7 answers
Eden
Student
Falls Church, Virginia
1
Question
Updated
455 views
How do you find out what you will major in? What are the advantages of going to college as undecided as an incoming college freshman
What are the risks you need to take to dual or even triple major. I am going to college undecided and I have a wide range of interests and I am really overwhelmed by what the future holds. I am passionate about math and biology; however, I really don't know how to utilize my likes into an actual profession. I would like to major in biology and finance while minoring in language and business. I might even major in other subjects that are not listed above. I would like to know what the hardships and hard parts of learning each course in college are and the fun and interesting aspects of it. I want to get the answer from an actual person who has gone through the process of figuring what they want to major in and people who have seen what it takes to be in either finance, business, anesthesiology, dentistry, and many more. Thank you ! #Spring26
Login to comment
7 answers
Paranjyoti Lahkar
Data Scientist
8
Answers
Falls Church, Virginia
Updated
Paranjyoti’s Answer
Feeling overwhelmed is common among students. Instead of trying to have everything figured out, focus on exploring options and making informed decisions over time.
Choosing Your Major
Think of this as testing, not guessing:
1. Take introductory courses in subjects like math, biology, or finance.
2. Pay attention to:
- What you enjoy learning
- What challenges you're willing to tackle (every field has tough parts)
3. Talk to:
- Professors
- Older students
- Professionals (through job shadowing or interviews)
Remember, a good major is something you enjoy and can stick with even when it gets tough.
Benefits of Starting Undecided
1. You can explore different fields before committing.
2. There's less risk of needing to switch majors later, which can delay graduation.
3. You make more informed choices based on real experiences.
For someone with varied interests, starting undecided is a smart move.
Risks of Double or Triple Majoring
While it sounds impressive, consider these downsides:
1. Heavy workload means less time to focus deeply on one area.
2. Scheduling conflicts can make it harder to graduate on time.
3. Less time for internships or research, which are important for careers.
4. Risk of burnout.
Usually, a major plus a minor or, at most, a double major is more practical and valuable.
Understanding Different Paths
Biology (pre-med, dentistry, anesthesiology)
Challenges:
- Lots of memorization (like anatomy and biochemistry)
- Long-term commitment (med/dental school and training)
Rewards:
- Direct impact on health
- Hands-on learning (labs and clinical exposure)
Math
Challenges:
- Abstract thinking (proofs and theory)
- Sometimes feels less practical
Rewards:
- Strong problem-solving skills
- Opportunities in data science, finance, and tech
Finance/Business
Challenges:
- Competitive (networking and internships are crucial)
- Less structured than pre-med paths
Rewards:
- Real-world applications (markets, investing, strategy)
- High earning potential and diverse career options
Connecting Interests to Careers
You don't have to choose just one path. Consider overlap options:
- Math + Finance → quantitative finance, data science
- Biology + Math → bioinformatics, biotech
- Biology + Business → healthcare management, pharma
- Finance + Tech → fintech
The best careers often combine different fields.
Approaching Your First Year
1. First Semester: Take 2–3 intro classes (e.g., biology, economics/finance, math).
2. Second Semester: Focus on the subjects you enjoyed and did well in.
3. Summer: Gain experience through internships, shadowing, or projects.
Final Thoughts
Don't aim for the perfect combination of majors. Instead, focus on:
- Clarity (what fits you)
- Sustainability (what you can manage long-term)
- Opportunity (skills and experience)
Stay curious and intentional, and your path will become clearer sooner than you think.
Choosing Your Major
Think of this as testing, not guessing:
1. Take introductory courses in subjects like math, biology, or finance.
2. Pay attention to:
- What you enjoy learning
- What challenges you're willing to tackle (every field has tough parts)
3. Talk to:
- Professors
- Older students
- Professionals (through job shadowing or interviews)
Remember, a good major is something you enjoy and can stick with even when it gets tough.
Benefits of Starting Undecided
1. You can explore different fields before committing.
2. There's less risk of needing to switch majors later, which can delay graduation.
3. You make more informed choices based on real experiences.
For someone with varied interests, starting undecided is a smart move.
Risks of Double or Triple Majoring
While it sounds impressive, consider these downsides:
1. Heavy workload means less time to focus deeply on one area.
2. Scheduling conflicts can make it harder to graduate on time.
3. Less time for internships or research, which are important for careers.
4. Risk of burnout.
Usually, a major plus a minor or, at most, a double major is more practical and valuable.
