Changing Majors in College

[kittyguy2008]

Hi everyone, I was hoping to seek some advice from others who have been to a 4 year university. I will explain my situation:

I am a freshman about to enter my second semester. I'm a Veterinary Bioscience Major with a minor in Nutrition. All my life, I've thought that I wanted to be a veterinarian. Seeing the acceptance rates for graduate school and the academic requirements has really been stressing me out. After my first semester, my GPA is a 3.04, but I just feel so inadequate because the minimum requirement to even apply to grad school is a 3.4. I'm lucky that I didn't drop below a 3.0 because I would've lost my scholarships that allow me to afford college in the first place. For the last, i don't know, two months I've been really depressed and stressed (and a mess) and I simply don't know if I can keep this up. The only problem is, it's the only thing I've ever felt a passion for and I don't know what else I could possibly do. I've met some really nice people in my major and I'm really glad I was able to, but they all seem to effortlessly do better than me even though I work so hard.

The only thing I'm really good at is Math, but in order to Change my degree to Applied Financial Mathematics, I will have to wait until after next fall and that's if I decide to change my major.

I'm hoping to hear some of you guys' opinions as well as maybe some stories you have about switching your own degree. Thanks

 

[Cometstarlight]

I had a similar struggle in college (I'll actually be graduating in the spring with a Bachelor's in Zoology). For the first year or so, I struggled in my associated math classes and I was petrified of taking the harder chemistry classes like organic I and II and for a while I wondered if I should really be in Zoology. I felt that I wasn't smart enough for my major and I searched and searched for a major that was like Zoology, but different enough that I didn't have to take any of the difficult classes. I talked with my parents about switching to Wildlife Science or something to that nature and I'll never forget what my mom asked me. "Are you switching because that's what you want or are you trying to take the easy way out?" Hearing that from her shocked me and it really made me think. I'd wanted to do Zoology (or marine bio) ever since I was a little kid and the reason why I was afraid to stay in the major was because I was afraid to fail and I didn't want to be challenged. Upon realizing that, I knew that if I dropped out of Zoology because I wanted the easy way out, it would haunt me for the rest of my life, so I dug in and studied as hard as I could. And here I am now.

My advice to you is to answer the question of whether you really want to switch because you like Applied Financial Mathematics (which is great if that's what you love! I always say that I have infinite respect for people who can do high levels of math and be good at it/make a career out of it) or because you think it's too hard. The vet track is difficult, especially since you go to a school known for its veterinary and engineering programs. I have friends who are on the vet track at my school and they're stressed out a lot trying to get the perfect grade in order to be considered. Even not being on the vet track, college is still stressful and there will be people who understand material better than others. I went through a period in which the only thing I looked forward to was eating, sleeping, and going home on the weekends. It was a really dark time for me and it was during that time when I was looking to see if I should switch majors. So, if you want to stay on the vet track, I say go for it and give it your all. And if it doesn't work out, you can still do a science major. There's biochem, animal science, biology, zoology, biotech, etc. If you want to do math because you genuinely love it, go for it.

No matter what you do though, be sure it's because you love it and not because you're scared of taking a few tumbles. I say that as a person who is terrified of taking risks. The first and only class I ever failed was Quantitative Chemistry and I thought my world was going to end because grades meant a LOT to me. Once that was over though, I got up, dusted myself off, sought out a different professor and took it with him (a great professor can make a world of difference) and I passed. I just had to get up and try again.

That's my advice though. It's ok to not know what you want to do and if you want to take time to think about it, go right ahead. Just explore what kind of major makes you happy and what aspects of said major you like the most. I hope this was able to be of some help to you. Good luck in your studies!

 

[TehGr81]

If you want to change your major, I suggest you do it as early as possible. I graduated last spring with an accounting degree, but near the end of my junior year I was contemplating changing my major to business management as I was getting all A's in those classes and mostly B's in my accounting classes. I also found myself losing interest in accounting as a whole, but I sucked it up and kept it because I only had two semesters left and I wasn't about to hold myself back.

If your new major will make you happier than what you currently have, go for it but you the earlier you change it the better you'll be in the long-run.

 

[GrizzlyB]

Cometstarlight's mom has the right of it, imo. If being a veterinarian truly is your passion and the only thing you can envision doing for the rest of your life, going away from that sounds like a mistake. Especially so early in the going. I don't know your exact situation, but if you can, give it time. Maybe you were just unprepared for college, and things will get easier for you going forward, or the material will suit you better, etc.

Of course, while I say to give it time, TehGr81 is also right in that if you do decide that a change is for the best, don't delay. It just sounds like you're worried about something when you don't know how it'll turn out yet. And if money or grades do turn into problems, there's ways of dealing with those things when they come.

 

[dorothywood]

First and foremost, try to cope up with your depression and try to fulfill your dream. Because nothing can give you more happiness than the fact that you are able to achieve what you have eagerly waited for so long. And still, if you are unable to do ( I guess You can do it, because you seem to be strong) then, have a SWOT analysis of yourself and then select your degree. Best of luck!!

 

[khouji]

First of all, learning is something that is not easy. People who are successful learn also in a hard way. Everything about studying is a challenge.

 

[Spock]

if you can get on some good medication for your issues that will help considerably, i know people who were complete basketcases until getting on cipralex or something and now they're doing great

 

[KatieWebber]

First of all, learning is something that is not easy. People who are successful learn also in a hard way. Everything about studying is a challenge.

Most successful people have higher education, because this is the basis, although there are those who have not studied for a minute, but at the same time earn a lot of money.

