Editor’s note: The word limit has been waived for this article to preserve the intent of the response.

Dear Ms. Shah,

I read with great interest your column in the Technician on Thursday, Aug. 19 entitled “Any major is better than no major.” I think your point of having a passion for your future work is paramount and gaining not only knowledge, but also experience, is extremely important in life after college and plans for a career.

Unfortunately, however, I think much of your column downgraded the importance of making an informed decision about a major and how that decision can lead to a timely graduation in many cases, as well as a rewarding and satisfying career, especially in a time of a fluctuating economy and reduced resources for many.

I was also concerned that the column leads the reader to believe that if you are a student in First Year College ( FYC ), you are somehow disadvantaged because you have entered the University without a declared major, that the courses for which students are enrolled are courses that do not apply toward an intended degree and FYC students are spinning their wheels taking “basic” courses — nothing could be further from the truth. FYC purposely places students into the highest level courses for which they are eligible, which positions them for a variety of majors.

First Year College has served students who come to N.C . State knowingly undecided on a major since 1995, and most recently within the umbrella of Academic Advising Services, is now working with students who are changing majors. The First Year College was specifically designed to help improve the University’s graduation rates by reducing the number of “phantom” majors — students who are in one declared major while seeking another.

FYC students, while being “undecided” and most at risk to leave the University, graduate as fast, if not faster than a matched cohort of similar “decided” students at the University.

One of the primary reasons for this success is resulting from having professional cross-curricular academic advisers who work individually with students to customize a program of study based on their skills, interests, abilities and values within the parameters of the General Education Program, and place them into the highest level courses their test scores and interest will sustain.

Because of this, our students change majors fewer times once matriculating from FYC into a major (less than 1 percent) than the University average of three times. Armed with that information alone, one could project this is one of the numerous reasons why the four-year graduation rate at N.C . State is estimated at 40 percent, per your column.

I caution any student to “pick a major and try it out.” Without appropriate advising, this could lead to a semester or semesters of poor course selections and poor academic success. Rather, I would suggest that a student consider taking a course within a major of interest for which he or she is eligible and ideally currently fulfills a GEP requirement.

Courses like English 101 and math courses can, in fact, help students select a major if they have specific interest in these subjects, but it is dangerous to advise that MA 103 meet requirements for all majors because this is simply incorrect and this underscores the importance of speaking and working with one’s academic adviser regularly.

We have found that those FYC students who do not complete their degree within four years have not done so because they participate in co-ops, study abroad and complete dual degrees, among other things.

It is important to note that these students chose to participate in their additional educational experiences that lay a foundation for the additional knowledge and experience you mentioned in your column. These are the types of activities alongside a strong GPA and co-curricular events coupled with a degree in which a student has passion and skills that makes his/her resume rise to the top of the pile.