Changing majors can be a very stressful time for some people. However, changing majors doesn’t have to be as scary as it seems. Just about 50 percent of all college attendees will change majors, add or drop minors, or follow a different path than intended in their freshman year. Some students change their major as many as three times, (myself included in that population). First and foremost; you are not alone! You’re not off the beaten path, and you definitely are not entitled to have your life together by the ripe age of 18. You are also not entitled to make anyone else happy, or follow anyone else's dreams. This is the beginning of the rest of your life, so make sure it's 100 percent your own decision.
If necessary, changing majors can be the best thing you do for yourself during your academic career. Changing majors is often done after careful consideration and helpful insight from professors and fellow colleagues. When it comes to advice, we’ve all heard the same things. Professors say, “It’s a good field to get in to,” or “It’s a good idea to save your grades,” and your friends may say, “Maybe this is the path for you!” While all these statements might be true, no one tells you the inside secrets that make changing majors just that much more sweet.
The friends you made in your first major transfer over, just like credits.
When I changed majors, I still kept all my friends I made in my previous major. We all talk and still get together for weekly “table time”. Obviously not everyone I was friends with freshman year are my friends now, but the true ones are the ones that matter. Granted, I attend a comically small private school, this can definitely be true for larger colleges as well. It’s not like "The Chamber of Secrets" in a new part of campus you’ve never ventured before just because you have a new major.
You are wise beyond your "peers."
Your classes and teachers may be different, but you’re just broadening your knowledge, making you wiser. Think about it, you've seen the ins and outs of two (or more) majors! I have a great wealth of knowledge from my previous engineering background as well as my new technical writing side. Combining these two makes me a mean technical writing machine, and gives me a slight advantage when understanding engineering terms and systems.
"The shoe fits."
When you change majors, (and it’s finally something that resonates with you) your whole college experience starts making perfect sense. You start enjoying the struggle, you enjoy class time and you would rather understand the homework than copy the answers out of the back of the book. It seems unbelievable, but it’s absolutely attainable.
Changing majors ultimately gives you a new sense of success, if you choose the right path. It takes time and consideration, but that’s what college is all about. You want to indulge yourself in something that your future self can still love 20 years from now. College isn't all about the straight A’s and being top of your class, but that you spend your next four years working towards a better future, and finding something you will love doing for the rest of your life. It's all about finding a passion for something you never knew you could love doing.
