It’s Okay to Change Your Major
It’s Okay to Change Your Major
By Jaanu
“And what are you studying?” It’s the inevitable question that follows when I introduce myself to anyone new at college. Upon graduating high school, I knew I wanted to further my love of science by studying more biology – and that I wanted to take courses in the humanities to supplement the rigid facts of life that my biochemistry classes would teach me. I felt optimistic that biochemistry and international affairs would be the right fit for me. The journey to the right majors ended up being more complicated than that.
It was during the first few crisp fall weeks of college that I realized that it might not be so easy to choose a major. There were literally hundreds of classes to choose from, and infinite possible combinations of these courses. I enjoyed chemistry in high school, but, in college, biology electives felt more exciting. International affairs was interesting, as I’d predicted— but I hadn’t even considered exploring course offerings in religious studies, and these classes felt like a better fit for my interests in palliative care in medicine.
In those first weeks, I was overwhelmed by the rush of unfamiliar faces on the quad. I felt very small and insignificant, as if A.A. Milne’s Piglet stories had been written just for me. Somewhere in the crowd of people at the Freshman Ice Cream Social were my first friends, were my classmates, and problem-set buddies… It’s difficult to identify your life’s passion alongside navigating such a huge change. What I suggest is giving yourself grace. Try hard, and the pieces will fall into place, slowly but surely.
I overthought everything. Each class was a test to see if that subject would be my major. For a time, I was sure that neuroscience was my jam. One successful chemistry problem set later, I’d wonder if I should devote myself to organic chemistry and engineering drugs— “it sounds cool!”— until I discovered the rush of code compiling successfully— “I’m meant to do computer science!”. If you’re like me, too, then I suggest embracing that enthusiasm and excitement. Don’t worry about choosing the “right” major, because there are pros and cons to every academic concentration. Embrace the excitement that you feel in the classroom and use that to guide you to finding the “right major for you.”
In my opinion, it’s okay to change your major. It’s okay to be confident that you love a subject in school, but to be humble enough to change your mind: “I hadn’t known that I enjoyed this subject, but I tried it out, and I like it.” You can’t do it all, but you can focus on what’s in your control— to do what you can, as well as you can. The rapper Eminem put it best when he said, “this opportunity comes once in a lifetime.” There is so much to learn, and I wish I had infinite time to explore all careers. When my brother spent the summer working for a startup, I wanted to do the same! I could also picture myself as an investigative journalist— as a lawyer— as a writer or even fulfilling my childhood dream of becoming a detective. But I can’t shake my love for medicine. 4 years in college isn’t enough, I’ve realized, for me to explore every avenue of interest. But that’s why we’ve got a lifetime to make an impact in any way we see fit, maybe paying homage to all curiosities. So, what am I studying? My answer is: a few things that I really love. 😊
