If you found yourself attracted to this article, you’re in good company. It’s estimated that ⅓ of collegiate men and women change their major at least once before graduating, and many experience multiple re-routes in their degree pursuits. Although it’s a relatively common occurrence, changing majors elicits such anxiety. Inevitably, there’s the time and money wasted on now-obsolete credit hours, and this combined with the stress of additional semesters can be overwhelming. To deal with the crisis of a total do-over, here are a few tips and tricks from an undecided pro.
Consult Ohio State’s exhaustive list of programs
Luckily, Ohio State offers an insane amount of areas to choose from. Over 200 majors and countless minors are housed in this one research university, and that’s good news for the undecided crowd. While it can be overwhelming, try to view it as an opportunity to find something you really love. College is a time to explore your options, and to learn about yourself in ways you hadn’t considered. A huge component of this self-discovery is deciding your field of study; ideally, this is something enticing, exciting, and worthy of hours spent studying.
Talk to real professionals in real departments
Talking to advisors can be terrifying, especially if you have no clue what you want to do. While you can speak to an advisor in each specific major, it may be smarter time-wise to consult departmental advisors. For example, if you’re going between journalism and public relations, you can speak to an advisor in the School of Communication. He or she can give you a perspective on each of those majors, put you in contact with faculty from both areas, and also give you the course breakdowns and job prospects for both majors.
Visualize your future, but know your interests
It is true that many people with college degrees don’t end up with jobs in their desired fields. Still, looking at the lifestyle you hope to have, the environment you’d like to live in, and the range of opportunities per major can help whittle down the list of options. If you value stability, look at job fields with an upward trends and generally stable markets. However, don’t take this as the final word. Do not throw away your interests for a lifestyle you aren’t guaranteed to have! Ultimately, you want to be satisfied with your work. Don’t dive into a major you hate in hopes you’ll fall in love with it.
Focus on earning the best grades possible, regardless
Finally, though this seems like basic advice, get the absolute best grades you are capable of getting. Exert yourself, even if you’re undecided. Hard work and persistence are valued in every single area of study, and in every single job on the market. When you’re honest with yourself and you put your best foot forward, it’s hard to go wrong.
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