Should You Change Your Major
When is it to late to change your major? This question or a variation of it is something I hear frequently. And of course, the answer is never that simple. So let’s walk through some of the considerations in when to change your major.
In my opinion, there are 2 major issues to consider when changing your major:
1. What can you do with your current one?
2. Do you know what you want to do instead?
If you are pre-med (biology, chemistry, etc…) and you decide you hate everything about medicine, then you have little choice but to change your major, regardless of whether it is year 1 or year 4.
On other hand, if you are a business major, and decide business isn’t your thing, then it isn’t such a sure choice. If you are a junior and have only a year left, then you might want to consider just finishing your degree. You may not have liked the classes, but there are a 1,000 things out there to do with your life that may be business or non-business related as long as you have that degree. Changing majors now could add 2-3 years to your schooling, tens of thousands in debt, and you might still have no idea what you want. 3 years in the real world can teach you a lot more than a new major in psychology.
Now lets address the second issue. Do you know what you want to do instead? If you have discovered your passion for the first time as a junior or senior what do you do? First, if you can do it without a specific degree, stick with what you’ve got. Don’t change your major unnecessarily. If you can’t, then you have little choice. Follow your passion. There is no easy way to get around all that extra school and wasted time. But finding a passion is a rare thing. If you are one of the lucky few to find one then do what you need to do.
My final thoughts are this: If possible just get finished. Opportunities will come along and they are much more likely to come along after school than during it. I have a lot of friends that are going to be in school for 8 years total because they couldn’t decide between pre-med, psychology, business, and fashion design. Just get out into the world, get some experience, and figure out what you want to do with your life. You probably won’t use your exact degree anyway.
