I am that person. The girl who decided she didn't want to pursue a career in her major. The girl who is graduating a year early with a Criminology degree, just to do nothing in that field. I changed my mind, three years into my college career. Despite putting my heart and soul into all of my classes... all 36 semester hours (for my major), wasted. Despite pursuing leadership opportunities that took up a lot of time and effort. Despite fulfilling a full-time internship at a law office that took up the entirety of my summer... a total of 457.44 hours, to be exact.
It's fine. I'm fine.
Fun fact: According to the U.S. Department of Education, 30% of undergraduate students change their major within the first three years of enrollment.
So imagine how many college students change their major overall. And, think about how many times one person may end up changing their major. In other words, changing your major in college is normal. It's expected. It happens. But I never thought it would happen to me.
Now, I'm graduating a year early, with a major I don't want, nor will I use. I'm too close to that credit counter to stay in school and change my major. Even if I was able to change my major, I don't particularly want to. I don't want to start over. I don't want to stay in school for a couple of extra years.
In the end, the best I can do is make the best of my situation. There may be a bunch of negative aspects that I am focusing on, admittedly hyper-focusing on, but there are also so many other positive aspects I can focus on.
I've decided to now pursue a career in Communications and Media, rather than Criminology. I was originally a Criminology major with a Psych minor, now I am (still) a Criminology Major but I changed my minor to Communications. I have selected the classes for my minor to focus on public relations, media, and advertising. So while I may not necessarily have the educational aspect that many jobs may look for, I do at least have some form of communications education, rather than nothing at all. At this point, I'll take what I can get. Moreover, I do also have a lot of experience in editing, writing, and media. I've held leadership positions that have given me access to those specific duties. So while I may not necessarily carry that degree, I do have a lot of experience that I know will come in handy, and will help buffer out that educational aspect. Another possible option for me includes taking a gap year. It's not my top option but it's still another option that would allow me to work and save money or get more experience.
The moral of the story is that no matter how your life may change, you should always look on the bright side of things. Be positive. While I'm still stressed and anxious about my future, I know that things will work out, one way or another. I can't let my fear and anxiety get the best of me. I can't give up. I just need to give myself time to be sad for myself, then pick myself up and move on.
