When people ask me what my major is, I reply with “Advertising & Marketing,” but not a lot of people know that I actually spent my whole first year of school as an Early Childhood Education major, hoping to get dually certified in Special Education. I always get a surprised reaction: “Why such a big change?” The truth is, I don’t really have a great story for them.
My immediate answer is to say I was always torn between working with kids and a going into some sort of marketing. I sparked an interest in photography during middle school, eventually getting involved in my school’s newspaper and enrolling in various digital media classes. Through engaging in these activities, I discovered a passion for working with media. I still never know how to categorize what I love to do because it encompasses so many aspects.
However, after volunteering with kids with special healthcare needs at a local children’s hospital throughout high school, I found an additional passion. I adored working with these loving children. Never did I dread a day that I was going to volunteer because I saw how much it meant to them. It meant a lot to me too, to see them improving and getting more confident as swimmers with each class. Though I still have such a big spot in my heart for kids, especially for those with special needs, I realized this passion just was not strong enough to lead me into a teaching career. Being a teacher is an absolutely amazing job that should be highly respected, but I know that I don’t have to be a teacher to work with children. I can still volunteer, babysit, and engage with kids in many different environments. Advertising & Marketing, on the other hand, isn’t really something you can do if that’s not your career.
I honestly don’t know what sparked this change in me. I just know that I would regret it in the long run if I didn’t change my major to the one I had been planning on for a lot of my life. To this day, I do not regret my decision whatsoever. I am happier than I ever have been and am so optimistic about my future. In fact, I recently got an internship at the children’s hospital that I volunteered at, so my two worlds have already collided!
The point is, it’s okay to change your major. It’s okay to not even have a major when you enter college. Your first year of college, you learn SO much about yourself and honestly, I’d say it’s pretty abnormal to not change your major at some point in your journey. If you’re a college student reading this and haven’t ever changed your major, I seriously applaud you for knowing what you’re doing! Changing my major was one of the better decisions I made in college and if you’re considering it, I would say just do it! Or, you can just consider enrolling in related classes to test the waters before you officially make the switch. Remember – you can always change back if you made the wrong choice!