EDITORIAL: To change or not to change…that is the question

Students face tough decisions when considering whether or not to change majors

Picture this: you are a political science and psychology double major. Yet, you start working jobs in event promotions, public relations and marketing.  Eventually you realize you are much more passionate about the fields you are gaining work experience in than the two fields you are studying.

So, what do you do? Do you throw all of your political science and psychology credits away and change majors? Or do you suck it up and get your political science and psychology degrees while knowing you have no interest in pursuing a career in either of those fields because you have fallen in love with a completely different line of work? Many students, including Lisa Vavricka, face that very situation.

A senior at the University of Notre Dame, Vavricka is a political science and psychology double major who has absolutely no passion for the two areas of study for which she will earn degrees in when she graduates in May.

Having been interested in people, she chose to major in psychology to learn more about her fascination. She even had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to spend a summer in China to study global economics and international relations.  Vavricka earned college credit for her studies in China, which was ultimately why she chose to deepen her knowledge by studying psychology in college. However, Notre Dame does not offer international relations as a major, so she decided political science was the next best thing, thus her decision of being a double major.

Considering her newfound interest in event promotions, public relations and marketing, why would Vavricka not change her majors to an area or areas of study more related to those three fields? Well, Notre Dame students have a pretty strenuous list of requirements to meet in order to graduate. By the time she realized she was on her way to the wrong career path, she had already completed four full semesters of classes as well as some summer classes. It would not be possible for her to graduate on time if she chose to start over and change majors.

For some, like Vavricka, changing majors simply is not an option. Whether you are trying to graduate within a specific time frame or you are trying to avoid interfering with the intimidating checklist of requirements for graduation, sometimes it does more harm than good to uproot yourself from the degree plan you have been working toward.

Aside from time focused on a particular field of study being completely wasted, so is the money footed along the way. Discovering yourself in the form of hopping from major to major can get very costly.

Undergraduate students who enrolled in public universities Fall 2006 or later have an enrollment cap in which they cannot exceed 30 credit hours beyond their degree requirement.  Once a student exceeds the 30 additional credit hours beyond his or her degree plan, the state no longer supplements the cost of his or her tuition. UHCL students have to pay $130 per semester credit hour for “excess” classes.

What do you do if you are faced with the same situation Vavricka faced? Talking to an adviser early in your college journey is vital. Having face-to-face interaction with someone from the college or university you plan to attend who knows the ins and outs of being successful is very important.

Taking electives in areas of study that one believes will interest them early in their college years is important as well. When taking the basic requirements many college students have to take in order to move past the first two years of school, students should not take “blow off” classes in order to gain their elective credits.

Strongly considering what their interests are and pursuing those in the classroom setting will help college students focus on what they genuinely enjoy doing with their time. Getting an education will not feel like going to school when students have a true passion for what they are studying.

The American College Test (ACT) reports 65 to 85 percent of students will change their majors at least once in their college years. Vavricka and other students may not be that statistic by choosing not to change their majors due to various deciding factors. Other students, if they act before they are too far into their original degree plan, will change their majors and begin the process of earning their degree all over again. Whether changing a major or sucking it up and sticking it out, college students need to thoroughly think through their decision.

Gone are the days when students can afford to experiment with different degree programs in hopes of learning about their own likes and dislikes through the exposure to knowledge. As of 2006, any college credit hours beyond 30 earned toward a degree is considered excessive.