High schoolers can choose majors under new plan

By Nikki Underwood, contributing writer
Posted on September 6, 2007

There are many undeclared majors at JMU, but that might change as states begin to explore and adopt programs that would require students to dedicate themselves to an area of study in high school. 

As part of a new experimental educational plan, high school freshmen in New Jersey, Mississippi and Florida are declaring a major of interest as part of their graduation requirements.

 JMU students seem unsure about the program idea.

“I don’t know what I want to do now, much less then,” sophomore Peyton Massad said.

Junior Christine Clarke was also unsure. 

“[It’s] a good idea if there is a wide variety of programs, but I am torn because you change so much,” she said.  “If you had freedom to change your mind, it would be good.”

Students are not alone; professors are also unsure about the benefits of having students pick a major so early.

“I think that’s premature,” Dr. Sylvia Rogers of the English department, said. “You need experience with life and other subjects. It might make life easier on teachers and professors, but not students.”

If programs like this continue to pass, they may end up affecting JMU.

“I think we’ll just see a lot less major changes,” junior Andee Eisensmith said.

Linda Halpern of university studies also seemed unsure of the effects. 

“If choosing a major in addition to such courses while in high school leads to greater academic engagement for students, they could turn out to be more academically engaged freshmen,” she said, “If on the other hand, choosing a major encourages students to specialize too early, then too early, then it could lead to under prepared freshman.”

As of June 19, 2007, before an official orientation count of freshmen, and not including transfers, 3,558 freshmen students were enrolled, and from that number 1,012 students were undeclared majors, according to Renee Harrel, directors of career and academic planning at JMU.

Nearly a third of entering freshmen are undeclared and many of those who declare a major change to other majors one or more times, said David Brakke, dean of the college of science and mathematics. If college freshmen make many changes in majors, one might expect high school freshmen to have less of a sense of their exact future direction.