Coming to college in and of itself is challenging enough- let alone deciding on a major that will impact your career for the rest of your life. However, when you finally go for it and settle on a major, it’s not uncommon to have doubts or feel like you’re not smart enough to graduate and be successful. For my own college journey, I originally came in with a major that I found easy, though I wasn’t passionate about. I decided to change my major to something I found more joy in doing. However, the work is very challenging, so those same concerns follow me. Hopefully by sharing my experiences and things that have helped me, it can aid anyone going through similar struggles!
I first wanted to start off by explaining the Imposter Syndrome. This is when you experience feelings of self-doubt in regards to skills, accomplishments, or intellect when around high-achieving people. An example of this is when you’re sitting in math class and you have a question- but you’re afraid to raise your hand in fear of looking stupid in front of the class. This is due to your perception making it seem that you’re the only one who doesn’t understand the content. However, something important to remember is that if you have a question, there is more than likely someone else who has that same question, but is afraid to speak up for the same reasons.Â
The Imposter Syndrome affects a lot of people in many different ways, so it’s important to know that if you feel this way, you’re not alone. When I first started my major, I was transferring from an English to STEM major, which is a big jump already. I also have struggled with math my entire life which is a big component of any STEM major, so I struggled with the Imposter Syndrome heavily. I thought I wasn’t smart enough to be in that major and that somewhere along the way, someone was going to figure out that I wasn’t smart enough and that I didn’t belong there. I still deal with these feelings sometimes, but the thing that has helped me the most is just working hard to understand the content, and breaking down the barriers of being afraid to ask for help if needed. You’re not in anything alone and it’s important to remember that no one achieved great success without the help and support of others, and that it’s nothing to be ashamed of.Â
The next thing I wanted to discuss is doubts concerning your major. Picking a major is a huge decision in your life and holds a lot of weight, so it makes sense that there’s so much anxiety surrounding it. However, it’s not as concrete as you’d think. I know plenty of people who went to school for one thing and then picked a career in a completely different field, such as my mom’s best friend who went to school for Marine Biology and ended up becoming a Kindergarten teacher. The best thing to do is go to school for something you’re passionate about so you can enjoy school, and not worry too much about what the future holds. Whatever’s meant to happen is what will happen, and dwelling too much on the future will make you lose the present. It’s normal to have doubts concerning your major, but don’t jump ship every time it gets hard or you think about something else. On the flip side, if you’re truly unhappy in your major and it’s not just the normal amount of doubts, don’t stay with something that will make you miserable.Â
Finally, the last thing I wanted to discuss was how to deal with the pressure that comes with a major, such as education majors being unable to get in any sort of trouble in school without being kicked out of their major. It’s important to find a balance between being serious about school while also being able to let loose and have fun, because if you have no stress relief, you’re not going to be successful with your schoolwork. The rules in place for each major has a reason and it’s important to follow them, however if you let that pressure control your entire life it will ultimately make you unhappy, so finding a balance is key.Â