It has been said that the average college student switches their major at least once during their college career, and can you really blame them? Its hard for someone to figure out what they want to do for the rest of their lives in just a few short years. I can easily say that 90% of my college friends switched their majors at least once.
Me, on the other hand? I switched 3--count em' 3--times. I was so scared of what the future held for me that I couldn't commit to one major. I guess part of me kept doing it due to social pressures--my major was a set plan, it was an easy plan, a plan I didn't want to stray from. But, lo and behold, Senior Year, I finally, finally, got the guts to say "Hey, I don't want to do this anymore."
If this sounds at all like you, don't be ashamed! I'm here to give advice on why you shouldn't regret it at all!
1. It Opened Up More Doors For Me
Maybe I'm a little biased on this one because I switched from a clean-cut degree Secondary Education degree to a more broad English Lit one, but my transition into the new major was almost as easy as skipping class to catch up on sleep. Nonetheless, it opened up a lot more opportunities for me--I could transfer my skills acquired from my time as an Education major and apply them to my English major with ease.
If you ever feel like changing majors is equivalent to a door being slammed in your face, it is up to you to push that door open and say, (Without getting too superhero-y here) "I'm going to be a/an [insert major here] and there's nothing you can do that'll stop me!" Most likely, you would switch to a field that has some relevance in your current major. Say, for instance, you are a Creative Writing major who suddenly switched to Graphic Design--both communication fields, right? Or a History major turned Political Science major? Transfer those skills into your new major and make something out of it.
From my short amount of time job and internship searching, one thing I've realized is that employers don't care that much about your college major as long as you have relevant experience. So, you're a Creative Writing Major turned Graphic Design major? Or a Marketing major turned Journalism major? No sweat! It's up to get that experience needed for your new career choice--apply for internships and hype up the relevant skills that carry over from your old major, start a portfolio, do all the things necessary to make sure you walk out of there with ultimate satisfaction points--even if that means staying an extra year! (more on that later)
So don't treat switching majors as a doorstop--treat it, rather, as a door opener.
2. It Allowed Me to Pursue What I Love
At the core of it all, whether I'm going for marketing for a popular online platform, or editing manuscripts for a large publishing company, I want to be in a career that allows me to write. I've been writing ever since I could hold a pen, and reading even longer. I have a passion for the written word that can't be snuffed out, and let me tell you, it feels so nice to finally say, "Yeah, I'm an English major" with complete confidence in my future plans.
I hope you feel that way too--you shouldn't spend your younger years ashamed of your decision. As the saying goes, don't sweat the small stuff. Some advice, though: make sure you have plan. Unlike bs'ing a term paper, a career path isn't something you can just come up with on the fly.
3. It Allowed Me a New Perspective on Life
I don't mean to be dramatic when I say this, but switching majors was without a doubt the best decision I ever made. I was an Education major basically the whole span of my college career, so switching so abruptly, especially when I thought I had my whole future planned out already, was a big change. For a while after, I felt confined to the social pressures I'm sure you all are facing right now--the worries of not being able to graduate on time, the "starting all over" factor, the worries of parental opinion--but I've come to learn that none of those things really matter in the long run.
The Big Takeaway:
Learn to treat life as a learning experience. You'll never be good at anything unless you make mistakes, and maybe picking that first major was one of them, but it makes no sense to sit and wallow in your own self-pity--take some action! Apply for internships, update your resume, purge yourself of all the textbooks you thought you needed for "future reference". Force yourself to say, "Wow, I'm so glad I made that decision!" because ten years down the line, when you have a successful job in something you love and look back on how college experience has shaped you, you won't worry about the extra money it cost to stay an extra year, or the fact that you didn't graduate within four years, you'll look back on all the skills you've obtained and the opportunities your experience has given you.
