As college students, most of us think it’s the end of the world to change our major, especially if we feel so far into our degree plan. This is also something most students don’t talk about, which made it even harder for me to make the decision to change my major. Nobody wants to do it. It took me so long to make the leap into actually studying something I love. This had to be one of the most difficult things I have done in my college career, yet it was also one of the best decisions I have made. I had my doubts but, in the end, realized it was the best for me.
I was a biology student my first two years at UTSA, two full years of putting myself through tough courses I had no interest in. Throughout this time, I had always had environmental science in the back of my mind but was too scared to change my major or even bring it up to anyone. Most people I know just push through till the very end, something I thought I also needed to do. This was difficult for me to do not only because I was uninterested in my classes, but biology courses are known to be very difficult. After some time thinking, lots of crying from all the stress of the classes, and being unsure of why I am actually doing this, I decided to talk to my family and some staff in my college about it. To my surprise (even though I really shouldn’t have been surprised at all…), everyone supported my choice and encouraged me to do what I loved.
It’s been a few semesters since I switched over, and I couldn’t be happier. I enjoy my classes, I enjoy being around people who have the same interests as me, and I now love studying for my classes. I know… shocker. But this made me realize that if you are unsure of your degree, it’s not the end of the world to change it to something you actually love. Although I did have a hard time my first two years in school being a biology major, I am still very glad I went through it. I have learned so much and still can’t believe that if I can take those tough courses, I can take any class and succeed.
College is always going to be hard for all students, but if you are doing something you love, it will be that much more enjoyable! So I will always be the one who encourages everyone I know to go for something they love rather than picking something they are familiar with or think it’s what their parents want them to do. My only regret from this decision was actually waiting so long to go through with it!