By Kameron Clem
Every student throughout the ages has wondered at some point in time what the next step after high school is; is it to go straight into the workforce? Is it to join the military? Is it to go to college? Or even something completely different?
According to a study written by Liz Freedman, the student employment coordinator for Internship and Career Services at Butler University.
“An estimated 20 to 50 percent of students enter college ‘undecided’ and an estimated 75 percent of students change their major at least once before graduation.”
Freedman notes later in the study that even students who are “decided” aren’t basing the choice of major off of any factual research or self-reflection. Instead the choice seems to come from family and peer influence and assumptions about introductory courses.
College students were asked about their choice to attend college.
Keara Fox, 20, an Anne Arundel Community College student said that while she was in high school she had mandatory meetings with the counselors to talk about what colleges she wanted to go to.
“It was like, I had no idea what I wanted to do and they were pushing me to choose universities that I wanted to go to.” Fox said.
Another student, Tyler Kambis, 21, of Shepherd University said that he made the conscious decision to go to a four-year school directly after high school because he knew he wanted to study in the sciences but he still ended up changing his major at least once before he was a junior.
Students are entering college unsure of their future and it begs the question, is it worth it?
