With so many different majors offered at NYU, there are so many different things to explore that it may get overwhelming. For those who want to change their major, it can get pretty frightening not knowing what to do or what the right choice is for them.
There are a lot of myths about choosing the right major and career path, such as how a major determines your career or that you have to declare right away. But, all that is untrue. According to the University of La Verne, 50-70% of students change their major at least once. A major, similarly to a school, does not determine a person’s success– it is what a person does during his or her time as an undergraduate student that does.
When I was still at Tandon as an Integrated Digital Media major, I was miserable. I didn’t know what I was doing in the major, my classes didn’t feel fulfilling, I felt like I wasn’t learning anything new, and I knew I had to change. These feelings are things that no one should have about their major. So, I quickly switched to a film major at Tisch and now feel a lot happier and fulfilled while learning something new everyday. After switching my major, I felt that I wasted my time and money taking a full year of classes for a different major. But, I’m happier now that I am doing something I like.
Our time as undergraduate students is the only time we have to make mistakes, explore different things, and enjoy learning something we are passionate about. Depending on when you are switching majors, it may be too late to go abroad for a semester or, like myself, you may end up graduating a semester later than you planned. But, it’s worth it to change your major if it’s what will make you happy and allow you to enjoy your career after graduating.
If you are still worried about the impact changing your major would have, talk to an advisor who can help you with the process and planning it out to help you graduate on time. Talk to other people who are in the major you are interested in and see what they have to say about it. Do research to find out if you need to apply to a specific school of NYU to switch majors and talk to an advisor at that school to help you start the process. Just remember that you are not alone in making this decision– there may even be someone in your class who switched into the major you’re in now.
You still may be wondering whether or not you should change your major since it is a frightening decision to make. I’m glad that I switched, but I still ask myself if I made the right decision– will I get a job, should I switch again? But, more than 50% of college graduates pursue careers unrelated to their major. So, I’m not going to worry too much about it and neither should you. Your major is there to help you get a job after graduation by preparing you with the necessary skills and knowledge needed in your chosen industry, but it doesn’t determine your entire life and career. What determines that is you and the drive you have to pursue the things you’re interested in.
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