What to Do if You Are Second Guessing Your College Major

By Amanda Cohen on August 6, 2018

When you first get to college, you have certain expectations about what your major should be. For example, I started college thinking I was going to major in Biology… I ended up majoring in Psychology and minoring in English. The bottom line is that it is OKAY to have second thoughts about your major and it’s even okay to switch your major! However, if you aren’t at the point of “no return” when it comes to having second thoughts about your major (aka you aren’t at the point where you want to switch majors yet), I think that this article can help you. Don’t stress if you are feeling indecisive about your major; it’s actually fairly common. So, let me spew some knowledge at all of those who are feeling indecisive.

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If you are having second thoughts about your major, you want to head to your academic advisor. Make an appointment and then follow up with an e-mail detailing what you need to talk about with your advisor. By doing this, you don’t have to waste tons of times catching your advisor up to speed about your concerns. Explain to him/her why you are having these second thoughts and try to give him/her some information about what you want to do for a future career, or even an internship. In addition, if you are really interested in switching your major, your advisor can help you map out your upcoming semesters so that you can graduate in the time you desire to.

After talking to your advisor, talk to your family and trusted friends. They will have somewhat of an unbiased and non-academic perspective on your situation and, your friends especially, will be able to empathize with your situation. You need someone to talk to about all of your concerns; talking about it out loud, even if no one is saying anything, can really help to guide your situation. You can even go to your friends and family after speaking with your academic advisor and show them the possible plans/routes you could take if you (1) decide to keep your major or (2) switch majors entirely. You would be surprised how helpful it is to just talk it through without taking any drastic measures.

If you have a love/hate relationship with your current major, you could consider either adding on a second major or adding on one or two different minors to your college repertoire. When I went to my advisor about my major situation, I initially wanted to do a double major in English. However, he informed me that, if I were to pursue a double major, it would be extremely difficult for me to graduate on time. So, I decided to do a minor instead. The minor was extremely doable and, since I loved what I was learning about, I didn’t mind taking some extra upper-level classes my second semester of senior year. Deciding if you want to add on a minor as opposed to a new major or adding on a major has a lot to do with timing. When I approached my advisor, it was my second semester of junior year, so I was fighting the clock. If you are having these feelings earlier on in your college career, you won’t have time as one of the major factors behind your decision-making.

Even though having second thoughts about your major is not the worst thing in the world, there are ways to avoid the stress that comes with second-guessing the basis of your college career. One thing for sure is to take a ton of electives and freshman year seminars when you enter college. Many of these classes will not only help you fill university-wide requirements, but it will help you open your mind to all of the different major and minor possibilities offered by your university. Second, talk to your advisor at least one time each semester. Even if you don’t think that you need help, it’s helpful to keep him/her in the loop so that they can maintain records on your classes and help you create a Plan A, Plan B, Plan C, all the way to Plan Z for various majors/minors that you might consider pursuing.

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If you are having second thoughts, don’t freak out; try staying calm, cool, and collected. Freaking out won’t help you find a solution, it will just stress you out more. One last thing I want to tell you is to major in something that you love. If you want to be a doctor, that’s amazing, but you can take all of the pre-health classes without having a science-related major. College is a time of exploration and finding out what you love to do. So, sign up for those more obscure classes and take chances with different areas of study. If you hate the class, you drop it within the required period, but you don’t want to leave college with regrets because you will never have an opportunity to explore your interests and different areas of study in the same fashion again. Be creative, have fun, stay smart, and be prepared!

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