The first two years of college are a comfort zone for many, like it was for myself. Taking core courses that you need to graduate, regardless of the career you decide to pursue, fills up most of your schedule, and you’re far from having to worry about what you’ll do once you graduate.
Throughout my freshman and sophomore years, I was unsure of what major I wanted to pursue. Having a wide range of subjects I was interested in — from writing, to sociology, to design — it was difficult to pin down a major I felt 100 percent committed to, without feeling like I was leaving my other interests behind.
Once junior year rolled around, the pressure began to set in, alongside university restrictions. During my first semester, I was stuck between pursuing an English major and a Sociology major. While I was interested in both — as I enjoy creative writing and believe sociology is applicable to any field I may want to enter — I was trying to fit a square into a circle. I knew my real interests that were on the more creative side of the major spectrum that could be found in the Media, Culture, and Communication program within Steinhardt. Only naturally, as it was my junior year, a number of understandable university restrictions were in place. Not only are cross-school internal transfers hardly granted during one’s junior year, but admission to the MCC program after sophomore year is also very rare.
My time was running out to select a major I was passionate about. While I wanted to throw my hands up and settle for a major I only partially enjoyed, I instead chose to take the risk of loading my junior spring semester up with MCC courses in hopes of internally transferring for my senior year. After having met with a number of helpful advisors and planning my schedule just right so that I’d have a fall-back if my plan were to fail, I luckily was able to transfer to Steinhardt. Though it may have been a late switch, as I am now a senior, I am now taking classes on subjects I’m eager to learn about and concepts that explain the abstract aspects of the world I’m so interested in.
Having said that, I’m more than satisfied with my decision to take the risky path of switching majors, and more largely schools, during my junior year. It took switching majors for me to realize there are classes out there that speak to your interests, and you shouldn’t have to only like your major on a good day. Though there might be a number of restrictions in place, don’t be afraid to approach the right people and address your concerns. Your time in college is valuable and should be maximized with the right course load so that you’re both satisfied and learning a lot!
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