Week #4 Post

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            The discussion about indecision as a dichotomy really struck a cord with me because I was the individual who was always asked what my major was in my freshman year. I didn’t have one because I came into undergrad as “undecided”.  Through no fault of my own, I didn’t know what I wanted to pursue so I felt the snide stares and the backhanded comments about “making up my mind sooner or later”. I was also fascinated to find out that in the past the view of indecision reflected immaturity, or worse, psychopathology that led counselors on a path to cure the underlying causes of indecision (Savickas, 1995).  I was surprised to learn that psychopathology was once thought to be the reason for an individual not being sure about what he/she wanted to do for the rest of their lives and that diagnostic schemas were developed that identified the cause of immaturity as intrapersonal anxiety, interpersonal conflict, cultural differences, lack of skill, and limited self-knowledge (Savickas, 1995).

            I can understand some indecision being related to immaturity because let’s face it, we just got out of high school and are finally away from our parents. We are going to be a little immature and even have limited self-knowledge. I don’t know a teenager to this day that isn’t a little immature and is experiencing trouble with life changing decisions. I also think that the diagnostic schemas mentioned earlier describe almost all teenagers in a huge transition point in their lives. They are experiencing cultural differences and are most likely struggling with some interpersonal conflict of their own. It could be finding out who they really are and trying to find a way to express themselves. Also, intrapersonal anxiety is omnipresent.  It is always in existence and is never too far away.

            I think that it is the way people look at career indecision that gives it a terrible stigma. When I was an undergrad, the term “undecided” made it sound like a gave little thought to what I wanted to do or that I was dragging my feet in making a decision. That wasn’t the case. I literally just hadn’t declared what I wanted to major in on the application to Millersville. So, I changed the vernacular I used and just said that I was “undeclared”. This bought me some time to actually make a declaration of psychology and wade through the paperwork of actually becoming a psychology major.

Savickas, M. L. (1995). Constructivist counseling for career indecision. The Career             Development Quarterly, 43(4), 363-373