College students know the question. They prepare for it every time they meet some- one new, gather with relatives or go for a job interview. It is the default question that labels you before you’ve defined yourself – a temporary description for the limbo period that is college.
“What Are You Majoring In?”
Students like to have an answer to that question. Having a plan reinforces the idea that the impermanent title “history major” or “pre-med” will change into “10th grade economics teacher” or “pediatric doctor.” For some students, plans will be carried out with as few glitches as possible. Others will tweak their plans, adding a minor
or adjusting their major. And some students will decide to go a totally different direction than what their original plan entailed. But no matter what choice they make, whether to stay with their original goal or change to a new one, deciding what you want to do is difficult and it’s never just an easy answer.
“I’m Majoring In Exercise and Health Science.”
Family, professors and peers often assume freshman students don’t know yet what they want to do in college, and even more often, they assume that a first year student will change their plan of present numerous times.
One freshman, who prefers to remain anonymous, was an English major going in to KSU this fall. Three weeks ago she decided physical therapy was a better career choice for her. Worried about job opportunities, she changed to exercise and health science.
When asked about her family’s reaction she said, “they liked it, they were actually more happy with my decision. There’s just not a lot you can do with English with this economy.”
“I’m Majoring In Public Relations.”
Sometimes students are in the appropriate playing field, just the wrong position. Greg Walker, a senior business major, was in the business management field before switching to public relations a year and a half ago.
“I thought it would be better for me to just do something I like.[And] I like doing media stuff,” said Walker. “I got persuaded by my uncle, he used to go to school here with Justin Farmer, [from] Channel 2 Action News. Career wise, I don’t know what I’m doing, but it’ll come around.”
Having close friends or family in a successful position can help students picture themselves in that place.
“I’m Undecided”
The stress of picking out what will seemingly be your life’s career can make any student stall in their decision-making. The big picture is daunting. How could someone possibly make a choice that, if wrong, they have to live with for the rest of their life? Advice is futile. Nothing anyone says is pertinent to any students’ unique situation.
One sophomore female, who will remain anonymous, is unsure about her un- decidedness. Before coming to KSU she was in Entertainment Industry Studies (EIS) at Belmont University in Tennessee, and decided to make the switch to KSU for financial reasons. But deciding on a major at a new school is difficult.
“I changed to undecided because then I decided I’m not sure I want to do that [EIS]”.
When asked what major she would be if she had to pick, she said, “if I had to choose . . . maybe psychology. But I don’t know. I’m trying to be open to everything”.
“I’m Majoring In Early Childhood Education.”
What do you do if you’re so far in your education that switching majors would make that graduate-in-4-years-plan go way out the door? Should you stick it out or change to the goal you want?
One KSU senior, an anonymous female, loves working with kids, but working with and teaching them have proved to be two very different things and she wants to change from the education field to social work.
“I’ve always wanted to be a teacher ever since I was little, but now that I’m in the coursework, I don’t know if I would be dedicated to that. I’d rather work with them [kids] to help them out of a situation they need to get out of.”
When asked what others think about her situation she said, “my family wants me to finish the degree. My friends think I should change it now, [but] I have a couple semesters left, I might as well finish it out.”
“I’m Majoring In Exercise and Health Science.”
Junior Brianna Fouad was majoring in biology before switching to EHS this summer.
“I’m not good at chemistry, and I just didn’t want to deal with that. Plus I like exercise and health science. I want to go [into] physical therapy. My friends were like ‘what the hell’ cause I changed – again [and] my mom and dad weren’t that supportive because they wanted me to go to pharmacy school or med school.”
But, even with her family and friends reservations, Fouad is confident in her choice to switch. Fouad is happy about her decision because she likes EHS a lot more than biology.
“I Am . . . “
With or without support, whether a freshman or senior, and even over all the pressures of society, picking a major exists as one of the most important and personal choices a college student will have to make. Whatever reason for picking one major over the other, there is always a different, and complicated, answer for that unavoidable question.
