Changing Your Major Isn’t the End of the World

Many students come into college with an understanding of what they want to accomplish in life. These goals lead them to pick their major in college. Whether they choose to major in nursing, theatre, or history, this decision will impact them for the next four years of their life. But what if they don’t like the major they initially picked? 

This is a question I had to face head-on in my first semester of college. I came to Millikin with bright eyes and a love for mathematics. In high school, I was one of the best in my math classes and found myself incredibly confident with my math skills, so I decided that I would major in Computer Science at whatever college I ended up at. I was excited to get a degree that had amazing promise in the job market. I thought that computer science majors and people proficient in coding always made a lot of money, and that is what I wanted. While it is true that computer science majors can make a substantial amount of money, I quickly found out I did not like computer science. 

Around midterms in my freshman year, I realized that math assignments started to become a chore, my Intro to Computer Science class was stressing me out beyond belief, and I was not happy with the way college classes were making me feel. It was time for a change. 

In my IN180 class, I had a wonderful TA. I often went to her for help on my essays and any other assignments I didn’t understand in class. Through these frequent meetings, we became friends. I would sometimes rant to her about my issues with my classes, and one day, I mentioned changing my major. After I uttered those magic words, the TA explained to me what that process might look like. She also helped me brainstorm what I might want to study instead. But I was not sold on the idea yet, so I decided to give up on the idea of changing my major and stick with Computer Science. 

 I explained to my family and friends that it felt like I was giving up if I changed my major, and I don’t like giving up, but the classes just kept getting worse and worse. I was the most depressed I had ever been, I had no time for myself, and I spent most of my time on the homework that was given to me. Now it was really time for a change. I swallowed my pride and asked my TA what it would look like to change my major to English. After some discussion, she helped me set up a time to meet with an English advisor to do the necessary paperwork to change my major. It was like a breath of fresh air. I wasn’t magically happy again, but I started getting excited for the classes I was taking in the next semester. 

When the next semester started, I knew I had made the right choice. I had classes with wonderful professors like Dr. Magagna, Dr. Bates, and Dr. Anne. I was actually enjoying learning again. It wasn’t easy in the slightest, but it felt much better than the previous semester. The fear I had about changing my major disappeared the more I acclimated to the English department. Over time, I realized that changing your major does not mean giving up. I still really enjoy coding and math, but I could not see a future in which I do them for a job. 

I am now a senior English major who is the editor-in-chief of two on-campus publications. Changing my major was the best thing that could have happened to me in college. I might be extremely busy and hate writing on occasion (doing too much of anything will make you hate it for a little bit), but I always come back and find reasons to love the classes I take and the future I can create from taking them. 

If you find yourself absolutely hating your current major, take some time to reflect. Everyone’s journey with their major looks different, so I am not going to tell you how to decide to change your major, but I am going to tell you not to be afraid to do so. If I had never changed my major, I would still be extremely unhappy and pursuing careers that didn’t allow me to reach my professional goals. You are not a screw up if you change your major once, twice, or even three times; you are just on a journey to find what you love.