According to a statistical analysis report by the U.S. Department of Education, over one-third of college students switch their majors during their time in college. Should changing your major be considered a failure or success? Many people believe changing majors is a sign of failure; however, that is far from the truth. Changing majors can be beneficial because it could allow students to pursue something they are passionate about.
Many students tend to choose areas of study that are lucrative while others may choose something that meets the expectations of families and friends. Whatever the reason, a large number of students seem to choose the STEM field. When students discover they might not have the skillset or lack the passion to study STEM, they tend to be reluctant to change their major.
However, when students major in a field that they are passionate about, they encounter a more rewarding learning experience, predominantly because it could allow them to discover themselves. Things seem to come more naturally when people love what they do. Even though they have to work hard, it becomes a lot easier to pull an all-nighter when there’s passion behind the struggle. The stigma surrounding the idea that your major has to be directly correlated with your future career is wrong. Your major does not limit your career field.
Mark Twain’s quote, “Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life,” applies when it comes to determining a major. Always seek your passion, even if that means being undeclared for a semester or two or even changing majors a couple of times. Find what you love because it will be more rewarding and less stressful or at least make the stress more bearable.
College should be a place where students go to discover themselves and find what they love. At the end of each student’s academic career, they should have a better understanding of themselves and what passions lie within them. When students reach that point, they will be free to live a more fulfilling life that enables them to follow their dreams. The first step to accomplishing this could be as simple as changing a major.
