5 Things You Need To Know Before Switching Majors

If you are currently in university or college and are thinking about changing your major, there are several key steps to take first to avoid repeating the process again later.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, about 80 percent of students in the United States end up changing their major at least once. On average, college students change their major at least three times over the course of their college career.

Each time you change your major, your cost may include significant financial loss and certainly a considerable amount of time wasted.

Along the way you may have picked up some great information and learned some great skills which may or may not be valuable for your career, or your day-to-day life, but if your goal is to get in, get your degree and get out, you may have significantly delayed that process.

Here are five keys to minimizing your risk when making a change in your major:

1. Know what this means financially. How much longer until graduation will this extend your career as a student? Calculate out how much this change is going to cost you. Keep in mind the change could impact your ability to pay for your education.

Check with your school’s financial advisor as changing majors may mean a change in your student status, which could dramatically affect scholarships or other financial awards, as well as your ability to get student loans.

2. Know why you are thinking about making a change. Are you struggling with this major because you are bored or you found something that you are more excited about?

If you are struggling to get high marks in your current major, are you likely to get better marks in the major you are considering?

If you are transferring from one math-based major to another math-based major, and you are finding math a challenge, is changing majors going to make the difference?

3. Are any of your courses transferable? Talk to your academic advisor to find out if any of your credits are transferable from one major to the major you are considering.

If you are three years into a major, finding out what credits are transferable could have a major impact on your decision.

Also remember that changing from a business major to a chemical engineering degree, for example, has less overlap in course material and likely to leave you with less transferable credits.

4. Do your research. If you already have a new major in mind, what end-point options are there for that major and can you actually see yourself doing this as a career?

Lots of people I talk to are excited about studying a field without necessarily taking into account what are the long-term options for that field.

I did a minor in history along with my psychology major because I absolutely love history and wanted to do it for fun. I went in heads-up knowing there aren’t many options for a career with a history degree outside of academia.

5. Do you have the skills to be successful in your new major? If you are switching from business to science, it requires an entirely different skillset. Do you have the skills to be successful in that area?

One quick and easy way to test the waters would be to sit in on some classes or even audit a class from your new potential major. See what the assignments are like, what the lectures are like, and which textbooks are being used to determine if you know you have the skills it takes to be good at.

If you are struggling in your current major, take a long, hard, honest look at why you are struggling and evaluate the next major to see if those struggles will follow you into the next major.

Far too many times, I meet with a client who is on their third or fourth major, who has wasted a significant amount of time and money, and their challenges follow them from one major to the next.

If you want help finding the major that is an ideal fit for your skills, and find a career you will not only enjoy but excel at, Breakthroughs in Careers can help.

Your education is the biggest financial investment of your lifetime, don’t leave it chance. Schedule your free consultation today.

About the Author

From an early age Matthew loved to talk, and now he gets paid to do just that.

Having grown up with Learning Disabilities and overcome them, Breakthroughs is an opportunity for him to give back. Now Matthew is an Educational Therapist with over 20,000 hours of experience working with children and adults with learning challenges.

When not in the office Matthew can be found seeking adventure with his wife and children, preferably on a mountain or in a kayak.

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