By Tori Pietsch
College is hard. First there’s the pressure to start getting your act together, to figure out who you want to be, and to decide what you want to do. As if that existential crisis weren’t enough, you’re then forced to balance a huge amounts of schoolwork, a job, and any extracurricular activities you can manage. Sometimes it feels like not doing all these things in college is basically professional suicide. Finally, you’re forced to juggle whatever type of social life you can manage while also learning how to be an adult. Trying to balance all of these at once can be incredibly overwhelming. And then, on top of everything else, you have to choose a major.
Many people apply to college thinking they already have it all figured out. Others don’t and wind up feeling behind their peers who seem to have their entire futures planned. The reality of the situation is that most students end up changing their mind. In choosing what you want to study for the next four years (or more), you’re committing yourself to one field of study that will be part of your identity for the rest of your life. While it can be a scary process, it can also be exciting; once you finally figure it out, you get to plan for the future and feel hopeful about what’s to come.
Despite the feelings of near elation that come with finally settling down to one major, few things rival the fear and uncertainty of not knowing what you want to do. For those who are undeclared, there is a lot of possibility and opportunity to explore. However, if you’ve had your heart set on one major and suddenly you’re not sure it’s for you, it can feel as if your entire academic world is falling apart. You’re not the only one to feel this way and there are several ways to cope:
1. Avoid the thought (but not for too long).
The first thing to do is stop stressing. If you can, avoid thinking about it for a while. Continue doing homework for your classes and live your life. This will feel unnatural and may cause you even more stress at first, but it’s a good tactic that will keep you sane. If after a few weeks you find you’re still feeling miserable with the major you’ve chosen, then it may be time to explore other options. In many cases, people’s doubts are caused simply by the stress of their workload at that time. Stick it out and weather the storm for a while, and you may realize that one terrible class doesn’t mean your major or your future career are going to be equally unpleasant.
2. Picture yourself with any other major.
While that class you can’t do better than a C in may seem terrible, see how you feel by envisioning yourself with a different major. If you’re pre-med, you don’t have to picture yourself as an artist or historian (if you know that’d never be your thing). You can stay within the limits of your favorite area of general study while still picturing yourself with a different major. If that thought is enough to make you panic, then hopefully you’ll realized your major is right for you and that a few hard classes are worth. If the thought of a different major feels like a weight being lifted off your shoulders, and you feel excited about new freedom and possibilities, it might be time to make a change.
3. Talk to advisors and career counselors.
As a student who was previously undeclared, I say this one really works. As a chronic planner and organizer, I was unable to envision a future for myself and it felt as if my life was on hold. After talking to my advisor, she referred me to a career counselor. At this meeting, I discussed some of my tentative future plans, things I valued in my life, who I am as a person, and what I knew I definitely never wanted to do. After a brief discussion, my career counselor showed me a list of alumni from my university who were now successfully working in one of the industries I was considering. That was all it took for me to suddenly know what I wanted to do, and the same tactic may work for you.
4. Get organized.
Schedule meetings with professors. If most of your unhappiness is caused by a bad grade, they may be able to offer you some advice. Additionally, many professors will have experience in the field you’re hoping to enter, and can give you some insight on what it’s really like. Effective time management and organization can also be useful skills to have so invest in a planner and write everything down. The connection may appear unlikely, but planning the events in your immediate life and near future can sometimes offer clarity about the distant future. Once you start figuring out what you’re doing now, you’ll have more clarity in determining what you’ll be doing later on in life.
5. Try out some other classes.
If you’re seriously unsure if what you’re majoring in is what you want to continue doing, take advantage of the other courses offered by your university. If you like what you learn, you’ll be a step closer to figuring out what your interests are. If you absolutely hate it, at least you know what you dislike – and that information is just as useful. Above all in this process, keep an open mind. You’ll never learn about your interests if you don’t try anything new.
6. Get some experience.
If required classes are getting you down, yet you still think yout major is what’s best for you, try applying for jobs or internships related to the career you want to have. It can’t hurt to have some experience in the field – especially for when you apply for jobs later on – and you can gain a lot of valuable knowledge about the profession and if it’s what you had in mind. If you end up loving the new experience, but still hate your classes, then you may just have to tough it out and persevere through the tests and essays. It will be worth it one day.
In choosing how you want to spend your life, choose what makes you happy. If you’re not sure what that is yet, don’t stress. You have time. Don’t be afraid to create your own path. Talk to friends and family about it, sometimes the people who you spend most of your time with know you better than you know yourself. Try to remember how fortunate you are to have the opportunity to earn a degree, no matter what it’s in, from your college. Also, be confident. If you’re worried about what others think of your career choice, you’ll never be able to feel comfortable in it yourself. Don’t be ashamed of what you want to spend your life doing, especially if it’s what you love most. Continue doing you and figuring out who you are and who you want to be. The rest will fall in place in time.