Keep Going or Switch? The Journey to Finding the Right Major for You

Author: Patricia Sophia Wild

Patricia holds a BSc in Political Science from the Technical University of Munich, including a semester abroad at Kyoto University and also obtained a MSc in International Relations from the University of Amsterdam. She currently researches as an affiliated fellow at the International Institute for Asia Studies. Patricia’s main area of interest is in global energy transition politics.

When you start university, you begin your journey with grand hopes and expectations about your experience. You understand that through course choice and assessments you will be able to tailor your major just right to learn about what you are most interested in. I myself, being passionate about both international politics and energy renewal, was particularly excited to start my course in Environmental Engineering; however, almost as soon as it had begun I felt out of place and disconnected from the course materials. I began to consider changing my major, yet I found the prospect of this incredibly daunting. I had given a lot of thought and planning towards choosing environmental engineering. What to change to became a harder decision than choosing my initial major. 

With this in mind, I wanted to create an article which goes through my journey of changing major, something which I wish I had come across when I was making my decision. Explaining what made me change my major from environmental engineering to political science, in hope that this will give you the courage to begin the journey of changing your major. If you are someone like me, who was having doubts, I also show you ways to start this process of change. Around one-third of Bachelors students decide to change their major each year, so I assure you that you are not alone in your reservations, although it can occasionally feel like that. 

Reasons for changing your major

Not being in the right place 

I had self-reproaches when I realised only two weeks into my major, that this was not what I wanted to do. Should I have known better, or must I just try harder? Although I met nice people and the overall study program sounded good, sitting in my mathematics and mechanics classes, I was feeling totally in the wrong place. I couldn’t relate to the content in the classes. During the courses, I wasn’t able to follow the lecturer; I had to admit to myself that this was not what I had expected. 

Expectation of your major vs the reality  

Most students who change university major share that their expectations and the reality of their studies didn’t match up. They had a different image of what the major, the university, or the prospective professional opportunities would be like. Regardless at what stage of your studies or your age, having doubts about your study program or the subject you chose is nothing to feel bad for. Also, consider that the particular university or teaching approach are not suitable for you. It might even be that a regular university program is way too theoretical or mathematical for you and a different kind of professional school suits you better. Keep in mind there is a great variety of jobs you can do with a major, not all are always directly related to that field.

I spent many hours comparing study programs, evaluating my interests as well as the job opportunities related to different majors. When I had to decide for which major to apply, I was still in school and I felt inexperienced so I predominantly looked to others for advice when I chose environmental engineering. When we would discuss political science, the career opportunities were unknown and particularly unclear to me. But sitting in the engineering lectures, I missed the sociological aspect, I missed learning about theory and transglobal relationships. I felt that political science would be better suited, the right path for me - I was right.

What to do if you're having doubts about your major

Talk to others

It is and should be your own decision, however, I found talking to others about doubts can really help. The crucial question is whether you are enjoying your classes, and if you aren’t as I wasn’t, is this just temporary? The lecturers’ style can be boring, perhaps you’re not interested in the currently discussed topic of a class, or you don’t enjoy your statistics class, consider that this is only one part of your major. Talk to your classmates, see how they experience the classes in comparison to your own experience. Whilst I was generally unhappy with my courses, my classmates, although overwhelmed, enjoyed many of the courses I did not. I found out that not every first-semester student felt the way I did: it is not "normal" dislike all of your courses.  

Don’t forget to reach out to your university student advisor, they’re there to help with these kind of decisions. When I did, I found my advisor had a broad overview of all the disciplines offered at the university and gave me different ideas, but especially they showed me how to make a smooth change.

Think of your options and inform yourself

Some students might already have a plan B and know which major they want to switch. Others will be surprised to find out that what they had always planned to study doesn't seem to be the right choice. An excellent way to find out what you like is to attend a class – or several – of the majors you think you'd enjoy instead. Talk to professors and student advisors of the program you are interested in,  you could even contact a current student on LinkedIn or Facebook to find out more. Additionally, taking the time to do an internship could help you to find out more about what interests you and to gain working experience in a relevant field.

In some cases, changing major is easy; for others, it takes courage, time, and money to switch. If you're already in the middle or towards the end of your degree, it might make more sense to finish your undergraduate first. You could start a master's program following your degree in an alternative field if you don’t have the opportunity to change prior. It is important to keep in mind that if there is a particular career, job, or topic you are passionate about, think wide aroud ways to reach this; usually, you will find there are multiple routes to get there. 

I am fascinated by renewable energy production and want to help further the energy transition. That is why I started studying environmental engineering. This turned out to be the wrong choice as I missed societal aspects. I was also very interested in international politics and different countries, which, of course, was not a topic in the engineering major. I changed my major towards political science and specialised in environmental politics and international relations, which has turned out to be the best decision to include my interest in international politics and societal aspects to energy production. 

Final thoughts

When it comes to deciding whether or not to change your major, it is not a decision that can be taken lightly, it is a hard decision. I found it challenging to admit that I chose the wrong major, especially after such a short time. You may feel like you have disappointed others who were excited for your future career path. But don't be afraid of change, be aware of the advantage you have gained from having insights in another discipline. Especially in political science, I have found having thematic knowledge on a different subject gives you a significant advantage. Imagine the opportunities you have as a politics expert with experience in health care, on data analyses or agriculture. 

In case you are concerned about "losing" time in your life when switching your major. Remember you don't win an award for being the youngest in your job. It is only a short time you spend on your education, while you most probably will be working for decades in a job your major could be fundamental for. As you see, it is easy to turn your major change into something positive for future employers, so do not worry about being asked in an interview to explain your major change. 

Of course, sometimes I found the classes in my new major boring, some topics turned out to be much more interesting than others - but that's studying. I was able to find the field I am most interested in, and once I started the career opportunities were no longer unclear. Be patient with yourself,  no one says your first choice must be the right one, there are many routes you can take to find your ideal major. Sooner or later you will find the path for you. 

Edited by Lauren Matthews

Published 1st December 2020