Special Edition Fall 2022: Major Changes
Finding your academic path
By Meredith Toussaint
One of the first things college students get asked by anyone trying to get to know them is “What’s your major?” In fact, this starts even before college and can continue long after. I remember being asked this question during my junior and senior years of high school. People want to know what the student’s course of study is, so that they can know what they will do and where they will go in life.
Students are expected to choose a path and stick with it, ideally graduating early or on time, at the very least. However, what many fail to realize is that the classes taken during one’s college years do not have to dictate what they do for the rest of their life. The twists and turns in one’s educational path can be exactly what make the experience valuable and worthwhile.
Many of us enter college thinking that changing your major constitutes a failure to follow your “set path.” What most of us don’t realize is that it’s statistically uncommon to come into college with a plan and stick to it. “The majority of students will either change their major or add an additional major or minor during their time here,” said Academic Advisor Katie Kromer-Ide. “It is very rare for someone to come in with one major and not change their academic plans in some way.” Although you may feel alone in wanting to change your classes, many other students are doing the same thing.
The academic advising office on the second floor of Derham
I personally filled out the forms saying I was an English major before my first year, but I did this because I liked reading and writing, not because I had any concrete idea about the English major itself or what jobs are available in the field. I enjoyed most of the courses I took and learned valuable things. However, only through taking different classes and meeting new professors did I come to the realization of what I wanted to spend time studying. I switched to a double major in English and Theology in the spring of 2022, and I have been happy to have classes that I’m excited for and to be studying things I really want to know more about.
Emma Munson with her favorite painting in Whitby Hall
Emma Munson ’23 (Theology and Classical Civilizations) had a similar experience. She started school as a nursing major, switched to data science for a semester and finally settled on theology and classical civilizations. She has never regretted changing her major because she gets excited to go to class now rather than when she was “looking for a means to an end.” Rather than staying in a major that she only thought would help her find a job, she chose to do something she felt passionate about. However, her first majors gave her valuable skills and helped her realize what she didn’t want, as valuable of a lesson as any.
Additionally, Kromer-Ide said that she would advise students not to hesitate in changing their major early on in their college career. Often, if a student makes the switch in their junior or senior year, they will have to be at school for longer than they expected, which can be difficult for financial reasons. However, it is worth noting that you can take elective courses in subjects you are interested in without having to make it a major or minor.
Kromer-Ide’s best advice for students questioning what to major in is to take advantage of the resources available to them. She advised taking the assessments available in career development and talking with your academic advisor, who can help you envision what the next few years will look like and what specific classes you will need to take. Finally, she noted the importance of faculty mentors. In her experience, the number one reason a student changes their major is their enjoyment of a class and a strong connection with the professor. There is great value in talking to your professors, who are extremely knowledgeable about not only their field itself, but also where their classes can take you.
Finally, it is important to realize that there does not have to be so much pressure to find the “perfect” major that you will enjoy one hundred percent of the time and leads right to your desired future. Not only does this not exist, but the vast majority of us have no idea where we want to go. That is okay.
Rather than feeling like you have to follow a rigid path, take classes that interest you with professors you like. Rather than spending your college years worrying about what you will do after them, focus on what you are doing now, and learn as much as you can. “Go with what feels hopeful and exciting,” Munson said. “Run towards things instead of running away from things. If you’re running away from something that feels hard, maybe think a little more. But if you’re running towards something that feels right, keep going.”
Most importantly, do not lose hope in yourself, and trust that with your own skills and with the support of faculty, staff and your personal mentors on and off this campus, you will get where you need to go.
