Congratulations! You survived your freshman year of college. It was a whirlwind of new obstacles, people, changes, and experiences. Even though it seemed overwhelming at times, it was still exciting. Everything was refreshing and brand new. Now here comes sophomore year. Of course you meet new people and take new classes every semester, but after the first year the novelty wears off a little.
Sophomore year is usually when you start taking more classes focused on your major. Obviously, they are more difficult and time consuming. They also open your eyes and quite possibly cause a revelation. If you are completely in love with all of your classes and have no doubts about your major, then you are part of the lucky few. For the rest of us, at least the first semester will be a bit of an emotional rollercoaster.
There will be some classes that will intensify your passion for your major. A class can either be everything you expected your major/career to be like or it can throw you off guard and make you rethink everything. There are certain professors that will either make you want to strive to get into your choice of occupation or make you think about aspiring for a different occupation.
Having doubts about something that you thought you wanted for a while can be heartbreaking. You end up questioning your past, present, and future. You end up questioning how good you actually are at what you want to do. It can almost feel like an identity crisis (not to sound too dramatic).
What you might not realize is that you are not alone. There are people in the same classes as you that feel the same way. Some people are better at hiding the stress than others, but trust me, they are freaking out too. A lot of college students have felt the same way. They may still have that feeling occur at times as they go on in their college career.
It is natural to doubt yourself and to feel scared. In fact, it is expected of you. Now, I’m not saying that these feelings aren’t a big deal or that it is something you can ignore or give into. This is about what you want to do for the rest of your life and that is very serious. There are different solutions and ways that you can get reassurance relating to your major.
The first thing you should do is breathe. Maybe you are overreacting and it is just the stress getting to you. Spend some time alone to think clearly about what you want in life. Talk to friends and family that have gone to college because they most likely have gone through a similar situation. Gain some perspective.
You can also talk to your advisor. By asking all these questions about your major that have been running through your mind, you will be able to get an honest and accurate answer. At the end of the conversation you can hopefully walk away with some clarity, relief, hope, and motivation. Maybe you will realize that you do enjoy your major, but you want to change the specific occupation you had in mind for another one related to your major. Hopefully, that same major will be applicable for that occupation. If the conversation does not provide you with those things, then maybe the major is not for you. If that is the case, then that is not the end of the world.
There is no problem in realizing that something that used to be your passion just isn’t anymore. College is about finding yourself and it shapes you into the person you are going to be for the rest of your life. You have your whole life ahead of you and it is worth taking a step back to figure out what makes you happy. Just remember that everything will be okay.
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