Stop Fantasizing About Other Majors

Although I miss all my in-person classes, the one bright side to a virtual semester is that my improved time management skills have brought along some much needed free time in my schedule. While most of my friends fill their leisure time with Netflix shows, I’ve gotten into the habit of researching different majors and certificates through the UW – Madison website. Not only does the website provide you with information on over 200 majors and certificates, it also can show you four-year programs to get the degree, as well as what careers other people have gotten after completing the program. Scrolling through a highlight reel of all the amazing opportunities offered through different departments is a rabbit hole I never expected to fall down. But daydreaming about the endless possibilities I could explore during my college education, I’ve found myself getting lost in all my options questioning my own choice in major.

Deciding on a major is one of the biggest decisions you make during your college career. Yet, no one seems to talk about how common it is to second guess that choice. I have days when I feel really inspired by what I’m learning. Seeing all the opportunities my major can offer me keeps me motivated through midterms and taxing lab reports. On the other hand, I’ve also had nights crying in my room and questioning if I’m even interested in my major and whether or not I’m making the right choice. What if I’m not smart enough? What if it’s too late to change what I want to study? As someone who doesn’t like making decisions, I hate the idea of committing to a major and not having a chance to change my mind. Especially after an extremely draining, three-hour physics lab, I often find myself losing sight of why I even picked my major. Doing poorly in a class can be really discouraging, especially when it’s an important part of your degree.

Whenever I start to get really stressed with classes, it’s nice to look at other majors and fantasize about what it would be like to take that course load instead of mine. It’s easy to think of all the fun parts about being a teacher and getting to work with kids, or getting to save lives as a doctor. But while I’m searching for classes in microbiology or planning out my hypothetical life as an artist living in Manhattan, it can be easy to let slip why you found your major so intriguing in the first place. When you’re in the midst of difficult depth classes for your degree, it can be a nice distraction to look over other classes you could be taking instead. The short description of courses across the university always sounds way more attractive than they might actually be. If you strip away all the exams and papers that you are forced to do for classes, the course material seems entrancing. I dreaded going to biology my sophomore year of high school, but for some reason, I’ve imagined what my life would be like studying Kinesiology and becoming an athletic trainer. Having blinders up to all the struggles that come with a particular career makes your own decision seem less interesting and not worth all the effort you’re putting into it. But in reality, every major and certificate come with their own pitfalls.

The notion of some degrees being considered “easy” majors is really frustrating to me. It’s so easy to look at another major and fantasize about taking those classes. In my experience, it’s usually business or English majors that get a wrap for being “easy.” The idea of never taking another calculus or physics exam again can start to sound really appealing, especially during midterm season. But to me, there’s no such thing as an “easy” or “hard” major. Any degree on campus can be as difficult as you make it. If you’re only doing the minimum requirements for your degree, it won’t be super strenuous. However, if you’re taking all your required courses, getting involved in undergraduate research, and professional development programs, as well as taking extra classes within your department, the degree you receive is going to be more difficult since you’re taking on more responsibilities. Every major presents its own complications. Comparing your major to someone else’s is similar to comparing yourself to others. It’s easy to nitpick things you don’t like about yourself, and not see any flaws in others. When in reality, all people and majors come with their own unique struggles.

At the end of the day, I believe that we put too much pressure on students to decide on what they want to do with their lives at such a young age. How can any 18-year-old decide what they’re going to want to do for the rest of their life? Through talking to people who have graduated from college for many years, in many cases, the career you end up having isn’t exactly centered around your college major. So much of what we learn is through hands-on work experience. While your degree is important, what’s more vital is the techniques of how to communicate your understanding with others and to expand your qualifications for jobs you are interested in.

While it’s fun to slip into the world of possibilities when exploring other majors, make sure you stay realistic with yourself. Don’t spend too much time wondering about the “what ifs” and instead focus on what you can make happen. Focus on your end goals and all the opportunities that your major is going to present you with. It’s time we start fantasizing about our own majors instead of someone else’s. Every major on campus has its fascinating aspects and its draining courses that you can study for hours on and still fail the exam. What’s most important about college is the memories we make with friends and the endless career prospects we’ll have when we get our diplomas, no matter what degree you completed.  

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