<p>I am writing a book about problems college students deal with and would appreciate any stories about the problems of changing majors. I am particularly interested in dramatic, unusual or funny stories. Please email me and tell me anything you want to reveal about your struggles or the struggles of someone you know (but not by name, of course) with the difficulties of deciding on a major or changing majors while in college. I'm reading this forum to get a feel for what students are going through today with this kind of decision. I need any input you'd like to share with me.</p>
<p>well the first problem i've learned is that the new major sometimes isnt offered at your current institution. </p>
<p>i am changing from bio./bichem. (never finished that decisions either) to arch. the transfer process has quite a few restrictions/requirements with other common items such as essays, etc. and different deadlines as well. (specifically external--idk about internal...maybe easier??)</p>
<p>when the change is significant, you may have to take more general courses for your new major, some of which you will NOT get credit but must take--make sense? I was lucky (maybe) that I changed it during my first year; after that its possible but harder and you might have to stay for a total of 5 yrs instead of 4.</p>
<p>and after you get in, some credits--they have limit--will transfer but NOT the grades.</p>
<p>so my current concern is if i were to transfer out successfully, what do you have to do with the missing grades in your previous college year(S) when you are applying for graduate school??--its on my todo list, if anyone cares</p>
<p>-hope that helps!</p>
<p>oh, one more thing. college counselors/advisors tell you that you can always change your major, but they fail to tell you the possible consequences of making that decision--im generalizing based on my personal experience.</p>
<p>Changing majors, in my opinion, is a pain in the ass.</p>
<p>I guess it depends on your major, but if you start taking prereqs for one major and then switch majors and have different prereqs, now your other courses were somewhat useless and you need to take new ones. You do have room for error with many majors and you still have the credits, but I think it still effects you and is a pain. You are under more stress to get those other classes into your schedule that you are a behind on, if you are trying for a double major it is just that much harder now with less free credits. It just isn't something that is no big deal.</p>
<p>I hate that people are like, oh yea, I changed my major 5 times, it's fine because everyone changes there mind. True, everyone changes there mind and it is better to change to something you love, regardless of some consequences, BUT you can't be a moron about it. I personally have gone from psych to accounting and now back to psych - for good. I never took psych classes because I switched fast and first semester took general classes, but this second semester of school I've taken business prereqs and now they have gone to waste, well one of them. It's not a huge deal, but the whole ordeal is a pain in the ass, plus I want to double major and possible transfer. </p>
<p>So, moral of the story, try your best to get your major right the first time. It does have consequences if you switch, sometimes they aren't horrible, but they can be. I just think people need to understand that.</p>
<p>I am writing a humorous self-help book about the perils of college life. Your comments were helpful. Many other students have told me the same thing. I appreciate your input.
LJ</p>
<p>Collegekid, would you recommend that entering freshmen choose the undeclared option rather a major, if they're not yet decided about their major, instead of going what you went through?</p>
<p>I’m a cellular biology and molecular genetics major at the university of maryland, college park. For as long as i can remember, i’ve been interested in business and finance. I was in the Academy of finance in high school. However… ever since high school my father’s been on my case about the academy of finance and he obsessively insisted that i take intensive math and science courses. to shut him up, i enrolled in AP biology and decided to take trigonometry and chemistry. I received an A in AP biology and passed the AP exam with a 3. I had made up my mind to go to college and major in biology… sadly i had no idea what i was getting myself into. I reached college and barely passed my science classes with low C’s. i had a GPA of 2.5 the first semester. the second semester was terrible. My GPA at the end of my second semester was trash… it was 1.25 and i had received all D’s, the highest grade being a C+ in a core requirement course. The third semester was the closest i have ever come to suicide. my father saw my grades for the second semester and placed an excruciating amount of pressure on my shoulders to get above a 3.0 in the next semester. That semester i had studied about 6 hours a day, all weekends and on holidays. I felt like a machine, all i did was eat, sleep, go to class, go to work, and study. and at the end of the semester i did it, i received a 3.0. I knew biology is too hard for me, but my father made me so ashamed of business and finance and everything else i had my mind set on. he would yell and scream at me for hours on end about how i would never amount to anything, and how there are no jobs, and how it is useless and a waste of time. he even told me its better to drop out of college and go to mc donalds than to receive a degree in business… and right now i’m a rising junior, with an accumulated GPA of 2.33 and i just got word that i got a 60 percent on my GENETICS exam… i dropped my organic chemistry lecture because i had an E… about a 30 percent in the course. i can not continue in this major anymore. i am 2 years behind in my chemistry courses. i will be 1 semester behind in my biology courses after i fail genetics… and i am feeling very very depressed and suicidal. I have lost ALL motivation in life and have come to the conclusion that i will fail miserably at everything i do no matter how hard i try. I have been going to therapy for almost a year now. the university’s mental health staff know me by first name. I have googled, yahoo’d, “dogpiled”, “ask-jeeves” and all the other search engines you can think of… looking for other students with a problem like this. it appears i’m alone in this world. Everyone else has their things together, everyone around me seems to have their life all figured out, mapped out and planned out. I’m the only one who’s lost, confused, hurt, scared, and dying on the inside for something to save me. I’m so incredibly miserable. I can’t stand this school or the science degree anymore. i want to switch to arabic… and i want to do it in secret; my dad won’t know about it untill i walk accross the stage and receive my bachelor’s degree in it. arabic happens to be my native language and i was good at it in my country. I took an arabic course the past semester and found it very stress free and non-weed out. right now i have a huge decision to make, and almost no time to make it. I am supposed to register for classes by april 20, and it is the 29th… I have a list of science courses i need to take to continue my degree in biology, and i have another list of arabic courses i need to take to get my degree in arabic. i do not know what to do. In movies they portray college as the best 4 years of one’s life. If these are the best 4 years for me, then i might as well stop eating and die. I have not had much happiness in college, I wish i could just give up, drop out, and just get away from it all… but i can’t.</p>
