A year ago, I was dragging myself out of bed every morning to attend classes for a major I was no longer interested in. Any student who has experienced this feeling knows how emotionally draining it is to put effort into a future you cannot see yourself fitting into, regardless of how badly you try. This was tough for me, especially when I began to feel myself slipping into a place where I no longer enjoyed learning and only looked forward to getting the rest of my time in college over with as quickly as possible. 

I was missing classes, forgetting to turn in assignments and lacking the motivation to perform at my full potential in the classroom. When this disinterest started showing itself in my grades and GPA, I knew it was time to make a change that would better my future, but the idea of starting over was terrifying.

This seems to be a shared sentiment among college students, especially those who have already spent a few years in college. Falling behind your peers feels like the end of the world when you’re already struggling to keep up. While this fear was very real for me, the alternative of being unhappy in my future career scared me even more. 

Changing your major can be a daunting task, but if you’re feeling like I was a year ago, scared and afraid to take the first step, here are some helpful tips that made changing my major a little less scary and put the control back in my hands regarding my future. 

1. Find what you love

This is arguably my most important tip. If you’re changing your major to find what excites you, finding a perfect fit for your new one is vital to avoid prolonging your time and racking up debt. Start by considering what makes you happy or what you’re good at. A job that makes more money isn’t always the job that will make you the happiest, so avoid picking a major based only on the predicted salary you found on Google. You’ll thank yourself when you’re doing something you love in a few years.

2. Get over your obsession with graduating in four years

If you’re like me, you probably won’t decide to change your major until you’re well into your college experience. This means the chances of you graduating in the same amount of time as before are way less likely, and that’s OKAY! The stigma around spending any second longer than four years in college is one of the things that makes changing your major so scary. 

When you realize that there is no time constraint when it comes to preparing yourself for your future, though, you’ll understand that a few more years in college is nothing compared to a lifetime of unhappiness in your career. If this is one issue that you cannot get over, taking summer classes is a great option to allow yourself to catch back up

     3. Utilize your campus resources– you pay for them! 

When I finally decided to change my major, the first thing that I did was make an appointment with my advisor. They helped me with the actual process and helped calm my nerves by answering any questions I had about what the next few years looked like. 

If your anxiety surrounds the issue of money, speaking to the Financial Aid office would be a great way to hear your options. Whether you have questions about loans, or just want to make sure your scholarships and financial aid will stay intact, this is the place to do it. 

Reach out to the faculty in your new department! They will be happy to help, and establishing relationships within your major is very important. 

Changing your major seems intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. It’s a normal step in the process toward figuring out what you want to be in life. Don’t be too hard on yourself if you’re stuck in a place where you feel uninterested in the direction you’re going. You can always change directions and set yourself on the right path toward your future.