Major Struggles — Literally

The thought of changing your major in college can be scary.

It’s also pretty common. If you aren’t happy with your major choice, no worries. Speaking from personal experience, it’s completely normal for you to feel this way. Some majors are more difficult than others, and finding an area of study you’re passionate about can take some trial and error.

Here are a few tips I’ve gathered from personal experience for you to consider before changing your major.

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Tip 1: Do not choose a major because you want to avoid certain classes.

Here’s the thing: I absolutely hate math. When I read over the curriculum for my major, I freaked out a little because I saw I needed to take math and economics classes. You might want to switch majors because you’re worried about failing hard classes, but the only person you’re cheating is yourself. After talking to my mom and my advisor, I found out that I could get supplementary instruction for my math and economics classes. I could also go to my teacher’s office hours and get a tutor. I could even take the class for fifteen days before deciding to drop it with no penalty. There are many options available instead of giving up before you start. 

Tip 2: Do not choose a major without doing your research.

Before coming to college, I had no idea what I wanted to study. I knew I wanted to pursue something related to media, but I didn’t know specifically what that would be. I finally decided on pre-mass communications (without much prior knowledge). I was also required to add a minor because of the broad mass communications curriculum. When I left Camp War Eagle, I was officially a freshman studying mass communications with a minor in marketing.

A major can end up being completely different than you thought it would be. The mass communications major focuses more on human and interpersonal communication rather than media. While this is a great choice of study for some, I wanted to focus on media. The first mistake I made was only reading the description of the major and skipping over the list of courses I would be taking.

Tip 3: Do not feel defeated if you decide to change majors.

I felt depressed, stuck, and unsure, because I felt like everyone around me had it all together. In college, we don’t always have to have life figured out. There is no map or game plan handed to us. We’re allowed to screw things up a little before figuring out what we want. And when we *think* we’ve finally figured it out, chances are we’ll screw it up again.

We are human. Things change. Believe it or not, some people change their majors four or five times before deciding on what best fits them. One day you’re a nursing major, and the next day you decide you want to be an engineer. This is perfectly normal, and signifies that you are one step closer to figuring out what you do want.  

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When I finally decided that changing my major would be the best thing for me, I felt immediate relief. The process was not an easy one, but I hope my personal experience can give you a few ideas on where to start if you have doubts. At the end of the day, what you decide to do is ultimately up to you, and the world is your oyster.

Be well, Auburn.

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Photography: Zoe L.