Many students choose their major at college with very little forethought. Perhaps they were pushed into a particular major by their parents or a former teacher, or perhaps they had a vision of a particular lifestyle that necessitated the relevant major. Whatever the reason, if you find yourself having doubts about your major part way through your first year at college, it may be time to make some changes. There are a number of ways that you can tell that it is time to change majors.

You dread going to lectures

It’s quite common for college students to find that lectures get in the way of their social life every now and again and consider skipping a lecture or two. However, if you start dreading your lectures to the extent that you just don’t want to go, it could be a sign that the major you have chosen isn’t right. You may need to give yourself a few weeks to confirm that it is the major that is wrong for you, rather than, for example, the fact that you just don’t get on with the lecturer, but if after a period of consideration you still think it is wrong for you, it is time to change.

You can’t see the point in what you are doing

A large part of your time at college is going to be dedicated to your major, so if you cannot see the point in what you are doing, it could well be time to give it up. You probably chose your major because you through it would contribute towards your future career, but after a few weeks in college, you may have realised that there are other, more satisfying, ways to achieve what you want. Once you have reached this stage, there is very little point in continuing with your current major – if you’ve decided it isn’t right for you, you won’t do well with it anyway.

Your results are poor

If you aren’t enjoying your course, the chances are that you will spend the minimum time possible studying for it, which will eventually show in your results. You could continue to push yourself through the course in the hope that you will just about manage to get the results you need – but it would be a lot more satisfying for you if you studied something that you enjoyed so that you could work towards better grades. Before making your mind up, it is worth discussing poor grades with your supervisor to see if he or she has any suggestions for you.

You’ve found something else you’re much more interested in

You may well find that you were pushed into choosing the major that you are doing, either because of other people, or because of a dream that you once had. However, once you are at college, you will be introduced to different ways of thinking and ideas that would never previously have crossed your mind could push you in a different direction. If you could change to a different major to fit in with this new way of thinking, you may well find that you are much more content with what you are doing. Just make sure you do your research before committing to a new direction.

You are considering giving up your course

If your current major is not really for you, you may be considering giving up college entirely. In some circumstances, this may be the most sensible option for you, particularly if you cannot find anything else that interests you enough to take on as an alternative. However, think long and hard before you make a final decision. You may well be unhappy at college because your course isn’t right – but if you do your research and experiment by attending a few lectures in other subjects, you may just find what you really want to do. Once you have made the transition to college, it is a shame to give it up without looking at all the options.

You’ve done an internship related to your job and hated it

Hopefully, you will have discovered that your major isn’t right for you long before you take on a related internship. However, if you do get that far and hate it, there is no better way of telling that your major is not right for you. Studying the theoretical aspect of your major may be very different from putting it into practice. Once you have experience of what it would be like to work in your chosen career and you don’t think it is right for you, that is definitely a sign that you should think about changing majors. It may be a good idea to take on an internship as early as possible in your college career just to check that you have made the right choice.

Changing majors is not something that you should do without a great deal of thought. However, if you decide that your original major really isn’t right for you, then it is far better to change than to end up unhappy with your choice.