Can’t Decide on a Major? The U.S. Education System Has Your Back! And Some More.
Summary: The flexibility of the curriculum offered by the U.S education system presents a wonderful opportunity for undergraduates to openly explore their interests through testing out various introductory courses offered by varied schools of discipline before deciding on a major. Just like deciding which car to buy, testing out majors by taking introductory courses is similar to setting up test drives at car dealer shops. Ultimately, the goal is to get a “feel” of the car and find out if you can see yourself driving it in the long run. The same principle applies to a "testing" out a major!
Here’s the catch.... tada! There isn’t one! You don’t have to buy the car (i.e. commit to a major) just because you test drove it!
Buyers Beware – Know What You Are Signing Up For (Your Education)
To make an informed decision whether one should pursue an overseas education in the United States (U.S.), it is only certainly prudent that one figures out the distinctive characteristics that a U.S. education system has to offer relative to ones offered in other regions (think the U.K. and Asia based schools). In this write-up, I am shining the spot light prominently on the curriculum flexibility offered at U.S. universities.
A Big Caveat Here - In the grand scheme of things with respect to world university rankings, curriculum flexibility is not part of the methodology indicators that determine a university’s final ranking. This means you can still get a great education at non-U.S. based universities. The key point I am trying to make here is that there is a fundamental philosophical difference between U.S. based universities and ones in other regions when it comes to how curriculum flexibility is being perceived.
Curriculum Flexibility in the United States
One of the best things that I’ve come to appreciate about the higher U.S. education system is the curriculum freedom and flexibility students get during their formative undergraduate years. Formative years represent the first and second years of a U.S college educated. In american lingo they are commonly known as freshmen and sophomore years.
Upon matriculation, freshmen (and to a lesser extent, transfer students) are offered the flexibility to choose most, if not all entry level classes (bar any prerequisites) that the University offers. This fundamental principle is prominently touted in U.S based universities. For example, Yale College, a U.S. Ivy-League University, has openly emphasized to its students to take the time needed to make an informed choice. As such, the University openly encourages all enrolled freshmen and sophomore students to explore different subjects and seek faculty advice before deciding on a major. Numerous admission staff from leading U.S universities have also voiced their support for college students to take their time to choose a major. In other words, there is absolutely no rush to decide on your final course of study!
Such an open philosophy towards curriculum flexibility cannot be said of many Asian Universities that may have deeply rooted, albeit more stringent policies when it comes to choosing a major. For example, the National University of Singapore –ranked as Asia’s top University in numerous ranking systems – requires all undergraduate applicants to declare their choice of major (up to 8 majors based on preference). Applicants are then assessed according to competition for courses applied for and awarded accordingly. This means that admitted students are not given the option to decide their majors in the later years of college.
Why Should You Care About Curriculum Flexibility?
So what does this mean for a prospective international student who is looking to decide whether to study overseas in the U.S.? First, if you are sure of the major that you are interested to pursue in college, then the curriculum flexibility which is offered in U.S. based Universities may not be the difference. But for a student who has still to make up his or her mind, the option to openly explore majors can make all the difference.
Case in point – when I first matriculated at Indiana University (Bloomington), I had the chance to work with an academic adviser to talk about the prospective classes that I should take to explore my interests during freshmen before deciding on a major. As it turns out, at the end of my second year at Indiana, I decided to switch my major from Information Systems to Finance). Therefore, for students who have not decided on which major of study to pursue, the flexibility to explore different subjects and areas of interest without the risk of being penalized can be a huge draw for prospective students.
People DO Change Their Minds
For better or for worse, people do change their minds! And if that happens, U.S. based university students may still be able to graduate in time, since it is highly likely that the courses taken while pursuing the intended major are not wasted - they can be used to fulfill the 120 credit hour requirement. At a high level, students earn their bachelor degrees when they complete the stipulated number of credit hours. Bachelor degrees can typically demand the accumulation of approximately 120-130 credit hours.
While it is possible for a student to utilize all of its 120 credit hours to take classes related to a specific field of study, it is not necessary to do so in order to graduate with your major. In fact, the 120 credit hour requirement forms a good basis for students to explore and engage their other interests.
Students should not be penalized for wishing to switch their majors halfway through college
Compare and Contrast
Conversely, this cannot be said for university candidates in other regions of the world that do not offer that level of flexibility. Students that change their minds halfway through run the risk of needing to start on a clean slate. For someone who has already spent a year or two in trudging along, the downside to switching a major can be too high. Many may simply stick to the intended course and graduate with a major that does not commensurate with their new found interest. A few brave souls have managed to successfully achieve that. You can read all about how one Singaporean girl paid the price and managed to switch majors here.
Ultimately, the curriculum flexibility that is offered by U.S. based universities conclusively presents a wonderful opportunity for undergraduates to explore their interests before deciding on their major. International students should most certainly leverage on this liberating factor that may not be extended non U.S. based institutions to expand their educational horizons.
