Most of us would probably agree that our college years are about self-discovery and that it’s completely fine to enter college undecided on a major. Yet, once a major has been declared, the very idea of switching majors and essentially changing your mind about your whole path going forward is enough to make us panic. This is understandable as it is a potentially life-altering decision. However, if college is about figuring out what you want to do, it makes sense that you might change your mind along the way. During the first week of this semester, as a junior, I made the decision to switch my major. Was it scary to make the change? Yes. Do I regret it? Not at all.
I came to UConn as a pre-teaching major planning to apply to the School of Education and hopefully leave with a master’s degree in elementary education. After going through the application process, I was accepted into the elementary education program last February. However, after spending my second summer in a row working with four and five year olds, I realized that my biggest passion is working with a younger age group than I had initially been focused on. I began to really love the idea of teaching kindergarten or preschool one day. During the first week of this semester, I found out that a master’s degree in elementary education in the state of Connecticut would only certify me to teach grades 1-6. Since I knew I wanted to become a kindergarten teacher, I decided to switch my major to HDFS with a concentration in Early Childhood Development and Education with the plan to go on to get my master’s degree after graduating from UConn. Here are some do’s and don’ts that I took away from the process of switching majors:
Do expect it to be a hassle.
Changing your major is a big deal and often means purchasing new textbooks, being assigned to a new advisor and switching to a completely different plan of study. Unfortunately, some of the classes you already took that counted for your old major may now only be considered extra electives. This is extremely frustrating and don’t be surprised if you suddenly find yourself behind in credits.
Don’t let this scare you out of making the change.
While it is definitely annoying to feel as if you are taking steps in the opposite direction of your diploma, this feeling is only temporary and should not keep you from staying true to your greater goal. The advising faculty at UConn are extremely knowledgeable and helpful. Just sitting down and talking through your credits and plan of study with one of them will make you feel much more in control. The first few weeks in a new major are overwhelming but what’s a few weeks compared to the rest of your life?
Do talk to people who know you well before making it official.
This is especially important if you are on the fence about switching. Talking to family and friends whom you are close to can be helpful because they not only know you well enough to have an opinion but are also able to look at the situation more objectively since they are removed from it. Talk through the pros and cons of switching versus staying in your current major. Having the conversation will probably bring to light points that you hadn’t considered.
Don’t let others make the decision for you.
At the end of the day, this is your future in question, not anyone else’s. While others may only want what is best for you, if their take on that differs from your own, you need to be confident and follow your gut. Only you know what it is that you are truly passionate about and can see yourself doing for years to come.
Do educate yourself on the major you want to switch to.
Take the time to research your new major on the UConn website and talk to faculty in the department you are considering entering. This is an important step to take because it will ensure that you don’t end up impulsively making an uninformed decision and then regretting it big time.
Don’t let the idea of changing your mind freak you out.
Personally, I’m not a huge fan of change so the idea of changing the plan I had established for myself so long ago was pretty daunting. But it is important to remember that lots of people enter college thinking they know for sure what they want to do but then end up realizing they were wrong after actually taking classes in that major. You aren’t alone. Deciding you want to do something different is completely ok!
Do be confident in your decision to switch.
Once you have made up your mind and switched your major, don’t torture yourself by second guessing your decision. It is done and, the good news is, it is completely within your power to make this one of the best decisions you ever end up making. Focus on the new road of possibilities that has just opened up in front of you!
Don’t expect everyone to understand/be supportive.
I was really lucky that my family backed me up 100% and agreed that switching to Early Childhood Development and Education was the right thing for me to do. At the same time, I also have run into people who haven’t tried to hide their confusion as to why I would give up my spot in the elementary education program. My advice to those in a similar position is to just expect that not everyone is going to see eye-to-eye with you. If you are confident in yourself and going after what you love, you will find that the opinions of others are irrelevant.
Do get excited!
If you decided to switch your major, chances are it was because you thought there was something you would enjoy more. So, get pumped for a new schedule that you will probably find more interesting and captivating than your old one. Another reason to get excited? Now that this decision is made, you are one step closer to your future career!
So, there you have it. If you are someone considering changing your major, I urge you not to ignore those thoughts. Chances are they exist in you for a reason and that reason is worth exploring. Changing your major is a scary decision to make and can come with unavoidable hassles. But sometimes the scariest things in life are the ones most worth doing and the ones that will pay off in the long run. Since our four years of college will come and go no matter what, it is important to listen to your heart and explore what it is that you are most excited about so that you will arrive at the career that makes you happy for years into the future.