by Sasha Hettich

So, you’re undecided.

Undecided in your major, undecided in your career path, undecided in why you are watching your bank account go a decade into debt (or more)—without knowing an end. You meet friends during Christmas break who talk about how much they love their education program, or your great aunt asks you (for the billionth time) what you are planning to do with your life.

And what do you see?

A big fat question mark.

You are not alone. Many freshman and transfer students alike are still undecided in their major, and some even remain undecided until well into their sophomore or junior years.

“I feel out of place here at college where everyone seems to have a goal, dream, drive that spurs them on as I am just complacently taking classes in attempts to catch onto something of that nature,” said Seth Mathews, a fellow undecided major.

Well, undecided majors, you are in luck, because here at Cornerstone we have an office specifically for you: Career Services.

Career Services is upstairs in the Corum, and is a place to get advising, take a personality or career assessment or simply express your frustrations and feelings about your intended career path and how that fits with a possible major. John Warren, the associate dean of career services and internships, is the person to contact when you are undecided.

Warren will sit down with you personally and talk about determining the right major for you. For career services, determining what you want to do is priority over what major you choose to study.

“We want to focus first on possible career paths you might be interested in, then look at majors that fit,” Warren said.

To help find what careers you might be interested in, career services first sits down to get to know you more and let you talk about your struggle. Sometimes the best way to figure out what you should do is to talk it out with someone.

“Ask people who know you,” Josh Andrews, a sophomore at CU, said.

After you talk through why you are undecided, Warren may take you through various career assessments or personality tests to help you narrow down a few specifics careers that might work best for you.

“We have an interest survey along with the Myer-Briggs that we offer,” Warren said.

Make sure, though, you don’t depend too heavily on a sixty question online test to determine what you will do after college.

“Most of the career tests are used more as a talking point,” Warren said.

Warren then discusses with you what two or three career paths appeal to you most and what your personality and skills might do best. You also talk about what other types of training might strengthen your chosen career and he helps set you up with a professor or adviser. But after that, it is your turn to choose from there.

“Ultimately, it’s your decision…once you’ve determined those careers, it is time to go out and explore it,” Warren said.

Other students have their own methods of choosing a major or career path.

“Get a list of all the majors offered at Cornerstone, and cross out the ones you don’t want to do,” Abby Meyer, a junior at Cornerstone, said.

Some choose a broad major before they know what they will do with it.

“I just chose bible because I always enjoyed teaching and it’s good to know about the word of God. I figure with Bible, you can’t go wrong,” said Jacob Revor, a senior at CU. “If you are discouraged that you don’t have a major, just know I have one, but I still don’t know what I’m going to do.”

Take or audit a class you might be interested in pursuing as a major. Visit Career Services and heed the professional advice they give. Ask your parents or the students around you what you would be good at. But above all, seek God and ask Him what he has called you to do.

I hope soon that you might turn that big fat question mark into an exclamation.