In high school, all students are told to figure out what they want to do in college. While some people come into college knowing what they want to major in, a good number do not. Once they have finally chose a major and started taking the required courses, students may come to the conclusion that they do not like their major.
off-campus-lifestylesSo what are they to do?
Freshman, Ashley Torres, said that she has no clue what to do if she does not like her major and was never told what to do if she faces this issue. Torres is trying to be a pre-dentistry major.
“It is up to my GPA to see if I can get in or not,” Torres said. “I may have to switch majors to biology if my GPA isn’t good enough for pre-dentistry.”
Freshmen technically do not have majors until their second semester. It is common for freshmen to change their minds. The problem occurs when people wait until the end of their sophomore or beginning of junior year to make a decision.
“There are also those students who enjoy their major courses but perhaps have not been as successful as they might have liked to be,” Spanish professor and freshman advisor, Dr. Nick Uliano said. “By speaking with their advisor in the department, these students may decide to make a few changes, which will improve their success in their intended major. It is generally easier to switch majors as a freshman or a sophomore. If students wait until their junior or senior year, they may not be able to complete the major in four years.”
It is good to find out earlier than later what a student may want to do.
Uliano also noted that when a student is unhappy with their major and wants to change, the best thing for that student to do is to speak with his or her advisor within the department and talk to the department head. Teachers within the department are an excellent source of information regarding a particular major. As many students face this dilemma during their college career, faculty have a good amount of experience dealing with this issue.
Sophomore, Jake Berghuas, started off his freshman year as an early childhood education major and decided he would like to switch to business his sophomore year.
“I think I fell behind a little bit in the major since switching but knowing what I wanted to do in business really helped me,” Berghaus said. “I’m glad I came to this decision when I did so I wouldn’t fall behind anymore.”
