What are you studying? What’s your major? These are common questions that peers, relatives, and new acquaintances ask college undergrads like us every other day. After a while, we basically become immune to the questions and respond with a standard answer whether it is true or not. Some of us do not have a definitive answer to those particular questions. The “undeclared” among us hang on by a thread, their own metaphorical Major wire, anxiously contemplating which direction is the best one. The decision process is not clear-cut for everyone; while some students enter college knowing what they want to study and which career they wish to pursue, others come into college unsure of the path they plan to take. Therefore, it takes time to find your true passion. There is no shame in dangling or second guessing just as there was no shame in replying “I don’t know” to the “What do you want to be when you grow up?” question you received in the first grade. Pick a serious major, pick a “there is no way I can make a future out of this” major, pick the “no I didn’t just pick this major because my parents told me to” major, and change your mind over and over again. When the time is right, you will know the answer.
Initially, a student chooses a line of study that seems interesting, takes the appropriate classes, and then either maintains or eliminates one or more courses accordingly. Although at first it may seem daunting, it is natural to drop a class. If the subject is not interesting to you, then you should not feel the obligation to remain with it if it is not a prerequisite for future classes. Be discriminating and narrow your focus to subjects that you assume will win over prospective employers and take notice of the courses that are enjoyable. Nowadays, students are deluged with articles about which degrees would behoove undergraduates best in the job market after they graduate. As a result, the thinking has been altered and now students fret over every step they make, worrying their passion regarding an area of interest will not translate into a lucrative career. In addition, students often begin to doubt the quality of their original decisions regarding a major and may feel guilty or frustrated in this conundrum. The next thing you know they are diving headfirst into the advising pool. Nobody likes uncertainty, but change can be good in certain circumstances.
Reshaping your mindset regarding what you are studying is healthy because it may mean that you are taking advantage of the opportunity to explore other options. I am not advocating that you switch majors just because of the media hype, but rather only to do so if that is where your heart’s desire lands. If you like what you are studying, then stick with it. But, if you feel that you want to try new things, then throw caution to the wind and go for it. That is what your college years are meant for! You can change your major several times and still finish school in four years if you are efficient with your selections. This can be doable because some classes selected for one track may overlap with yet another, making your schedule less hectic. Everything you learn counts towards something.
Whether you change your specialty from Psychology to Spanish, from English to Computer Science, or Finance to Biology, your course work will balance out in the end. For example, ECON 101 is not only applicable to an Economics major, but also to International Relations and Business and Administration majors. It also counts as a Social Science under the Freshman/Sophomore College of Communication Foundation Requirements. Even if you have missed the introductory classes, you can catch up by enrolling in a summer session. In just one summer, you can make up for that lost time and you will be able to register for upper level classes the next fall semester. If you opt to save your summers for other opportunities, you can certainly take pre-requisites during the school year and load up your schedule with other major-related courses, if necessary. You lose nothing and gain everything when you deepen your education. Therefore, taking a course will not hurt you. On the contrary, it will only make you that much wiser even if it doesn’t pertain directly to your major. If you never try your hand at something, you will never know how it might have been. Under these circumstances, change can be good. Or as a friend once told me, “ I would rather say ‘Oh well than ask what if?’”
There are endless possibilities for mixing and matching regarding majors and minors. Transferring into other schools or looking into different departments is routine and can be a seamless process. Do not hesitate to try new things and embrace new adventures because as the cliché goes: “Today is the first day of the rest of your life.” The scary part is only at the beginning and the road less traveled is often the more exciting one. Remember, It is not the destination, but the journey.