Grace Sikorski, a sophomore at Arizona State University, spent the majority of her first year of college full of anxiety and stressed about whether the major she had previously chosen to study, journalism, was right for her. However, Sikorski’s doubts about her becoming a journalist began in her first semester when she started thinking, ‘Maybe this isn’t for me.’
Not wanting to completely dismiss her initial love for reading and writing, which led her to choose journalism, she continued her studies into the second semester. During the semester, she took a Multimedia Journalism class where she discovered her love of graphic design. Realizing that Sikorski enjoyed the minimal amount of graphic design that is offered in journalism, she inevitably changed her major to graphic design at the end of her first year.
It is expected for upcoming college students to choose a major that puts them on a specific path for the rest of their life. Students are expected to know what they want to do for the rest of their life at the age of 18. Because of this many students end up changing their major after their first year of college.
The National Center for Education Statistics show that “about 80 percent of students change their majors at least once.” Provided that this is a normal experience that many students endure, it may be perceived as an easy transition that is graciously supported. Unfortunately, that is not the case.
Many problems can arise, ranging from financial to emotional distress, by making such a decision that can change a student’s life and their future.
Many students change their major because they have no idea of what they want to accomplish with their education when they first attend a college or university, or they do not understand what their previously chosen major entails for jobs in the future.
Also, students may just not enjoy their current major and choose to make a change towards one more suited for them personally. Many college students go through this situation, whether or not they actually do end up changing their majors, there is almost always a sliver of doubt present.
Sikorski is one of these students. She was just about to finish her first year of college when she made the decision to change her major.
“Through the beginning semesters of college I’ve found out a lot more about myself and what I’d really like to do, which in the end didn’t align with my current major,” Sikorski said.
While making the decision to change majors is a daring task, the backlashes financially, emotionally and academically are just as stressful.
Financially speaking, changing majors can cost a great deal of money, especially with the cost of tuition already steadily rising. According to the College Board, the average tuition for in-state students is $10,000 and $25,000 for out-of-state students; reports show that changing majors can cost up to $20,000 in fees.
Part of the fees come from students losing scholarship money. Some students receive scholarships that are for specific majors, changing their major results in them losing the scholarship money. Or these students lose credits for classes that they no longer need for their new major and have to pay for the new required classes.
Some students get lucky, like Najia Khan who attends Arizona State University. Khan changed her major, but did not lose her scholarship because it is based on her GPA.
This can cause a problem for many students because they cannot afford to make the change. And if they do, they end up with more college debt. The College Board reports that the average amount of student loan debt is nearly $40,000 with an average repayment plan of 10 years, and a maximum of 25 years.
That is the statistics of college debt that students who don’t change their majors pay. Changing majors increases that amount which is part of the reason many students struggle to make a set decision without adding more debt.
The financial aspect of changing majors is not the only aspect that creates an abundance of stress for the students, emotionally speaking students deal with a lot of negative mental stress when making this decision.
College is a place that many people would describe as a time where you are meant to try new things, learn more about yourself, make new friends that will last a lifetime, and discover who you truly are.
Many students change their major because it just wasn’t for them, but with this decision comes the stress and anxiety of making a life-changing decision. The battle that students face in their heads about their major is a daunting one. Changing majors can be a daunting decision as students must consider whether the major is right for them, if they enjoy the classes, whether to take a gap year and what the future will bring.
Pressure from family members also contributes to the stress levels of students who are doubtful of their studies major. An academic adviser at ASU, Dave Vega, said how many engineering students originally got into that major because a family member previously pursued it. These students feel a certain amount of pressure to prove themselves. Vega reveals that there is an excessive amount of struggle that students in that situation face and it can be very challenging to overcome.
Their minds run wild of endless questions and possibilities producing stress and anxiety that can affect their work.
“This decision has taken a huge toll on my stress levels this semester,” said Sikorski. Having to take classes that she no longer enjoyed or had an interest in made her put off assignments till the last minute adding to her stress on top of the decision to change her major.
Not only does changing their major add to a student’s stress level but having to justify their decision, or debate on whether or not to change their major, to other people.
Sikorski expressed that being forced “to explain to just about everyone in my life why I’d want to switch majors” has proved difficult.
Despite the financial and emotional aspects of changing majors, it may be beneficial for students in the long run, wanting to do something in the future that they actually enjoy and are interested in. Sikorski, for example, found a new interest that is completely different from her original major but is more enjoyable for her personally.