So you leave high school and begin your college career. In high school, you had to ask to use the restroom. In college, you’re supposed to know exactly what you want to do with the rest of your life.
Majors. What you want to study. The knowledge you want to use for the rest of your life. I’m so happy for you if you got it right the first time, but most of us don’t.
Like many college students, I changed my major this year, and it was an emotional rollercoaster. Here are some the feelings I went through:
- Apathy
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I was in a slump. I tried to tell myself that I just didn’t like my professors, or that I could take more interesting classes next semester. I tried to pass it off as the “Sophomore Slump” that people warned me about, but it seemed worse than that. I could barely bring myself to go to class.
- Suspicion
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I made the decision to switch my major. I had taken classes from my new major already as electives, and I knew that I enjoyed the subject area. I enjoyed the class structure more, but my new major still didn’t feel perfect for me.
- Nervousness & Fear
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I realized that my academic life probably wouldn’t get better if I didn’t take action. I started to think about changing my major, but the thought of going back to square one terrified me. I contemplated the question of starting over for what felt like forever.
- Excitement
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Deciding to change my major was a tough decision, but I finally feel like it is starting to pay off. I enjoy my classes more, made some new friends, and got involved in my new field. Sometimes I miss my old major, and I won’t lie, I do feel guilty about ditching it, but I’m proud of myself for making this change to improve my college experience.
Don’t be afraid to change your major–it all works out in the end!