Some students come to the University of Wisconsin knowing exactly what they want to do with their lives.

However, many students come with just a sense of their desired pursuits, while others come without a clue.

Eventually the undecided students must declare a path, as long as graduation is a part of their plan.

However, the exclusivity of some majors, students’ lack of awareness of others and the sheer popularity of certain fields leaves the university lopsided in terms of specific majors students choose to study.

As a result, more than half of UW’s 40,000 students belong to the College of Letters and Science, according to the UW Enrollment Report for last semester.

While majors like biology, biochemistry, elementary education and mechanical engineering are quite popular, each of these majors belongs to its own college. The College of Letters and Science, however, brings a wide variety of majors — like political science, English, history and communication arts — to the table.

According to the College of Letters and Science Dean Gary Sandefur, the college fits the general idea many students have when they decide to attend the university.

“A lot of people come to the University of Wisconsin specifically to get a liberal arts education,” Sandefur said. “Even though some don’t necessarily know what they want to do, many students are attracted to [the College of Letters and Science] because of the variety of options and majors it offers.”

He said the College of Letters and Science contains more than 50 majors, which can make decisions difficult for undeclared students choosing a collegiate path.

Many students will be drawn to a major by a class or a professor they particularly enjoy, but when guiding students, Sandefur said he and the college’s counselors challenge students to consider two other things when they decide on their major.

“The first thing we ask students to think about is their plan for their life after their time at the university, and [we ask them to choose] a major that allows them to do it,” Sandefur said. “The other thing students need to think about is what they really enjoy doing.”

The longer students wait to declare their major, Sandefur added, the more difficult fulfilling the credit requirements can become.

Even though most students are likely aware of this fact, more than one-fourth of UW’s student body had not declared a major by fall 2006.

According to Tim Walsh, director of UW’s Cross College Advising Service, the number of undeclared students is not surprising.

“Each year at UW, about one-third of the entering class of approximately 5,600 freshmen self-identify as undecided or exploring and are assigned to CCAS advisors,” Walsh said in an e-mail to The Badger Herald. “This number has held steady for the past 12 years.”

Walsh said that in many cases, when it comes to finding a career or studying in graduate school, a student’s major is not necessarily that important.

“Since there are many jobs out there for which there is no single corresponding undergraduate major, employers in those areas know they will need to train new employees in the specific skills for these positions,” Walsh said. “As a result, traditional liberal arts majors are often the best choice.”