Speaking as a student who declared their major since day one, I see firsthand the advantages of being prepared and planning ahead. It was much easier for me to know my long term goal and the steps I needed to take to achieve it.
I majored in journalism, and I took journalism classes in my first semester to have a sneak peek of what my career would be like if I stayed with my decision. Luckily, I really enjoyed the classes and I have stuck with my major ever since. This experience would never have taken place if I had not declared a major.
Since I declared my major early, it set me up throughout my years in Pierce to achieve my long term goal of being a journalist. Giving me the ability to plan further ahead than those who did not declare a major was a plus, and additionally, it gave me a lot of time to gain an understanding of my chosen career path.
Having time to dwell upon a career choice is beneficial as well because it is not difficult to change or just drop a major that you already have set for yourself. Even if you declare into something you do not enjoy, there is still time to change your decision into something else you might be interested in and repeat the process. One of the benefits of going to community college is the variety of classes available at a reasonable price, so you will not lack the opportunity of taking classes for whichever major(s) you declare. The advantage of exploring is a huge plus for us community college students and we should be taking advantage of it.
Declaring a major can also provide more opportunities to participate in student organizations and clubs to network with others who have chosen a similar career path. I have seized that opportunity by joining the student run Roundup newspaper. Because of the experience I have with The Roundup, I feel more confident in my chances of landing internships or job opportunities.
There are also programs in Pierce that will help students with majors have an easier time transferring. Programs such as Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) and Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) are available.
Another advantage of declaring a major is the more opportunities for scholarships that are catered towards specific majors.
The advantageous gap between students who do declare for majors over the ones that don’t is enough for the decision to declare simple. Declare a major and stay in front of the pack, or don’t declare a major and get left behind.
