Letter to the Editor: We need to end the stigma around exploratory majors

Throughout my three semesters as an exploratory major at UF, I was criticized and patronized for not knowing the exact path I wanted to follow. I had notable skills and traits, but no one field of study stood out to me as “the one.” It seemed like taking a variety of classes to see what I was passionate about would make sense, but to those around me, it didn’t.

My roommate would make remarks to me, like “how much free time and little stress” I had as an exploratory major. What she failed to see were the countless hours I invested into clubs and organizations, researching careers and trying to put together a class schedule that simultaneously tracked for seven majors and four minors. I tried to find meaning in microeconomics and Greek mythology within the same semester, spending one period learning about the history of the radio and the next on how to plan weddings; it was mentally exhausting.

Every conversation I had seemed to be centered on whether I had chosen a major, even though the answer was no every day for a year and a half. The follow-up statement would be, “Surely you have to be leaning toward something.”

I became so entangled in trying to find a major, I forgot to enjoy the classes I was taking. I walked into every class with the mindset that I had to find my lifelong passion within the next 50 minutes. Although “exploratory” was an option on UF’s website, it felt like it wasn’t treated as a legitimate option.

Why does such a negative stigma exist around a seemingly positive option: allowing young adults to explore their passions? According to The New York Times, 80 percent of students at Penn State who declared a major felt uncertain in their decision, and 50 percent are likely to switch majors. When we don’t allow students to explore majors freely, we are creating an environment where impressionable teens are locking themselves into a lifetime of wondering “What if?” NBC reports selecting the wrong initial major leads to students being less likely to graduate on time and increases the chances of dropping out of college. These are errors in our society that can be changed by allowing people to explore themselves and the academic world around them without feeling the constant stress of not fitting into a socially desirable timetable.

I faced judgment from peers, advisors and family members, making it hard to relate to those around me. I couldn’t discuss classes and career goals when I didn’t have a decided path. However, it was ultimately the right decision for me to remain exploratory for three semesters.

In a way, having to be my own advisor and to plan semesters full of differing classes allowed me to see that I was proficient at organizing and prioritizing tasks. I was self-motivated and could think creatively.

A BuzzFeed quiz told me I should be an event planner. So on a whim, I joined an event planning club my freshman year. It allowed me to further pursue this potential dream. The advice from existing members, many event management majors, allowed me to get an inside perspective. With this gained knowledge, I was able to take a few more event management classes as an exploratory major to test out the field and ultimately decided to declare it during my sophomore year.

Without being an exploratory major, I wouldn’t have been able to home in on my existing skills, cultivate them in an experiential club setting and pursue the interest from there. Without being an exploratory major, I would have spent the next three years wondering if I had made the right decision. Without being an exploratory major, I wouldn’t be who I am today.

College students have enough to worry about: living on their own for the first time, completing seemingly endless assignments and dealing with plenty of negative peer pressure. The push to declare a field of study without feeling ready doesn’t need to be on our plates as well.

Kathryn Kirchman is a UF sophomore tourism, event and recreation management major.