To help students find the right major, MSU should consider requiring freshmen to come in with no defined major and choose one after one year. This would allow students to take the required courses needed to graduate and help in not letting students go two years into college before realizing they have no interest in their chosen major.

Freshman year of college should be more of an exploratory year for those who need it with more workshops or open houses students can go to and figure out their major choice.

In high school, students could have chosen a college major for many reasons. Students might feel pressure to pick a major from counselors at orientation or even family members, which is not how the decision should be made.

MSU alumnus Mike Nichols said he feels like he was pressured into picking a major before he was ready.

“I did not know what I wanted to do,” Nichols said in “Pressure to choose leads to students changing majors” (SN 11/10). “I did feel a little bit pressured. I ended up just choosing something I enjoyed, like history.”

Nichols changed his major three times.

In the end, it should solely be a choice of the student and what better way to ensure that then to wait until the student is on campus away from many other influence. College is the beginning for students to make their own decisions, and having them choose their own major — and likely future career — should be a part of that.

Some students, such as French freshman Miranda Richardson, didn’t realize how many choices MSU offers, likely a common experience.

“I thought I wanted to be a French teacher, (but) once I got here, there (were) way more options,” Richardson said in the same article.

Richardson might soon be part of the more than 50 percent of students who decide to change their major at least once while they are in college, according to Purdue University’s Center for Career Opportunities.

It’s understandable to have a change of heart, and there is no shame in taking a year to explore options before making a more definite decision.

Although some students might know what they want to do, they should still be required to enter as no-preference. There would not be anything to deter students from taking entry level courses toward a chosen major.

The first year is a time when most get their general education classes out of the way, and they will still have the chance to take classes for their prospective major. College should be a time to explore different fields of interests you have, not to waste the student’s time and money.