It is not uncommon for a college student to switch majors. Whether you get bored of your classes or you just decide that it’s not the right path, it seems like everyone changes their mind once they get to college. The average college student will change their major at least three times before their third year. We all change our minds about what we want to do with our lives, but deciding to make the switch can be difficult. After all, you are pretty much deciding to change your entire future with just one form. Here are the five stages of changing your major.
1. Depression
You are in a slump and your classes are starting to bore you. Going to class just seems like a dread and doing any work or studying just seems uninteresting. You haven’t decided to change your focus of study yet. You probably told yourself ‘it’s just the professor’ or ‘maybe the other classes might be more interesting’. But most likely they aren't.
2. Anxiety
The thought of changing your major has come to mind. However, you feel that if you decide to make the switch then you would have to start right back at square one. You start to go into crisis mode. At this stage, you have to make the critical decision. Do I stay in this field that I don’t even like and be miserable for my entire life, or do I change my major and start all over again? What if I don’t like what I choose? OMG, this is so hard!!!
3. Exploration
You decided to make the leap! Take the plunge! You scroll through you school’s bachelor degree catalog, talk with your student advisor, go to majors fairs, and most likely take personality quizzes to see what major is right for you. You are playing the field; academically speaking. You spend hours, days, weeks even to see what options are out there.
4. Change
After you make the final decision on switching your major- and tell your parents- you actually go through with the change. It might take a few days before the paperwork goes through. You would have to take completely different classes the following semester. It’s almost like starting a new chapter, or in this case a new novel entirely.
5. Eagerness
Even though you pretty much abandoned your whole plan of the future, you can’t help but feel nostalgic about starting on a new path. All of the stress and depression has gone. You feel great about the choice you made!
Deciding to change you major can be a tough time for a students. It’s kind of like going through a mid-life crisis. You are on this path that you are not quite sure about and don’t necessarily like. You decide on a change of pace. You should never feel guilty or stressed about changing your major. Everyone does it. It won’t set you back and you absolutely will not regret it! My advice is that if you don’t like what you are studying than change your major! Trust me when I say that. College is about trying new things and finding out what you want to be when you graduate. And changing your major is a way for you to do that.
