Have you been struggling in classes? Are you feeling out of place? Have you been feeling unhappy? Are you no longer sure that your major is the right thing for you? It’s okay to feel this way; what is not okay is to ignore it. If you are really trying, but it still hasn’t made a difference in your work, then maybe you on the wrong path. With any situation recognizing the problem is the first step. I know this can be scary because you have invested a lot of time in this chosen major, but I promise it can be done. People do it all the time, I did it, and you never know if you are cut out for something if you don’t try it. That’s what college is all about, trial and error. So you’ve tried this, now maybe it is time to try something new. Trust me, if I could do it, then you can too. But first before you make any rash decisions, you need to decide if you actually need to make a change.
Make a list: Write down the things you like and you don’t like about your major. Allow this time to be completely honest with how you really feel versus how you want to feel. After you have your pro’s and con’s take some time to ask yourself a few questions. When I began to realize that something was wrong I asked myself these five questions:
1. Am I working hard, but still not improving?
I always caught myself looking back on sketches and re-evaluating my ideas, but never being able to fully execute them. I strongly believe that the best part of learning is looking back on your strengths and weaknesses, in order to feel that sense of accomplishment, but because I seemed to have designers-block I wasn’t seeing improvements and progress. If you are constantly redoing your sketches and are never satisfied with your work don’t worry. It is not because you suck or aren’t working hard enough! You might just be in the wrong field. This isn’t your fault.
2. Am I getting any recognition for all of the work I am doing?
This is a hard question to ask yourself because it is so hard to judge your abilities and work ethic, but in reality everyone should be credited for a good job. If you feel like you are not getting the ‘high-fives’ you should be getting then consider this a sign that there may be something else out there waiting with more encouragement and recognition for you.
3. Am I having trouble comprehending the work you are doing?
This could be key sign that this just may not be for you. Understanding something you are working on is ideal; these could be things that are potentially the essentials of your major. I found myself wondering if I was asking “too many” questions. Some days, I’d look around and see my classmates understanding most of the lesson and I would be left in the dark. Most of the time the lessons just didn’t come naturally to me. I thought to myself, “What do I understand? What don’t I understand?” Think of the things that come naturally to you. Write them down and try to figure out if you can apply your current strengths to your current major. Then try to figure out if you can apply them to a new major that might better suit your needs.
4. Am I working extensively, but still not seeing results in your work?
I always considered myself falling behind. This could be happening to you right now, and you might not even be aware of it. When I was in my old major, I was a hard worker, always staying up and completing my assignments to the best of my ability, yet still falling short when it came to putting my ideas on paper. No one wants to put their heart into something to fall short every time. This could be a sign that your hard work could be put to better work somewhere else.
5. Finally, is my work becoming a hassle? Am I spending too much time on it?
If it is no longer fun, then why are you doing it? This was the deciding question that allowed me to move onto another major, where I am much happier. I asked myself this every day, and my answer was always the same. I don’t know. I wasn’t having fun doing my work, yet I was aiming for a career in this intended major. Why? In the end I realized I had to make a choice. I had to change my major and find a career path would truly make me happy. Always remember, a career choice is YOUR CHOICE. It is something you should want to do now and forever. It should be something you enjoy doing. So if you’re not happy, find something that will make you happy! You won’t regret it.