There are currently 795 students who are undecided on their major at Iowa State and are enrolled in the open option program at the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Although these students may not presently have an idea of what to major in, LAS advisers are helping guide these students to the career path right for them; and in most cases they are doing so without adding extra years to the student’s education.

Luiza Dreasher, academic adviser, believes coming to Iowa State as “open option” actually can be an advantage.

“The No. 1 reason students delay graduation is because they change majors,” Dreasher said.

Dreasher also said the average number of times students nationwide change their majors is three times.

“If you look at the general statistics, I think about only one-third of our students graduate in four years, and that’s because when they come in they start finding other — exploring other opportunities,” Dreasher said.

With more than 100 majors to choose from, advisers certainly have their hands full when trying to help students decide one specific major.

Open option students can take the LAS 101 orientation course to expose them to all the different majors the university has to offer. 

This course can help the students discover majors they may not have even heard of.

By taking courses that fulfill university requirements as well as appeal to the student’s interests, the academic advisers can help the student discover a major fit for them while filling requirements at the same time.

“It gives them the flexibility to actively explore their options,” Dreasher said. 

She also said students will sometimes come into college with an idea of what they want to major in but change their mind as they begin to get involved with that major.

“Our studies show that students who start as an open option, graduate at the same rate as students who come in as a declared major,” Dreasher said.

Dreasher said every student has three sets of requirements they must complete to graduate. These requirements include university requirements, general education requirements for your specific college and the courses required for your major.

The only difference between how a student with a declared major and an open option student completes their requirements, Dreasher said, is the order in which they complete those courses.

“A student with a declared major starts working on all three sets of requirements at once, open option students start focusing on university requirements and college requirements and as soon as they say ‘oh, that’s my major’ then they start working on that,” Dreasher said.

Bruce Allen, another LAS academic adviser also believes the open option program is an excellent opportunity for students who are undecided on their major.

“Open option is a designation for students who want to come in as undecided, but not just those students who don’t know what they want to do, but those students who have multiple interests,” Allen said.

The advisers can provide them with the insight and information about a lot of different courses and majors to help the students make a decision that’s best for them.

“The majority of students, within the first year after they’ve been open option, do declare their major,” Allen said.

Also, Allen said, being an open option student does not add years to their education.

“For the majority of majors, being open option actually will enhance their opportunities to take courses in different areas and they’ll still be able to graduate in four years for those programs that can be done in four years,” Allen said.

The student’s ability to find a job in their career field is not hindered either, he said.

“Those experiences in being in different courses enhances their skill sets they need to succeed in whatever major they pursue,” Allen said.

Open option is not the only choice for undergraduates who are unsure on their major. 

Allen also added that taking a pre-professional route might be a good opportunity for students who want to prepare for a specific major.

“Pre-professional is an opportunity to take prerequisite courses to be admitted into a professional program,” Allen said.

Aubree Aanonson, sophomore in open option (LAS), says she’s glad she decided to enter as open option.

“People sometimes pick a major and then change it a lot,” Aanonson says.

She did not want to be one of those people, and although she’s still undecided on her major, she’s getting a better idea on what she wants to do in the future.

However, Aanonson does believe taking this route might add a few extra years onto her education, but she says she is OK with that.

“Once I get I get my degree I think I’ll be okay,” Aanonson said, adding that she doesn’t think her late decision will impact her ability to get a job in the future.

The risks students face while being undecided on their major are not necessarily risks excused from students who are set in their major. 

Academic advisers stress the importance of exploring all the options at Iowa State in order to graduate within your desired time frame.