Why You Might Want to Change Your Major

80% of college students will change their major at least once. It’s hard to pick a major when you’re in high school, and most people have no idea what to expect from college. It’s better to change your major a few times, than to stick it out with one you’re not passionate about. If you go through college with a major you hate you’ll miss out on having a fun and exciting college experience.

1. Loss of Interest

You may have chosen your major because you are pursuing a particular job. For example maybe you want to major in business with a goal of attaining a managerial position. The problem is that even though the job itself sounds interesting, the classes you have to take in order to get the job are nothing like what you expected. You may be surprised by what your major turns out to actually be like.

2. Finding What You’re Good At

Do you want to study what you love or make a lot of money? Probably both! But the harsh reality is that not everyone can have both, so you might have to make a difficult decision. The best thing you can do for yourself is to focus on what you’re good at and what you care about. Pick a major that really is true to yourself. The number one regret many people have in life is quoted as follows, “I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself; not the life others expected of me.” Find something you love and choose to excel at it!

3.  Its Not a Good Fit

Many people, myself included, change their major because they find out that they just can’t handle it. School should be challenging, and you may find yourself getting some D’s in difficult upper division courses. That doesn’t mean you should give up. However, sometimes you realize that you’re not connecting with any of the subject matter in your major’s classes. For instance, when I came to college I wanted to major in English, but after taking a couple English classes I could tell that it was not the kind of subject I could see myself studying for the next four years. Some people have a more creative personality, while others tend to be more logical. There are tests you can take online to find out what kind of personality you have, or what kind of job would be a good fit for you.

4. Discovering a New Interest

Sometimes students take a class that isn’t related to their major and have an amazing experience. They may fall in love with the subject or be fascinated by the teacher.  You may have never considered that major before that class, but now you have a feeling that you will be much happier if you change. If you connect with a new major and it really excites you then taking more classes in that field and even switching majors should be an option you seriously consider.