 112 juniors and 54 seniors.
Carl Chando, director of the academic counseling center, said that there are many reasons why students are undecided, ranging from the number of available majors to undeveloped decision-making skills.
"Some students don't realize what it takes to get through a certain major and the obstacles they face," he said. "Others discover that the subject matter is not what they thought it was. Sometimes they discover an area that they've never even considered before."
Chando said that The U of M offers plenty of resources for undecided students to make informed decisions about their career path.
He said the first step is academic counseling. Counselors can offer advice about careers students might be interested in.
"The counselors provide them information about requirements for different majors and what you can do with those majors," he said.
Chando also teaches honors ACAD and said that he sees a strong desire from his students to choose a major.
"Students don't need to feel bad. But at the same time, the sooner they decide, the sooner they graduate," he said.
Morgan Daugherty, undecided freshman, said he hasn't determined his major because he is exploring his options. He said that he's considering pre-law.
Daugherty is enrolled in Chando's honors ACAD class and said that, so far, the class hasn't helped with his decision. As the semester moves along, though, he said he thinks it will help.
Chando said that The U of M also offers career services, employing various tools to aid students in their decision making process.
Undecided freshman Jarvis Morris said he is trying to wait unil the last minute to decide his major and is trying to enjoy school as long as possible.
"It's a choice that's going to be a part of my future," he said. "I'm thinking about nursing or psychology."
Junior computer engineering major Drew Garth said that he's glad about the major he decided on, but wishes he explored more of what The University has to offer.
"It needs to start in high school," he said. "I wish universities would reach out to high schools more and educate students on all the different choices they have."
Garth said he felt somewhat rushed into making his decision, and that could lead to some students making a wrong choice about a career.
"Sometimes its difficult to know what path to take," Garth said. "It's not always clear what you want to do."
