1. You chose your major because everyone else chose it
This can be very common – you pick a major because everyone around you seems to have this major and you feel inclined to have it as well. At my school, it’s extremely common for students to be either Bio majors or Health Science majors so it might be easy for some people to conform to what their friends choose. Break loose and take the road less travelled, or at least be adventurous enough to look into something other than the “norm” for your school.
2. You get bored with your major
If the classes you’re taking for your current major aren’t keeping you interested enough then maybe it’s time for you to consider making a change! I was a Health Science major during my freshman year but realized that the classes I was taking for the major weren’t interesting in my opinion. They might have been the coolest classes in someone else’s opinion but for me, we just didn’t click. This is a sure fire sign that you should look into other options.
3. You aren’t doing well in your classes for that major
Sure, GPA isn’t everything but getting A’s shows that you have a more than adequate level of mastery in a subject. Plus, your GPA can affect many programs that you might want to be part of in college. If you’re failing miserably then maybe you should think about going on another track. They say quitters never win but at the same time, everyone should know when it’s appropriate to quit.
4. You research other majors
The fact that you’re actually taking time out of your ever so busy schedule to sit down and research other majors shows that you might be, even in the very back of your mind, considering pursuing a different path and probably with good reason since only you know your interests better than anyone else.
5. You have a new career path in mind
This is yet another sure fire sign that it’s time make the switch because chances are, your current major has barely anything to do with your new career objective! I was planning on using my Health Science major for a career in the Dental field but then I decided I wanted to be a strategy analyst so I switched to a major in Economics. These two are very different from each other so clearly it wouldn’t have made any amount of sense for me to stick with a Health Science major.
6. You just chose the major because you’ll make a lot of money from it
I have always been told, “you shouldn’t pick a major for a career because of the money that comes with it – do what you want to do and what you love doing.” On the other hand I’ve also been told that money makes the world go ‘round. Making lots of money in the future is fantastic and all but how worth it is it if you despise the career you have? If you’re a Bio major because you plan on going to med school to become a doctor and makes a lot of money but you know you’ll hate being a doctor then why force yourself to stay on that track? When you allow yourself to become who you want to be you’ll be surprised at how much easier you’ll be able to breathe!
7. You put little to no thought into the major
I never cease to be surprised at how many people have no idea why they chose the major that they did – the numbers are shocking! Simply knowing just a few things you can do with your major is just scratching the surface. You clearly didn’t delve any deeper (or at all!) when you picked this major. No, no one expects you to know every single use for your major, every single class you need to take, every single acceptable elective, and all the ins and outs of the major by heart (yet) but if you can relate to the shoulder-shrugging when people ask you why you chose your major then this is very likely a reason why you should put more thought into a different major!
8. You can’t list three things that interest you about the field
No, your signature shoulder-shrug does not count as a reason why you’re interested in your field! Anything can be “interesting” but with your major you need some substance to back up that so-called “appeal” of the field. If you can’t sit down and come up with a couple of reasons why your major interests you then you either love being bored or you should find a major that you can click with better.
9. You find it very difficult to connect your major to your passions outside of class
I’m sure every college student is tired of hearing “do what you’re passionate about” but truth be told, that’s probably one of the best pieces of advice you’ll ever get. Everyone is different so everyone has different things their passionate about, otherwise we’d all be engineers or chemists or journalists. If you know that you can make a career out of your passion and if you, at any point, realize that your current major isn’t allowing you to practice your passion then maybe – just maybe – you should switch to a major that accommodates that passion.
10. Your academic advisor suggests other options
If someone else is trying to tell you what they think you should do then chances are…they think they’re know-it-alls so you should just ignore them, however, your academic advisor isn’t just “someone else” and, other than your family members,t hey give you advice to help you. Academic Advisors will frequently try to help you overcome any struggles you might have with your major, however, if it gets to a point where they actually suggest that you change majors, be ready to make the change – they’re telling you this for a reason.
11. Your current major doesn’t highlight your strengths
Who’s horrible at math? What about English? Foreign languages are also a field of difficulty for many people. The great thing about we humans is that what we lack on one side, we make up for with another. I have friends who aren’t good in English but great at Chemistry and Biology so they chose majors along those lines. If you absolutely suck at math then picking an Applied Math major is probably one of the worst decisions of your life! On the other hand maybe you’re a talented writer and should consider a major in Journalism. Part of this game is learning how to play to your strengths!
12. Your major highlights your weaknesses
What’s the one thing worse than a major that doesn’t highlight your strengths? One that emphasizes your weaknesses! If you think you don’t have any strengths, number one, you’re probably wrong, and number two, if there’s one thing you do, you must avoid majors that emphasize your weaknesses! You won’t do well in your classes and you’ll be miserable, then it might take failing a few core classes to realize that this isn’t the major for you. This is your chance to stop it before it gets that far!
13. Every time someone asks what you want to do with your life you never give them one clear, straight answer
This is a common expression of doubt in your current field, although not knowing exactly what your dream job is isn’t always a bad thing. I’ve noticed that when you ask people what they plan to do with their majors, those who said they weren’t sure were way more likely to change their majors than those who had some kind of idea of what they wanted to do. It’s fine to have a few possibilities in mind (in fact, backup plans are great) but if you’re a shoulder-shrugging culprit every time someone pops that question then you will likely change your major at some point.
14. You find more opportunities that you’d really enjoy in another field
Let’s face it – there are some fields that are difficult to find job placement for, which can be very discouraging sometimes. If you’re really (like really, really) drawn to other opportunities in other fields then don’t mind the major-swap. You might genuinely feel like it’s worth it and as long as you’re happy with it then that’s all that matters!
15. The overall work is very difficult for you
Yes, we will all have at least one class that is extremely challenging within our majors and no, you shouldn’t quit because of one hard class – power through it and you’ll see the light at the end of the tunnel! However, if you’re really struggling with almost all of the coursework then all this is doing is discouraging you, lowering your GPA, and making you miserable. If the work is so bad for you then don’t hesitate to get in touch with an advisor to make the necessary changes!
16. The extra credits are too much to handle
Yes, we should all strive to go the extra mile but at one point are we running one mile too many? It’s important for us all to know our limits in terms of course work and credit hours because if we’re a bit too ambitious at any given time we’ll just end up with an overly rough semester and suffer because of it. If your major basically guarantees four years of the roughest, most struggle-filled semesters known to humankind then maybe you should try to regroup yourself and pick a slightly lighter load.
17. You feel like the time you spend on each class isn’t worth it
We all have a different idea of what’s “worth it” so this really comes down to personal preference. If you feel like you’re expending a ridiculous amount of time on the classes for your major yet you aren’t really getting anything satisfying out of it then you’re probably in need of a change.
18. You want to go with your gut
Our gut feeling has been there for us during the best of times and the worst of times and it will undoubtedly be there for us when faced with the decision to change majors. Despite a few of my earlier points your gut feeling is still there to support you no matter what – like another parent just without an audible voice. If your gut is leaning you towards a certain field then chances are it’s at least worth looking into.
19. You realized that you have new interests
Kudos to you for making that discovery! Finding new interests can be very refreshing, especially because no one wants to work in monotony for the rest of their lives. Being able to find something exciting that keeps you excited is a fantastic source of motivation for you to keep doing what you’re doing! Don’t be afraid to change majors because your interests have changed – this is one of the best reasons to change majors!