Should You Change Your Major?
Advantages & Disadvantages of Changing a Plan of Study
Ready for a change? Before switching to a new major, here are some important considerations.
All college students have moments when they doubt their choice of college major. This may happen in the middle of the night as you're desperately trying to complete a project, or when you're trying in vain not to fall asleep in that painfully dull required class. For most students, these moments of trepidation are outweighed by the positive benefits of choosing your major.
But what if they're not? What if you've come to the conclusion hat when you chose this major, you made a serious mistake? Should you change your college major? Here are some important factors to consider before making this decision.
Graduating on Time
One of the biggest problems with changing your major is that it may make it difficult for you to graduate in four years. Sticking around for another semester (or two, or three) can be an expensive and time consuming option.
Therefore, if you're thinking about changing your major, sit down with an academic advisor and figure out exactly how much extra time it will take for you to graduate if you change your major. It may be that the change of major won't effect your graduation time at all. Or it may be that you can graduate on time if you take a few summer classes or a heavy courseload for a few semesters. However, if the change in major is going to add extra semesters or years onto your college career, think carefully about whether this is worth it to you.
Ability to Get Classes
Some departments make it awfully difficult to get the classes you need to graduate. This may be because the department is extremely popular, or perhaps because a department is very small and does not offer required courses often enough. If it's very difficult to get into the classes you need to graduate, consider seriously whether the major is worth the time and aggravation.
Your Skills and Talents
So you're majoring in physics. Unfortunately, you're terrible at calculus, and your upper level textbooks make so little sense that they may as well be written in hieroglyphics. Or you're a music major, and you're okay at it, but you realize that compared to some of your classmates, you're not talented enough to have a successful career in music.
There's nothing wrong with realizing that your major doesn't suit your skills and talents. In fact, the ability to make such a realization is a sign of maturity. The trick is to find a major that does suit you better. To avoid making another mistake, spend time doing some research on other majors. Stop by the campus academic center to read up on other choices, and meet with an academic advisor.
A word of caution, though: before bailing out, give yourself a chance. Don't decide that you're a lousy physics major after one D on a midterm. Instead, put some good solid effort in your physics classes that semester whether you do better-- or whether you truly are are a lousy physics major.
Your Career Potential
You're majoring in elementary education. However, you've recently decided that what you really want is to go into advertising. Or you're a theater major, but you're not sure if there are enough career options in your field.
Before changing your major to increase your career potential, do some research by talking to professors and professionals. Find out if your major actually is incompatible with your career goals. In the working world, majors don't always matter as much as you think. Instead of changing your major, you might just need to get some internships in your field of interest. Furthermore, for some career paths, you'll need a graduate degree, in which case you might be able to keep your current major and get more professional training in graduate school.
Quality of Major
Majors at all schools are not alike. Perhaps you're a history major, but all your classes are taught by TAs and the quality of education is terrible. If this is the case, then perhaps you'd be better off with a major that's stronger on your particular campus.
Similarly, there may be an outstanding department on campus that peaks your interest. Perhaps your school has an exceptional communication department with great teaching and topics that appeal to you quite a bit. This might be the place for you.
Again, though, do your research by talking to professors and other students about the quality of a department. All departments have their strengths and weaknesses, so don't rush to conclusions.
Likes and Dislikes
Have you come to truly detest your major? If so, seriously consider changing it. You're not going to get much out of your education if you're miserable. Alternately, it's common for students to develop new interests after they come to college, so you may discover a major you love. if so, this may be the direction for you.
Most students change their major at least once, so if you're thinking of switching, you're not alone. However, before making the switch, do your research, and ask yourself some serious questions about whether this is the right choice for you. Best of luck!
