Major advice: Find what works best for you
One thing I’ve learned while being on campus is that trying different things can be extremely beneficial. Depending on what area you want to major in, there can be room for you to try things that don’t necessarily fit within the frame of your major.
I’m currently in my junior year and I’m still finding new ways to enhance my college experience. I initially started in the College of Business, which was so exciting for me because I knew how selective the process was.
But, what I expected was different than what I actually experienced. I knew that I wasn’t enjoying myself, but I felt bad because I worked hard to get to that point. It took me about two months to know that I was going to change my major.
I changed my major to gender and women’s studies. Then in my sophomore year, I realized something was missing. Up to this point I had taken a couple of English courses and really enjoyed them. So I added English as my second major and informatics as my minor.
If your idea of what you want to major in doesn’t fit, go ahead and see what you actually like. Even though my Business 101 class was interesting and I did well academically, it wasn’t what I wanted to do forever. I learned that it was up to me to construct my college experience the way that I wanted and to ultimately choose something that made me happy.
When adjusting my major, I considered how much I enjoyed them and the amount of credit hours I’d need, among other things. I know one concern some might have is that changing your major is how it will affect your graduation time. Because each area of study has different requirements, it really depends on what you choose.
If you’re unsure of your major or you want to change it, I recommend talking with an academic advisor. My advisors have been so helpful for me along my journey and they know what they’re talking about. Don’t be afraid to reach out to them via email or in person.
Some tips I have are:
- Take classes outside of your major
- Meet with advisors
- List your goals and see which major aligns the best
- Talk with other students
I hope some of this helps you find a path that makes sense for your goals, and ultimately makes you happy.