serious post for all college freshmen

Agree! I came off too harsh but what I really want girls to know is that even if they didn't excel or have interest in an area, that can change a lot and the intro classes ARE doable. So have an open mind and consider all of your classes/potential road paths with the attention that is due.

You're still an ass.

I know, sorry. Passionate about it, I made a bad major choice when I was first out of high school but am so thankful I switched over, girls I knew from my first year program are so lost and stressed about their future, it's such a major problem in America. I don't think high school counsellors do a good job of preparing students for that decision, "follow your passion" is not always the best decision when it comes to your career. What's more important is knowing that with gaining skill and knowledge comes passion and you can learn to really enjoy things you never knew you would. College is too much money to only gain experience, you need hard skills and experience when you come out of here.

A "major problem in America"? Tell that to people who go to bed hungry at night.

It's all relative, that's like saying you can't be happy cause there's always someone else happier. Save the drama, just because it's not the most pressing issue in the country does not make it a non issue.

YOU are the one calling it a major problem in America, and it just isn't. Some little suburban girl having to go to school longer because she can't decide on the right major is a first world problem -- and just isn't up there with actual real tragedies and concerns. You have said it is causing unprecedented numbers of suicides, yet have shown no proof. If people can't afford to take on more debt, they should leave school until they decide what they want to do with their life. If they can't afford to dabble, they shouldn't. If mommy and daddy don't want to pay for unnecessary classes, they need to talk to their kid about it. End of story. And ^you are still an ass.

How stupid can you be! Having to go to school longer (which I don't btw) isn't the problem, it's the debt and unemployment that's the problem. Obviously this concept is too tough for you to wrap your mind around, maybe find a new hobby besides arguing with people online, perhaps pick up a book and educate yourself?

I agree completely that no one should be here unless they know what they want to do, but is that the case? Far from it. And that's the problem, they graduate with all this debt (or worse, spent their parents hard earned money) and STILL are lost with no idea what to do. Here's a clip from mint press news and there are similar articles in every major paper.

Federal and private student loan debt surpassed credit card debt for the first time in 2010 and is expected to hit $1 trillion this year. At the same time, as graduates incur record high debt — $25,000 on average — many cannot find work because of the weak jobs market and are unable to pay back what they owe.

And the number of defaults is soaring. According to the Department of Education (DOE), among recent graduates who began repayments in 2009, 8.8 percent had already defaulted on their federal loans. That compares to 7 percent in 2008.

Tragically, the number of student loan related suicides is climbing as well. “Suicide is the dark side of the student lending crisis,” says Cryn Johanssen, Founder and Executive Director of All Education Matters.

“The public needs to be aware of how bad things have gotten for student loan debtors. This is a national emergency and it needs to be solved now.”