Carefully Consider the Decision to Change Your Major

Did you just finish your first year of college, only to realize that you do not enjoy your major? Thinking about changing to a new course of study?

You better be sure.

Did you just not happen to like these classes? Did you and your professor not hit it off? Were you bored with the first year of requirements because you want to get to the meatier classes the seniors are taking? If you are going to change your major, you better darn well despise it, because it may take a lot of work to earn back that year.

Brook Urban, senior academic success coach for Bryant & Stratton College Online, said the decision to change your major should not be based on a single feeling or experience.

“It is an important decision and should not be taken lightly,” she said. “It is important to consider the short and long-term effects.”

The first issue: not every requirement you took will transfer to your next degree. For example, if you were studying paralegal and decide to transfer into the medical administrative assistant program and Bryant & Stratton College, not a single paralegal class would transfer.

As for the long-term, Urban said, you need to consider, and answer, a series of serious questions: Why am I making this change? What career field do I want to break into? What credentials/education do I need to get a job in this field? As you consider these decisions, it is important to reach out to your academic advisor who can help them review their answers and determine how many credits will transfer.

If the student decides to make the jump, the academic advisor will be the one to process the request. They key to changing majors is making the switch as soon as you know you have chosen the wrong course of study for you.

“It is never too late to change your major, but I would recommend you try to decide early on in your degree program,” Urban said.