<ul>
<li>thats my story, sorry if it was too long. </li>
</ul>
<p>~E.</p>
<p>Dear Lizzine, I wonder if you got some private messages which helped you out….hopefully that has happened. My heart hurt for you as I read your story. I am a mother myself and at times have succumbed to my husband’s pressure on my children regarding the majors they choose. But I understand this of your father, that even though his method has been incorrect, all he has at heart for you is your success. Maybe like many, he has been through times of financial insecurity, and doesn’t want that to happen to his child. In some way he feels that biology will translate into a good career. Even though it’s better to be really good at Arabic, than to just get by in Bio. I was looking at US government jobs the other day and they had a huge list of openings for teachers of Arabic. In this day and age, these languages are gaining great importance. (I would hope however that you use your skills for the profit of people and not otherwise.) Anyhow, as a parent I know that even though well-meaning, parents have great power to hurt their kids, and do regret it terribly when they realize it. So take heart. Your life and all its beautiful parts are ahead of you. What seems like a black impenetrable mountain in front of you now, will soon dissolve to its actual size. Study what your heart desires, and as we say, trust in the provision ordained for you from God. Your father will only go to a certain extent of pushing, and when he sees your success, he will be at peace. I would also advise you to keep business as a minor or dual if possible. Business and finance is nearly at the top of hot majors. Combined with Arabic, and you might be going places. Tap all resources, see if your career counselor can speak to significant people in your family, get internships as soon as you can; I would say you’re very lucky to know a language people are trying so hard to master! You have a super head start. My best wishes and prayers for your success.</p>
<p>JehJar,</p>
<p>I find (as a resident assistant) that it is easier for freshman to enter as an undecided major rather than a specific one.</p>
<p>Most colleges require a “core” to be taken in addition to the requirements of your major. If you work on these core requirements, it will be easier find something you like and then start working towards that degree. If you pick a major from the get-go, you could be taking classes that will not cross if you decide to switch majors in the long run. </p>
<p>Luckily, when I decided to switch from political science to philosophy, I was able to transfer a lot of my political theory classes as they count as philosophy classes as well. This was the only reason I hung on to the political science major, as I am able to earn both degrees without too much stress (it is like earning two “half” degrees as most courses are cross-listed at my college).</p>
<p>Lizzine07, I am so sorry you are having such a difficult time. How did you resolve your dilemma? If you have “buyers remorse”, you can still change your mind via the add-drop process. I agree with momaid. Parents try to do their best, but sometimes it just screws things up (I know, I am a mom too.) You should study what your talents and intersts dictate. Be successful in those and you will find a good career. Personally, I think there are way more jobs in business and finance than in BS level biology. And I agree that Arabic will be a plus for you. Just one thing, though. If you can prove proficiency in Arabic, that will probably be enough for a company requiring that skill. It might not be worth the time and trouble to actually major in arabic in addition to business.</p>
<p>I have no clue what your father is thinking, Lizzine. Honest to God–finance is one of the best places to go into; even with the huge banking crisis and whatnot, bankers are still making more than other positions and a demand for financial professionals is still high.</p>
<p>ESPECIALLY because we must fix the economy–random people can’t do that, politicians can’t do that without FINANCIAL COUNSELING FROM HIS CABINET (Which you could be a part of, hypothetically, right?), and the fact of the matter is, no one can do it. But financial majors. Banking. Economy. Finance. Business.</p>
<p>You ought to follow your dreams. It seems to be paining you so much–there is absolutely, absolutely, nothing that can be substituted for following your dreams.</p>
<p>Lizzine, things aren’t going very well for you right now, so why can’t you risk a change?</p>
<p>If it gets worse you can swap back, and if not? Well you’ve made a right choice that will change your life forever.</p>
<p>:)</p>
<p>This is a really sad story, Lizzine. Your father probably loves you to death and admires your intelligence… He is proud of his smart daughter. That’s why he wants the best for her! However, parents should understand that children have their own personality. They may give advices but they should not impose their will to their kids. What is the point to force you to do something that you don’t like? What is the point to see you doing poorly in your biology major if you can get do a lot better in Finance? Frankly, I believe that this kind of behavior can be dangerous for the kid… Look at you, now! You feel miserable, suicidal, and every single day, you may loose your confidence little by little…</p>
<p>Please stop pleasing your father and do something that you enjoy! I am pretty sure that one day, he will respect your choice. People may feel compassion for you, but keep in mind that nobody will change your situation, but you…</p>
<p>Be stronng and take good care of yourself.</p>
<p>Just curious, what practical, well-paying job does he expect you to get with a bachelors degree in biology? (not many out there) Or, does he expect you to endure years of grad school in the hated subject too?</p>