I think some of us need to hear the obvious things in life or else we’ll forget just how simple they are to make happen. Of course you know that you can change your major, I know that.

But if reading that headline made you think, Maybe I should change my major, then it may be time for you to take the plunge.

Life is too short. We all think this a lot, but we rarely ever act on this adage. There are a few of you who say it before jumping out of an airplane or telling a coworker how you feel about them, but most of us use it as advice to give to other friends. That’s a topic for another day, I think, the question of why we are better friends to others than we are to ourselves.

Here’s the thing: your major in college may not matter to your future employer as much as you think it does. Unless what you want to go into is very specific and requires a major in a given field, than you pretty much have free reign over what you would like to study as long as the class requirements are met for your future career.

Therefore, why do we forgo the things we truly want to study out of fear?

When I was in high school, I knew I wanted to be a writer, and yet I wondered if I should major in polysci or biology for a good backup. If writing didn’t work out, then I would have a good place to fall. Many people reading this will nod their heads and think that a good plan, for that’s what they did and told me when I shared this plan before I got to college.

But it isn’t what I wanted. I wanted to study art and literature and languages. I wanted to read books and write essays on what authors meant or why it was so important that we have these works today. Luckily, I realized this before I got to college and found a major that was perfect for me.

Many of my friends, however, were not so lucky and often told me about how unhappy they were in their courses. One wanted to become a doctor, so he majored in biology and felt drowned by the equations and math that constantly swirled around his head.

He just wanted to take one art class that allowed him to be creative.

Another friend wants to become a lawyer, another career path that provides a relative freedom in choosing a major, and majors in political science. Why couldn’t she study history, and take part in classes that she was truly interested in?

I realize that I make it sound so simple when there are undoubtedly other factors at play. Not every career path allows for malleable course options, but I think the message remains the same. The future is scary, for sure.

And yet, why stay tied to a major that isn’t right for you?

You know what you like and what you would like to study. Start there, and talk to others about what you are thinking. You don’t have to pick a generic career. Just make sure that whatever you decide on is 100% you, and you will be fulfilled.