In high school, I was used to getting pretty good grades, granted high school was 10 times easier than college. I'm that student who got pissed off about getting a 'B' in a class. I, along with many and most others, worked hard to get to the university we're at today. A majority of us experienced troubles picking a major for a university that didn't offer exactly what we wanted to pursue.
Through the entire college selection process, I couldn't be happier at UC Santa Barbara. However, I did for a while and still do struggle with the idea that my intended major wasn't offered. I was in the mindset where coming to college meant I was going to take classes that were geared towards a likely career path I was interested in. Picking a major at UCSB, I chose Economics because it was the "closest thing to business." Unfortunately, the campus didn't have that specific business major.
I started school, more specifically started my major related courses like Economics I and Economics II. Not used to getting "bad" grades, I was completely shocked with how much I struggled with these courses. I went to extra tutorial groups to review the material and I stayed up all night in the library several times for upcoming quizzes and finals; I still didn't so as well in the classes as I wanted to. I almost didn't make the cut for the minimum honors program GPA because of these classes and I dreaded every lecture. This was not how I pictured my initial college academic experience going, especially because the topics I struggled in were for my declared major. In all honesty, it set me back mentally and emotionally, and it was very tough on me.
It wasn't until my first year of college ended when I realized that the academic aspect of college should be enjoyable. In high school, we pushed through certain, maybe unenjoyable, classes to attain one goal: attend our dream universities. However, it's different in college. We should be pursuing a degree based on a major that we are passionate about and actually enjoy. I wish I enjoyed Economics and I wish I was better at it, but I quickly figured out, that personally, it was not the major for me and there was nothing I could do about it.
I felt a bit self-conscious that I was that student who had to change their major and I felt as though I wasn't smart enough. People would ask what I am switching to and I would be hesitant to tell them. Yes, I wanted to switch to a communication major. People were confused and automatically assumed that I was taking the easy way out. This reaction upset me. Working for a communication major, wanting to get involved with the Technology Management Program for business and entrepreneurship and working hard to be accepted into the Professional Writing Minor is not the east way out. Earning a degree, no matter what the major, is tough and requires dedication and hard work. Getting involved socially, networking, and making connections are just as important as the major you decide to pursue; these were things I plan to take a lot more initiative on.
The biggest lesson I learned was that the initial, hesitant feeling I had was absolutely ridiculous. There is nothing wrong about switching your major to something you prefer more. There is nothing wrong in struggling in a few classes to realize that certain academic path wasn't for you. I, luckily, have come up with a plan for my own academics, but the most valuable advice I could give to someone else in the same situation as me, would be to go out and explore your options; don't sit around and wait for the perfect path to appear on your doorstep. I sat around pushing back my own responsibility to figure out the right path for a while. Very quickly did I realize, that wasn't going to cut it. So I did my research and planned out what I wanted to do. Except this time, my plan included my interests and my passions.
Moral of the story, when your confidence in academics gets shot down, for any reason, it's not the end of the world. Honestly, it made me a stronger person and could make you stronger as long as you stay optimistic and proactive. There should be no stigma about struggling in academics or switching a major. Be confident about your choices, whether it be academic choices or even life choices, and everything will work out.
