College is an exciting and scary time in life. You get to explore different subjects and learn new ideas all while making new friends. It’s a time that is different than any other that you have experienced, but could also be one of the most stressful for many reasons.
The most common question you will hear once you enter college is “What is your major?”
This is because professors use that question as an ice breaker and classmates ask to get to know you better. A big part of college is figuring out what you want to study, and there is a lot of pressure to make sure it’s the “right” choice.
I thought that my “right” choice was going to college for Business, because it was what was going to give me the future I wanted with a good job. I entered UTSA as an undeclared student, and took my first actual Business courses and I dreaded going to class. I, like many other Freshmen, took Writing Composition my first semester, and unlike most students in my classes, I really liked what I was doing. My English courses were the most enjoyable courses that semester, and I found myself being excited to make it to class.
When I finally realized how I felt about Writing Composition, I became very conflicted with what I felt I should do and what actually made me happy. It wasn’t until I went and looked at an old book that was given to me by an old teacher that I better understood what I wanted to do. Inside he had written, “Slow down do the things you have to, but be sure to balance that out with the one you want to do.”
This hit me hard because I am a First Generation Student, and I felt that in order to be successful I needed to study something that would secure my future… but at what cost? I was not happy studying Business, and I wanted to study English so bad. So that’s what I did. I’m now a senior studying something I love and I am so grateful to be doing so!
Changing your major is something a lot of college students have done and something universities expect to happen. You are allowed to explore classes and take ones that seem interesting to you. Take the time to find what you like, and what you want to learn more about… then do it! Try to enjoy college, and what you are studying. Do not do something that makes you unhappy, just because it is something your family wants you to study or is something you have no interest in. In the end, you’re the one getting the degree and walking that stage. The diploma in your hand should be something you’re proud of.