In high school, we have some kind of idea what area we're interested in and maybe, just maybe, if you were really a star student, you had a career in mind. We apply to the major, we get accepted into the major, we finally get to study it and find out that this selection you just made with your adolescent brain may be one of the biggest mistakes of your life. Or perhaps you already knew what you were good at, what you were interested in, and what you were passionate about. However, social pressures (family, friends, etc.) have convinced you that it's not worth studying that very thing you love. So you choose something else that sounds more "noble" and you completely dread the classes you take on that topic for the rest of the quarter/semester.

If that sounds like you, then you're not alone.

I know Computer Science majors who become Sociology majors, I know English majors who become Biochemistry majors, and I know Nursing majors who become Art majors! To those people who realized that their passions were set elsewhere, I applaud you. It takes great courage to make the big switch, ESPECIALLY if you're already a third-year or fourth-year student. Too often, I see bright and hopeful Freshmen come in with a major they absolutely hate and refuse to change it because of either 1. Pride or 2. Social Pressures. As someone who went from Nursing to Psychology to Anthropology and now English, Pre-Occupational Therapy. I have TOTALLY have been there.

The notion that we all should know what we want, what we want to do, and where we want to go fresh out of high school is completely ridiculous. At that point in your life, you haven't even really figured your own self out. Of course, college is challenging. I'm not saying that you should completely drop out of your major the moment you don't find success. All I'm saying is that you will know when you're not happy with what you're studying, and you will know that something else other than your chosen major is calling to you and look, nobody will hate you for changing your major. A piece of advice that I received from a mentor seemed to clear it all up for me:

"Undergraduate life is not so much about discovering more about what you initially thought you wanted to study, it's about learning more about yourself than any other subject on your schedule. It's about finding things you're passionate about and finding a way to spread that joy with others and perhaps even carry it on to your future academic goals."

Of course, you'll compare yourself to that kid who had private tutoring and career coaching since he was 7. You'll see your friends in the same major succeeding, and you'll wonder why you're not doing the same. You may even have family members who praise your major so much that you'll feel too ashamed or embarrassed to change it at this point. Maybe you really like that sense of pride (and that hint of elitism) when you tell someone you're majoring in x even if you've been crying every night while studying for the third midterm that you're about to blow for the third time. Perhaps you're thinking about the stable job opportunities with that major.

Whatever your reason may be, here's a piece of advice one of my other mentors also gave me:

"What many undergraduates don't understand is that their 'major' doesn't really mean anything except 'hey, look! I graduated!' Students tend to stay within the borders of their chosen major and don't think outside-the-box. I was a Biochemistry Major at UCLA, but the environment took a toll on my mental health. I always loved literature, but decided against it because I felt like I would disappoint my family. But I made the switch to an English Major anyway, did the prerequisites for Medical School on the side, and now I am a surgeon-poet! I work in Pediatrics, so I always like to teach my younger patients how to write poetry. It helps them cope with their illnesses or disabilities and stimulates their brain-functioning at the same time!"

So look, you are not defined by the title on the piece of paper you receive when you graduate. What you first checked in that box will not determine where you end up in life. Don't be afraid to explore your interests, don't let go of your dreams, and know that life isn't painted in black and white. If you are happy, if you are passionate, and if you have discipline, then you will succeed.