Coming into college, I knew I liked to write and argue, and I knew I hated math, so naturally I was drawn to James Madison College. I enjoyed telling people I was “pre-law” (sounds fancy, right?) but other than that, I was uncertain about exactly what I wanted to spend my time studying.

After completing my freshman prerequisites, I arbitrarily decided on majoring in political theory and constitutional democracy simply because it sounded like the best choice for someone hoping to one day go to law school. But this didn’t last long.

My journey to my current status as an international relations and journalism junior has been a chaotic one, filled with tense advising appointments and lots of expensive indecision as I took extra classes.

It felt like my academic plans changed with each successive semester. I added economics as a double major, and then dropped it. I chose a political economy specialization, and then dropped it.

Finally, I chose international relations, minus all the economics, plus some journalism. Obviously, I’ve extensively explored my options.

The point isn’t to tell my life story. My indecision really isn’t that unique from what so many go through when making this difficult decision.

According to a recent Pennsylvania State University study, nearly 80 percent of students feel uncertain about their majors after they have declared them.

This uncertainty stems from the fact that choosing a major truly is a daunting decision.

Over and over again, I’ve heard friends and even some academic advisers downplay the importance of this choice and recommend that I just stick with a program and get my classes over with. They tell me that people often end up in professions vastly different from what they studied in college, so there’s no need to really stress about choosing the wrong thing.

Even though they might be correct that choosing a major doesn’t define your life or future career, there is a better reason to diligently find the best program for yourself, a reason that goes beyond graduation or future careers.

You only have one chance at college. For these glorious years, I have the opportunity to learn from world renowned scholars in an environment built for intellectual stimulation and discovery.

When I eventually graduate, I want to be able to look back at my experience here and be confident that I really got the best of my time.

So yeah, I have changed my mind a few times.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have a clear idea of what I wanted at the beginning of my college journey, and it has cost me, literally.

But finding out what you’re passionate for is a task worth tirelessly pursuing. Don’t let this precious opportunity go to waste and, most importantly, don’t allow others to make these life-changing choices for you.

In the long run, it is worth meticulously exploring your options, stressful as it might be, because simply going through the motions will not lead to a worthwhile university experience.

As for my “life story,” I am confident I did the right thing. I made my fair share of mistakes along the way, but like I said, we only get one chance to go to college.

Right now, thanks to all my searching, I have found academic endeavors I am passionate about and am learning valuable skills I can use in the future. Isn’t that what all this is

supposed to be about anyway?

Alex Dardas is an international relations and journalism junior. Reach him at dardasal@statenews.com.