More than 25 percent of the University of Memphis students are undecided, undeclared, prenursing or nursing, according to an analysis by The Daily Helmsman. (Photo/graph by Jonathan Capriel)
Sixteen-year-old Philip Deaton, a high school junior at Memphis University School, is more than a year away from college.
And yet on an almost weekly basis, adults ask him what he’s going to do with his life.
“I usually just say I’m thinking about pre-med or business,†Deaton said. “But I really don’t know.â€
Deaton is one of thousands of adolescents undecided on a career path, as 80 percent of college-bound students have yet to pick a major, according to NBC news.
This wide-spread indecision and hesitance often leads to pressure to pick a degree and stress for the students.
“There’s a little bit,†Deaton said. “I feel like I should have some idea, because my sister did at this point. She knew what she wanted to do.â€
Colleges often bring in programs to inform students on different careers to aid students in the decision making process.
In elementary school, career days are hosted. While in middle school, students take personality tests that place them within a certain profession.
Results can be almost anything, from hotel management to bricklaying. These programs can be a help for some and a hindrance for others.
Quinn Mulroy, 17, is a White Station High School senior who’s had his heart set on filmmaking for years.
He doesn’t want a test telling him what to do with his life.
“Coming from somebody who knows what they’ve wanted to do since they were six or seven, I think it’s stupid that in second grade they have these career days,†Mulroy said. “Then you get to 7th or 8th grade andthey’re telling you what your career should be.â€
If high schoolers are concerned about their future, one can only wonder how undecided college students must feel.
Nearly 16 percent of entering University of Memphis students are undecided or undeclared when they start college, according to the University of Memphis’ Office of Institutional Research.
Hannah Jones, 19, is a freshman at the University of Memphis. As a teaching all learners major, she realized halfway through her first semester she wanted to change her major to middle school education.
Unfortunately, she’s worried she’ll be playing catch-up.
“I think about that every day,†Jones said of potentially falling behind. “I know some of the courses specifically for your major are vastly different in different educational programs. And with my minor, I don’t know if I’ll be able to handle the workload.â€
Switching majors isn’t the end of the world. Vanessa Brocks, an academic counselor at the University of Memphis, said that switching majors, especially if done early on, isn’t a big deal.
“I tell people that a lot of students change their majors,†Brocks said. “I was one of those students. I’m probably on career number whatever.â€
And if they are still stressed about a major change, students can simply look to Ruth Hull, 20, a University of Memphis senior who will graduate in December.
Unhappy with her nursing major, she switched to communications halfway through her junior year and benefited from the change.
“I had a lot of upper elective classes because of nursing,†Hull said. “And I actually cut a semester off.â€
And Hull has advice for students who are considering a new major.
“I would ultimately weigh your options and find what makes you happy,†Hull said. “And don’t be afraid to seek advice from the counselors. They’re here for our help.â€
