Throughout my high school experience, I thought I knew exactly what I wanted for my future. Eventually, I chose to attend a university based on these preferences. I started as a first-year student at the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) as a Cybersecurity Engineering major (which was not a common major). As time went on, I started falling behind in my classes because everyone else had been exposed to the major-related content in high school, but I hadn’t. In other words, they came into college having the foundational knowledge that I wasn’t exposed to. At the same time, I was taking psychology courses and eventually picked up a minor. I fell in love with this program at UAH, so I decided to switch to majoring in psychology. I was hesitant at first but have never regretted my decision. If you are having trouble deciding whether to change majors, here are some of the things I learned from my experience that might help!

Stress and anxiety are common in college students because they have so much to balance. From work to school to friends and family, there is so much going on. In the end, however, no one knows what you are feeling or going through better than yourself. When changing majors there is one more thing added to one’s plate. What really helped me is weighing the pros and cons of what would happen if I changed my major. In the end, the pros outweighed the cons, which was the biggest reason I decided to switch majors. However, I recognize this might not be the case for everyone. My suggestion is that before you officially switch majors, take a minute to weigh the pros and cons of the situation.

My first year at UAH, I took an intro level psychology class to fulfill one of my general course requirements. I did well in the class and liked the topics and material. This course was my first step to changing my major, even though I did not realize it at the time. From this experience, I can confidently say that if you are thinking about changing your major, taking a class in the major is a terrific way to see if it is really something you are interested in. One probably should not change their major without knowing much about what the major is like. In addition to learning more about what the major is about, this also gives you a connection to a professor within the major.

A big question when it comes to choosing a major is what you can do in the future with it. Here is my advice: start by doing some research online. Look for what other people in the major have gone on to do for a career to see if there is anything you might be interested in. If you still have more questions or concerns, set up an appointment with a professor in that field at your school. They will most likely be able to give you more information and possibly good advice! From my experience, most professors are happy to discuss these kinds of things! Finally, not only will these actions help alleviate stress and anxiety about changing majors, but it will also give you more information and a good connection if you do decide to change majors.

Picking a major is a large part of the college experience, and there is a lot of pressure to “pick the right one.” If you find yourself in a situation where you are thinking about changing majors, I hope these tips from my experience help!

Do you have a compelling story or student success tips you’d like to see published on the Pearson Students blog?  If you are a college student and interested in writing for us – click here to pitch your idea and get started!