Understanding Different Paths
Biology (pre-med, dentistry, anesthesiology)
Challenges:
- Lots of memorization (like anatomy and biochemistry)
- Long-term commitment (med/dental school and training)
Rewards:
- Direct impact on health
- Hands-on learning (labs and clinical exposure)
Math
Challenges:
- Abstract thinking (proofs and theory)
- Sometimes feels less practical
Rewards:
- Strong problem-solving skills
- Opportunities in data science, finance, and tech
Finance/Business
Challenges:
- Competitive (networking and internships are crucial)
- Less structured than pre-med paths
Rewards:
- Real-world applications (markets, investing, strategy)
- High earning potential and diverse career options
Connecting Interests to Careers
You don't have to choose just one path. Consider overlap options:
- Math + Finance → quantitative finance, data science
- Biology + Math → bioinformatics, biotech
- Biology + Business → healthcare management, pharma
- Finance + Tech → fintech
The best careers often combine different fields.
Approaching Your First Year
1. First Semester: Take 2–3 intro classes (e.g., biology, economics/finance, math).
2. Second Semester: Focus on the subjects you enjoyed and did well in.
3. Summer: Gain experience through internships, shadowing, or projects.
Final Thoughts
Don't aim for the perfect combination of majors. Instead, focus on:
- Clarity (what fits you)
- Sustainability (what you can manage long-term)
- Opportunity (skills and experience)
Stay curious and intentional, and your path will become clearer sooner than you think.
I am really grateful you took the time to answer this question.
Eden
Eddy H
Consultant
56
Answers
Seattle, Washington
Updated
Eddy’s Answer
This is honestly a really exciting time for you, even if it doesn’t feel like it yet. You’re at the stage where you get to figure things out, and that’s a huge part of what college is for. It’s actually very common to start university unsure of your major or to come in undeclared, so you’re not behind at all. One of the biggest advantages of being undecided is flexibility: during your freshman year, you can take classes across your interests and start noticing what genuinely excites you versus what just sounded good in theory. That trial-and-error process is incredibly valuable. For example, I’ve seen people go in pre-med and then realize they loved something completely different after exposure to new subjects, which ultimately led them to a better-fitting path. That’s the real benefit of staying open early on.
At the same time, it’s worth being realistic about trying to dual or triple major. It’s possible, but it comes with tradeoffs. You’re taking on a heavy workload, tighter schedules, and less room to explore or even just breathe. The “risk” isn’t just difficulty. It’s burnout or not having enough time to go deep in any one area.
The good news is that your interests actually connect more than you might think. Math + biology can lead to fields like biostatistics, biotech, or healthcare analytics. Biology + finance could point toward healthcare consulting, pharma business roles, or even managing medical practices. You don’t have to lock into a perfect combination right now—college is where you start connecting those dots.
It’s completely okay to feel overwhelmed and unsure. That’s not a sign something’s wrong, it’s a sign you’re actually thinking seriously about your future. A huge part of college is figuring out who you are and who you want to become, and that doesn’t happen all at once.
Focus on exploring, paying attention to what energizes you, and giving yourself permission to change direction. You don’t need to have everything figured out right now. I’m wishing you all the best in your future endeavors!
At the same time, it’s worth being realistic about trying to dual or triple major. It’s possible, but it comes with tradeoffs. You’re taking on a heavy workload, tighter schedules, and less room to explore or even just breathe. The “risk” isn’t just difficulty. It’s burnout or not having enough time to go deep in any one area.
The good news is that your interests actually connect more than you might think. Math + biology can lead to fields like biostatistics, biotech, or healthcare analytics. Biology + finance could point toward healthcare consulting, pharma business roles, or even managing medical practices. You don’t have to lock into a perfect combination right now—college is where you start connecting those dots.
It’s completely okay to feel overwhelmed and unsure. That’s not a sign something’s wrong, it’s a sign you’re actually thinking seriously about your future. A huge part of college is figuring out who you are and who you want to become, and that doesn’t happen all at once.
Focus on exploring, paying attention to what energizes you, and giving yourself permission to change direction. You don’t need to have everything figured out right now. I’m wishing you all the best in your future endeavors!
Thanks for the help.
Eden
Brandon Dang
244
Answers
Seattle, Washington
Updated
Brandon ’s Answer
I think if you are having trouble deciding, I would suggest speaking with some people that are already going into that degree. Sometimes getting broader perspectives from other people is worth exploring to see if that college major path is for you or not.
You could also look up online to see if you can find alumni's with specific degrees to see how they are deciding on jobs using that degree.
You could also look up online to see if you can find alumni's with specific degrees to see how they are deciding on jobs using that degree.
Thank you!
Eden
Di An
Consulting
20
Answers
Raleigh, North Carolina
Updated
Di’s Answer
Hi Eden - it's great that you have many interests and you are going into college undecided. A lot of times even people going in with a clear vision of what they want to do end up changing majors a few times. I would recommend taking advantage of the foundational courses and look at what interests you and what meets requirements, and try to explore a few different things to see what you are most excited to learn. You should also talk to upper classmen across the different majors you are interested in and learn more about their experience, especially from internships. Make sure you have a good sense of timeline of when you need to commit to a specific major or minor to maximize the experience/time to take courses, for the most part, you have at least the first semester to figure it out. Best of luck!
