13 “You Don’t Have To Have It All Figured Out” with Mary

Before I started the fall semester, I wish I would have known that it is completely normal to not know what you want to major in/have a career in. It is okay to explore your options before making a final decision regarding your future. This is a big decision, and it takes a lot of thought and consideration.

My best advice for making friends would be to talk to the people you sit next to in classes. Make friends with them so that you can have someone in the class to be able to discuss homework with, study together, or even to just go get a coffee together. I would also advise you to go to big events during welcome week so that you can get a head start on making new friends before the school year starts.

My favorite spot on campus is basic, but it would be the library. There is a place to eat in there, little study rooms, and many different places to sit to chill or to study. I have always found it easier to study in the library because I am surrounded by people during school work which motivates me to do my school work as well.

Not sure what you’re majoring in? Don’t worry. I was exploratory in my first semester of college. This allowed me to discover more options and take some extra time deciding what I wanted to study. I had the idea before college that I wanted to do something business related, and after this semester I realized that I want to do marketing. I am glad I went exploratory because it gave me more clarity on that and also saved me from spontaneously picking a major that I could have hated.

After all of the helpful tips and tricks I have listed above, I want to point out that freshman year may seem insanely overwhelming, but you are not alone. Feeling scared or overwhelmed is normal! Remember that it is okay to not have everything in life figured out yet. The stars will align eventually.

Name: Mary Schaefer

Hometown: Indianapolis, Indiana

Grad Year: 2027

Current Major: Pre-Business, Marketing (Kelley)