Changing your major is something that many people do at some point in their college career. I was pretty confident in my first major and spent two years studying early childhood education. However, I realized that it was something I enjoyed but wasn't sure it was for me. I was so scared to change my major and thought I was making a huge mistake. However, I found a way to combine the things I love in a new major and am enjoying it so far. These are some of the lessons I learned in my first semester in my new English major, which can apply to everyone.
1.You are not alone.
More people change their majors than you think, so you are bound to meet someone else who switched to your new major to get advice and tips from.
2. None of the classes you took before were a waste.
Even if you switched from art history to pre-med, skills such as when to schedule classes, how you learn best and where your favorite study spot is will still remain the same no matter what you are studying.
3.RateMyProfessor is a valuable tool.
In your old major, all you needed to do was say “Is Professor “whoever” good?” and based on their answer you decide whether to drop them or keep them. In a new major, you may not know anybody that you could ask. A quick search on RateMyProfessor can save your semester. People are honest, but keep in mind that it is an opinion and looking at how the class is taught and the student’s grade may influence their review.
4.You are allowed to not like your new major too.
After deciding to change your major, you want so badly for this to be your perfect major. While I love my new major, learning how to write an APA style paper when you only wrote in MLA all your life can stress you out. Reminding yourself that you are going back to the beginning and your grades may drop a little at the start is normal. You will know if it is the subject you don’t like or just the assignment.
5. You have to make an effort.
This applies to everything in college and honestly in life. Every major has student organizations and clubs that are meant for your specific area of study. Keep an eye out and listen to your professors when they mention extra credit opportunities or career events. It could be really helpful or be a waste of time, but you won’t know unless you try.
6.Never underestimate the importance of your minor.
Your minor classes are NOT blow-off classes. Your minor is meant to enhance your major or allows you to take classes that you think would be fun. I had never had a minor before I switched my major and I have found that it is just as important to my degree as my major is.
7.You will make new friends.
I spent two years as an education major and in that time, I made some really good friends. However, when I changed to English, I left behind a lot of my friends and was worried about who I was going to do those big group projects with or who I would talk to in class. All you have to do is say “hi” to the people around you and before you know it, you have people that you know and maybe friends with by the end of the semester. Don’t be shy, they are a college student just like you, and you share one common interest. And if all else fails, your old friends will still be there.
8.Trust yourself.
You made the decision to change because you knew that what you were studying was not your passion. Maybe in a semester, you realized you were wrong, and you want to change back or you found something you liked even better and want to change again. No matter what, you are not wasting your time or money by trying new things. It may seem like it right now, but sometimes you just don’t know.
Very few people know what they want to do for the rest of their life at 18 and actually follow through at 22. If you need another semester or year to figure it out, take it. Nobody wants to be stuck in a career that is not right 10 years later because they didn’t take the time to change their major at 20. It’s never too late to change, but the longer you wait the harder it gets.
