I remember taking an introductory course in our undergraduate pre-med track which was basically just a new presentation about novel research every week. The exams would be on these fairly specialized papers which most first-year students were at a loss to understand, so they ended up being exercises in rote memorization.
When some of us complained to a TA that we didn't see how we could learn enough to understand the concepts without just memorizing key points and angling at the professors to find out what was important, their response was something along the lines of, "then are you really sure that you want to study biology and medicine for the next umpteen years?"
On the other hand, I hate telling people that a field "isn't for them" just because they don't feel like putting up with the bullshit which has accreted around the way that a subject is currently taught.
Personally, I'd like to see an introductory class about how to effectively search for answers online, find useful sources, ignore ads and obvious SEO-gaming, etc.
My kid was uncertain and stressed by the pressure to make a decision; once he decided "I won't" his stress went away and his grades shot up. Instead of going to college at 18 he got a job. A year after graduating he knew what he wanted and got into a good school in a program he wanted.
What shocked me is how much disapproval he received from his classmates and the school (especially the "guidance" counselor). "Loser", "what's wrong with you?", "are you too stupid to get into college" (asked one of his fellow AP Calc classmates).
Apparently the approved path is to get into a school and ask to defer for a year. Deciding you're not ready seems to threaten everybody's assumptions.
