Many 18-year olds preparing to enter college think they've got a very strong handle on what they want to be when they grow up. They often don't pick a major thinking they'll most likely change it later on. If that's the case, you might as well start out as Undecided and work on your Gen-eds while you figure it out. On my first day of college, I was confident in my choice to major in Biology, though I was not 100 percent sure what I would do with that degree. However, by the end of my Freshman year I had changed my major to Liberal Arts.
During the first few weeks and months of college, students can learn many important things about themselves. For example, they can discover a love for a music genre they thought they loathed or find out that they have outgrown writers like J.K Rowling and Stephanie Meyer and instead have started reading Dickens and Austen. They can also learn things like college life is not for them or they'd rather major in a different subject.
It is absolutely okay to want to change your major. In fact, approximately 80 percent of college students in the U.S. change their major at least once during their college career. If you think that a change in major might be the right choice for you, make sure you ask yourself these questions first.
1. Why did you choose your current major in the first place?
You decided to major in that field for a reason. Reminding yourself of that reason may help you decide if switching is really want you want to do. It might help to make a physical list of all the things that drew you to this major. For example, if you are a Psychology major, your list might look something like this:
-The human mind fascinates me
-I want to be a counselor
-I enjoy helping people solve their problems
Actually writing these things down can provide you with a sort of physical evidence of your passion for your major. Put this list on the wall by your desk or your bed so that whenever you start doubting the field you are in, you have a complete reminder of why you are there in the first place.
On the other hand, let's say you find this list of reasons to not be enough to keep you in this field. That's fine. It's perfectly normal to change your mind about what you are passionate about as you grow older. Even though you really wanted to help people solve their problems when you were in high school, you might find, as you study Psychology, that there is so much more that goes into it than you originally thought. Having your list of reasons in front of you can also be the push you need to chose a different major.
2. Where do you hope to end up?
It's a question we are asked our entire lives. What do you want to be when you grow up? By the time you reach college, it is expected that you have an answer. Most college students at least have a general idea of what job they hope to achieve post graduation. If you are contemplating changing fields, think of your dream job. Would it be easier to obtain this job with a degree in your current major or in a different one? For example, let's say that you would love to own and run your own restaurant. Your current major is Business and you are thinking about switching to English. In this case, it would probably be in your best interest to stay in Business. This degree will help ensure you know what you are doing when you own that restaurant. On the flip side, what if your dream is to be a journalist? In that case, the switch to English might be the best idea for you.
Now consider this dream job. Is it something that you have wanted for a long time or something you've decided upon rather recently? If the answer is the latter, you might want to wait before changing your major. Let's say you always wanted to be journalist, but you have just decided you would rather be a teacher. Don't be so quick to switch from English to Education. Being an Ed major means meeting extra requirements, like passing certain tests before you can be accepted to the School of Education. Completing this degree also usually means an extra year or two of schooling. Make sure being a teacher is truly what you want before committing to Education. You might consider seeing if you can work at a local daycare or help out with an after school program to get a little experience in teaching and interacting with children. This will help you discover if teaching is truly what you want to do.
The last thing you need to think about here is whether or not a different major will impact your ability to achieve this job. Once again, you want to be a journalist. You are currently majoring in English, but are thinking of switching to Journalism. While this switch seems like a no brainer, it may not be necessary. Many journalism jobs require a degree in either English or Journalism. Keeping your English major could still get you that job, but could also leave you open to other job opportunities that you might not have with a Journalism degree.
3. Would your new major or current one work better as a minor?
A complete and total field change might not be necessary. Think about the job you want in relation to the two majors you are deciding between. Could they possibly work together to help you get that job? If the answer is yes, it might be beneficial to keep your major and add the other as a minor, or if you are feeling ambitious, as a double major. If, for example, you are a Criminal Justice major thinking about switching to Psychology, you can make yourself more marketable after graduation if you keep your major and add a Psychology minor. However, if you are thinking about a job primarily dominated by the Psychology field, like a Drug and Alcohol Counselor, switching your major and keeping Criminal Justice as a minor might be better suited for you.
4. Are you doing it for the right reasons?
Changing your area of study can have a huge impact on the rest of your life, so it is very important that, if you do decide to make the change, you are doing it for all the right reasons. In addition to the list of reasons you chose your current major, you might also want to make a list of reasons why you want to switch majors. Again, physically seeing your thoughts on the subject can make it easier for you to arrive at an informed conclusion.
Is this change something that you really want for yourself or something that was influenced by someone else? I have two examples on this point. Number one: The main reason that I originally went into Biology is because it was what my mom wanted me to do. I let my desire to please her overshadow my desire to join a different field. However, I didn't realize this until my second semester of my Freshman year. I let her inadvertently convince me that majoring in Biology was really what I wanted as well. I ended up changing my major because I realized I didn't even like Biology. Writing was what I truly wanted to do. Number two: When I did change my major to Liberal Arts, my adviser thought that I was only doing it because my boyfriend at the time was a Liberal Arts major. Though I was very sure that it was only a coincidence, I could see how he would draw that conclusion. Check the items on your list for anything resembling "Because so-and-so does it." If it is on there, you might want to consider not going through with it.
Is this new major an area that you are really passionate about, or is it something you are thinking about because you think it will make you more money in the long run? Let's say that you are currently an Art major. You love painting and drawing, but you know that art jobs are hard to come by. So you are considering switching to Pre-Med because you know that doctors are in demand and make a lot of money. It's true that you want to make sure you are able to find jobs after college. But you also want to make sure that the job you eventually get is one that you are going to enjoy going to every day. Instead of making the switch solely for the big bucks, consider instead switching to something more in demand, like Art Ed. This way you can have a little more job security and still do something you love.
Changing your major is not something you should be afraid or ashamed of doing, but it is also not something that you should take lightly. You don't want to make a hasty decision, spend four years of tuition, and then realize that you've made a mistake. Take your time making this decision. There's absolutely no hurry. After spending the time to carefully consider all of the above stated questions, when you finally reach a decision, you'll just know beyond a shadow of a doubt that it's the right one.