Abigail Miller
Actor, Business Consultant
13
Answers
Chicago, Illinois
Updated
Abigail’s Answer
I really relate to your question because I went through a lot of this myself in college. I changed my major three or four times, even pretty late into my sophomore year, so I know what it feels like to have a lot of interests and feel overwhelmed by the pressure to “pick the right thing.”
I ultimately ended up not just double majoring, but earning two separate degrees at the same time: a B.S. in Business with a major in Supply Chain and a B.A. in Criminal Justice with a minor in Spanish. It was hard, but I loved both areas and could not bring myself to give either one up, so I built a path that let me study both. My school advisors were amazing in helping me to find classes I could take, and I sometimes had to work directly with professors to make it happen. For example, I was once in a Spanish class the ended 5 minutes before my Business class started, and the building were across campus! My Spanish teacher allowed me to leave 10 minutes early, and my business professor was understanding if I occasionally came in a few minutes late. But it took some serious teamwork with the faculty.
There were also amazing benefits to my decision: I made great friends across different parts of campus, met wonderful mentors, had so many interesting academic experiences, and ended up with a great job after college. But there were also very real tradeoffs: I took over 20 credit hours my senior year, stayed an extra summer semester, and sometimes had less time to just relax and be a kid. In hindsight, I am okay with those choices because they helped shape who I am, but I do think it is important to be honest with yourself about what you are gaining and what you may be giving up. There were a lot of athletic events, parties, tailgates, and other social things I simply couldn't attend because I had homework or exams for all of my classes.
To your next point: going into college undecided can actually be a strength, not a weakness, because it gives you time to explore before locking yourself into a path. Since you are interested so many fields, I would look for careers that sit at the intersection of your interests instead of assuming you have to choose only one. For example, biology and math can connect to medicine, dentistry, public health, biotech, bioinformatics, research, or healthcare analytics, while biology and finance could connect to healthcare consulting, hospital administration, pharmaceutical business, or investing in life sciences companies.
The hard part is that college classes move faster and go deeper than high school classes, so biology may involve heavy memorization, labs, and long-term study habits, while finance and business may require strong quantitative thinking, problem-solving, and comfort making decisions with imperfect information. The fun part is that you get to test what actually energizes you: not just what sounds interesting on paper, but what you enjoy learning about even when it gets hard.
My biggest advice is to explore intentionally and not overload yourself too quickly just because you are capable. A major, a minor, internships, research, clubs, shadowing, and strong relationships with professors can sometimes open just as many doors as multiple majors. You do not need to have your entire future figured out right now; you just need to keep gathering information, asking good questions, and paying attention to which subjects and environments make you feel curious, challenged, and excited.
I will say, my experience is that if you want to graduate in the standard 4 years without requiring extra semesters, try to have your path figured out by the end of first semester sophomore year. Any major changes after that have a real potential of delaying your graduation, and costing more money to stay longer. Trust me. I figured that one out the hard way.
Make a list of your top 5 interests and match each one to possible careers. For example: biology could connect to medicine, dentistry, research, or biotech; finance could connect to banking, consulting, corporate finance, or healthcare business.
Meet with an academic advisor early and ask about requirements. Specifically ask what it would take to major in biology, finance, business, or language, and whether double majoring or dual degreeing would require extra semesters or summer classes.
Take a balanced first-year schedule. Try one science class, one quantitative/business class, one general education class, and maybe one language or elective so you can compare how different subjects actually feel in college.
Talk to real people in the paths you are considering. Reach out to upperclassmen, professors, pre-health advisors, business students, dentists, doctors, or finance professionals and ask what their day-to-day work or coursework is actually like.
Pay attention to tradeoffs, not just possibilities. Before adding another major or minor, ask yourself: Will this help my goals? Can I handle the workload? Will it affect my finances, graduation timeline, mental health, or ability to enjoy college?
I ultimately ended up not just double majoring, but earning two separate degrees at the same time: a B.S. in Business with a major in Supply Chain and a B.A. in Criminal Justice with a minor in Spanish. It was hard, but I loved both areas and could not bring myself to give either one up, so I built a path that let me study both. My school advisors were amazing in helping me to find classes I could take, and I sometimes had to work directly with professors to make it happen. For example, I was once in a Spanish class the ended 5 minutes before my Business class started, and the building were across campus! My Spanish teacher allowed me to leave 10 minutes early, and my business professor was understanding if I occasionally came in a few minutes late. But it took some serious teamwork with the faculty.
