Completing your bachelor’s degree at a university is technically supposed to take you four years. Some people graduate early, and others may take a bit longer. When I changed my major, I came to the realization that I was now extremely behind. I had two choices: stress myself out and only need one extra semester, or do a 5th year. Regardless, I was not going to be graduating the year I was normally supposed to. After many pro and con lists, I made the choice to do a 5th year, and I couldn’t be any happier!
My main pull was the comment I received from various people stating that after college I had to enter “the real world.” I was not ready for that. With my new major, I wanted to explore career options and learn more than what was “required” of me. I wanted to not rush my time in college, but actually get something out of it. Making connections with professors, finding internships, and building up my resume have really been my main focus now that time isn’t a problem. Then, of course, I had my silly reasons, one of them being more football games, because who doesn’t love Texas football?
The other day I was walking back home from class, and as I looked at how beautiful UT is (especially the tower) I thought to myself, I’m happy I’m not graduating this year. I truly love this campus and it has brought me many opportunities I know my journey is not over yet. I am not ready to have a “last first day” of school, because I am not done learning. College is where you find yourself and what you want to do with your life, and I definitely would not have been able to do that if I hadn’t taken the risk of changing my major and extending my time on campus.
So, if you too are debating if you need more time in college or a change in your major, I say think about it! Look at the pros and cons and think about how it will benefit you in the long run. After all, this is not a setback, but a chance to keep growing!