 

[SummerHaze]

Wanna do the same. I realized that Economics isn't for me

 

[Frank P Bond]

I agree with you, but not everyone will find strength in themselves, because due to the large number of assignments there is no strength to stay in the first year, the write my essay uk service helped me a lot, which helped me very well with written assignments, then when I got used to such a load began to do all the tasks herself. but I think this is a pretty good option when there is no time to do everything yourself

 

[RichardMol]

I agree with you, I was in the same situation.

 

[joombo]

I think it's ok if you realized that you want to study smth new. I combine work and study right now, it's not so easy but I try to do my best. Sometimes I use some help of online essay service https://mypaperforme.com/ for grammar and proofreading check. Writing is not my strong suit and it's the easiest way to write an essay at high level. I think it's ok to use help of pro writers to get good grades and save your time.

 

[Meowtastic]

I'm in the middle of trying to change mine right now. I was going for Registered Nursing because money. But I got diagnosed with an autoimmune disease this year during the very last of my classes and now I'm immunocompromised and my hands don't always work. So I can't see me being able to continue this line of work. I'm hoping for just a general biology degree now or anything in wilderness conservation.

 

[howartty34]

Hello. I resigned from the philosophy faculty because I really like photography. Here it is important to listen to your heart. I also write small articles for the college newspaper this website So it's important to keep moving and not stop and try to make the right decisions. I wonder how your story ended, because so much time has passed

 

[SabrinaKlaus]

It often happens that students need to change their major because they once made the wrong choice and now have some problems. Of course, studying in a specialty that you do not need is a waste of time. But you should never jump to conclusions. I would advise you to read some essays about Frankenstein. You will be able to read interesting information for you, such as mixed emotions. Perhaps the same thing happens to you when you want to change your specialty. You can read it here.... I hope and think that it will help you understand yourself and you will draw the right conclusions for yourself. Also, at the same time, you will be able to understand how to write works correctly. I think your life will be able to change and everything will be fine.

 

[JayZz]

if you want to try smth new it's totally your choice. I also changed my major and I study abroad right now. It's not so easy but I found assignment helper CW Assignments to help me with my assigments online . They have professional team and can help everyone to write essay and check all writings for grammar and spelling errors. If you need help in writing it's useful tool.

 

[Rational Rayquaza]

this post is in part things that i think are helpful, in part a description of my similar struggles. the tone is somewhat pessimistic... if a moderator thinks this post is more perjudicial than useful, feel free to remove it.
i know the original poster may have already graduated uni already. i was in the same situation in 2017 when this thread was posted, but i can not stress how important one's mental health is in making it through university. to add to jame51's post, i think it's important to spend time doing the things that matter to you. this means things like the uncommon, low-cost hobbies like music composition, stargazing, reading old comics or preparing and eating a food you really enjoy. also, it is important to know the signs that you're mentally not well. this could be neglecting hygenie, over/undereating, negative thoughts about self, reclusiveness. everyone and their therapist has different opinions on what could be helpful, some might find help with meditation, mindfulness, writing a journal, but it should be noted that these aren't for everyone. adhere to routines you can actually maintain for the last thing you want is to berate yourself for not writing in your daily journal. also, never rule out mental disorders. i criticised myself for fidgeting, stimming (repetitive movements) and needing to take frequent breaks even though i now that its normal and healthy for me. also, as difficult as it is, try to find to find people that you can smile with and talk with on a regular basis. support networks are useful, but i find that it is unclear who would actually be able to help one when they are in a difficult situation, and i find it somewhat dehumaising to simply think of a person in terms of their utility (i.e. helpful person in a support network, provides a 'healthy relationship'). my parents were able to help me financially, but not emotionally. my sister, even though she probably understood me, didn't know how to help me. my only 'friend' was also clueless and didn't ask about my feelings even though they wanted to be friends. people can be difficult to talk with, especially as adults, where relationships feel more transactional, risky and more difficult to begin. no other advice here, i don't really understand people.

in regard to university and changing majors, i always felt pressured to go by me. my parents never forced me. however, i never really wanted to go to begin with. i hated school and i never understood why. unlike the original poster, i didn't really feel a passion. i started in business knowing my negative attitude towards school and the major itself, and i ended up failing a semester. i was placed in a difficult situation with regard to financial aid and running out of time to decide whether to return to school or not. i convinced myself that i needed to return and in some of my worst moments of rumination and desperation, i decided that i would go back with a new major for all the wrong reasons. only, i didn't know those were the wrong reasons because of my mental issues. i choose history with a concentration in secondary education, and i would have not completed my degree if it weren't for the lockdown and covid-19 which gave me time to complete assignments. now, i have a b.a. and because of various life events, i still haven't used it, and i am still questioning whether i want to get into teaching. in comparison to many of the other jobs that exist, it seems more enjoyable to teach but the unbelievable level of stress that is gives and time that teaching uses, and my generally poor mental state have me question, 'did i choose the 'right' major' all the time. sometimes, we will never know if we made the right decisions, but we have to convince ourselves that through experimentation and mistakes that we 'learn' or so we delude ourselves. the person we are in the future will (seemingly/apparently) never be content with our past decisions, but we have to make those decisions. right now, i wish would have gone into mathematics (and as a teaching option, it's not impossible as i'm able to do it without further formal education, just a lot of self-study), but i know that there probably never was a best decision. the only 'advice' i have with decision-making in regards to educational majors is to choose something that will make the present you happy and that won't make the future you regret too much. also, remember that a major is not inherently tied to a career path. in the end, you might have a job that has nothing to do with either what you studied or what you wanted to study.

 

[tefiva]

How beautiful our time is now, because you can change your profession and get the education that suits you best. And you can get it at any time, age is not an obstacle. There are many cool examples.

 

[SummerHaze]

I changed my major for Psychology and I don't have any regrets.