There were also amazing benefits to my decision: I made great friends across different parts of campus, met wonderful mentors, had so many interesting academic experiences, and ended up with a great job after college. But there were also very real tradeoffs: I took over 20 credit hours my senior year, stayed an extra summer semester, and sometimes had less time to just relax and be a kid. In hindsight, I am okay with those choices because they helped shape who I am, but I do think it is important to be honest with yourself about what you are gaining and what you may be giving up. There were a lot of athletic events, parties, tailgates, and other social things I simply couldn't attend because I had homework or exams for all of my classes.
To your next point: going into college undecided can actually be a strength, not a weakness, because it gives you time to explore before locking yourself into a path. Since you are interested so many fields, I would look for careers that sit at the intersection of your interests instead of assuming you have to choose only one. For example, biology and math can connect to medicine, dentistry, public health, biotech, bioinformatics, research, or healthcare analytics, while biology and finance could connect to healthcare consulting, hospital administration, pharmaceutical business, or investing in life sciences companies.
The hard part is that college classes move faster and go deeper than high school classes, so biology may involve heavy memorization, labs, and long-term study habits, while finance and business may require strong quantitative thinking, problem-solving, and comfort making decisions with imperfect information. The fun part is that you get to test what actually energizes you: not just what sounds interesting on paper, but what you enjoy learning about even when it gets hard.
My biggest advice is to explore intentionally and not overload yourself too quickly just because you are capable. A major, a minor, internships, research, clubs, shadowing, and strong relationships with professors can sometimes open just as many doors as multiple majors. You do not need to have your entire future figured out right now; you just need to keep gathering information, asking good questions, and paying attention to which subjects and environments make you feel curious, challenged, and excited.
I will say, my experience is that if you want to graduate in the standard 4 years without requiring extra semesters, try to have your path figured out by the end of first semester sophomore year. Any major changes after that have a real potential of delaying your graduation, and costing more money to stay longer. Trust me. I figured that one out the hard way.
Abigail recommends the following next steps:
Andrew Au
Professor of Mathematics & Statistics, Retired
257
Answers
Updated
Andrew’s Answer
It is not uncommon to be undecided in what major to take on at the beginning of college. It is perfectly fine.
You may spend the freshman year taking basic college requirement courses, and use the time to explore your interest, passion, and future career goal. You should visit various departments and talk with professors there to explore.
You may spend the freshman year taking basic college requirement courses, and use the time to explore your interest, passion, and future career goal. You should visit various departments and talk with professors there to explore.
Thank you so much for the advice.
Eden
Chen Chen
Data Scientist
7
Answers
Grenoble, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France
Updated
Chen’s Answer
Entering into college undecided about the major is quite common feeling. Having passion in many different areas is a great thing. Myself is someone like that. I have learned economics and finance, worked in fintech, then switched to data science and now working as a data scientist. My passions are far more than that. I love cooking, drumming, painting, writing, etc. I keep them as hobbies.
Some of my thoughts:
1. Not all of your passion/hobbies have to become a major that you study at college. The ways of learning have changed over the past decades and is still changing today with the new technologies. Learning something during 4 year in the university is just one of them.
2. The risk of dual or triple major is you can be worn out, and you won't be able to really focus and get deep into something. Dual major is the limit, I really don't recommend triple.
3. If you want to try different things and then figure out which direction you really want to go, there are multiple ways. Apart from studying as a major in the university, you can take online courses, which I highly recommend. This is actually an ongoing learning which can last throughout your whole lifetime, not only during those college years.
4. To figure out what to do in your later career, only learning the knowledge is far from being enough. There are at least two thing I would recommend. One is try find people who actually are working or have worked in the areas that interest you, get a cleared idea of what they do in their daily work, how the industry is like. Second, find hands-on opportunities like internship. The practical and theoretical sides can be quite different. That's like a quick test which allows you to narrow down or filter on your choices, before investing too much time.
Keep being curious and learning. You will find your way.
Some of my thoughts:
1. Not all of your passion/hobbies have to become a major that you study at college. The ways of learning have changed over the past decades and is still changing today with the new technologies. Learning something during 4 year in the university is just one of them.
2. The risk of dual or triple major is you can be worn out, and you won't be able to really focus and get deep into something. Dual major is the limit, I really don't recommend triple.
3. If you want to try different things and then figure out which direction you really want to go, there are multiple ways. Apart from studying as a major in the university, you can take online courses, which I highly recommend. This is actually an ongoing learning which can last throughout your whole lifetime, not only during those college years.
4. To figure out what to do in your later career, only learning the knowledge is far from being enough. There are at least two thing I would recommend. One is try find people who actually are working or have worked in the areas that interest you, get a cleared idea of what they do in their daily work, how the industry is like. Second, find hands-on opportunities like internship. The practical and theoretical sides can be quite different. That's like a quick test which allows you to narrow down or filter on your choices, before investing too much time.
Keep being curious and learning. You will find your way.
Thank you so much
Eden