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What should you do if you want to switch majors?

Will it be extremely expensive if you change your mind on what you want to do? I'm indecisive and I'm afraid I'll put myself into debt if I decide I don't want to be a pharmacist anymore. I don't know how the process works. Should I just suck it up and stay with it? #college #finance

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Ken’s Answer

The most important thing that you can do is to get to know yourself better to make sure that you are considering a career area which is in line with how your personality traits relate to others in that area and then to talk to people who are involved in that area to see what they do, how they got there, and what advice and suggestions that they might have for you.


Getting to know yourself and how your personality traits relate to people involved in various career opportunities is very important in your decision making process. During my many years in Human Resources and College Recruiting, I ran across too many students who had skipped this very important step and ended up in a job situation which for which they were not well suited. Selecting a career area is like buying a pair of shoes. First you have to be properly fitted for the correct size, and then you need to try on and walk in the various shoe options to determine which is fits the best and is most comfortable for you to wear. Following are some important steps which I developed during my career which have been helpful to many .

Ken recommends the following next steps:

The first step is to take an interest and aptitude test and have it interpreted by your school counselor to see if you share the personality traits necessary to enter the field. You might want to do this again upon entry into college, as the interpretation might differ slightly due to the course offering of the school. However, do not wait until entering college, as the information from the test will help to determine the courses that you take in high school. Too many students, due to poor planning, end up paying for courses in college which they could have taken for free in high school.
Next, when you have the results of the testing, talk to the person at your high school and college who tracks and works with graduates to arrange to talk to, visit, and possibly shadow people doing what you think that you might want to do, so that you can get know what they are doing and how they got there. Here are some tips: ## http://www.wikihow.com/Network ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/nonawkward-ways-to-start-and-end-networking-conversations https://www.themuse.com/advice/4-questions-to-ask-your-network-besides-can-you-get-me-a-job?ref=carousel-slide-1 ##
Locate and attend meetings of professional associations to which people who are doing what you think that you want to do belong, so that you can get their advice. These associations may offer or know of intern, coop, shadowing, and scholarship opportunities. These associations are the means whereby the professionals keep abreast of their career area following college and advance in their career. You can locate them by asking your school academic advisor, favorite teachers, and the reference librarian at your local library. Here are some tips: ## https://www.careeronestop.org/BusinessCenter/Toolkit/find-professional-associations.aspx?&frd=true ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/9-tips-for-navigating-your-first-networking-event ##
It is very important to express your appreciation to those who help you along the way to be able to continue to receive helpful information and to create important networking contacts along the way. Here are some good tips: ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/the-informational-interview-thank-you-note-smart-people-know-to-send?ref=recently-published-2 ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/3-tips-for-writing-a-thank-you-note-thatll-make-you-look-like-the-best-candidate-alive?bsft_eid=7e230cba-a92f-4ec7-8ca3-2f50c8fc9c3c&bsft_pid=d08b95c2-bc8f-4eae-8618-d0826841a284&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily_20171020&utm_source=blueshift&utm_content=daily_20171020&bsft_clkid=edfe52ae-9e40-4d90-8e6a-e0bb76116570&bsft_uid=54658fa1-0090-41fd-b88c-20a86c513a6c&bsft_mid=214115cb-cca2-4aec-aa86-92a31d371185&bsft_pp=2 ##
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Kimberly’s Answer

Good question and something a lot of people struggle with. If you haven't started school, take classes that are general, but necessary for most degrees ( language, math, humanities, etc.) This way, you won't be "wasting" credits if you change your mind. Keep in mind, a lot of people change their minds after taking a few courses because they learn more about a different degree that they may not have been aware of or you meet people & professors that can provide more information.
If you have already started and have a few courses completed already, go see your college counselor. Discuss your concern and ask for guidance. You should also arrange a meeting with the department you want to transfer to.
I started graduate school as one major and in my first semester learned about a different degree that I was much more interested in. I went to the head of the department in the new major and asked her how she could help me. They have a lot more flexibility and control over transfer credits than you would think.
Be open and honest about what you want. Not everybody knows what they want to do so don't feel bad about changing your mind or having doubt.

Kimberly recommends the following next steps:

Go talk to your college counselor
Arrange a meeting with a professor you like or trust to discuss your concerns and get their advice
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Amanda’s Answer

There are quite a few things you can and should do when considering switching majors. In school I switched a few times in my first two years, though all under Business. Not all majors are as flexible to switch into so do your research. Your college counselor should be your best friend. As them about what you are able to switch to without interupting your graduation date. Many counselors will have brochures highlighting dirrefent majors and their respective careers, read these! IF you can sit down and write down somethings that interest you that will help too. Try to take a course in something that interests you. If one of you friends is in a course that interests you reach out to the professor to see if you can shadow the class.

The absolute best thing you can do is to work an internship. Get exposure in a field you think you are interested in. Remember you can pivot once out of college, too. Get as much experience as you can before graduating and talk to your teachers if they had careers prior to teaching.
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Kim’s Answer

Amanda,

First you want to look at it, and see if there is any aspect of being a pharmacist, or anything similar, that you are interested in. One thing that comes to mind is the big research projects where drugs are tested prior to being approved by the FDA. If the answer is no, then, run away from it as fast as you can!


It is better to waste a few thousand dollars now, than to be miserable the rest of your life! There is an old expression. . . "putting good money after bad." Once you realize the previous decision was wrong, why keep spending money on it? Answer: you don't want to have to admit, to yourself or others, that your previous decision was incorrect. Don't worry about how you will explain it, just get out!


I have met people who went straight through school, and got their master's, only to realize they were mis-matched. Please, don't be one of them! The rest of your life is a very long time to be unhappy. You will work for about 35 years, or more. Find what you want to do, and start working on it!


Kim
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Faye’s Answer

Thats a great question it's important to explore your options as soon as you know that you're questioning your major In order to switch majors you would have to speak with an academic advisor. They'll ask you specific questions about your end goals and can help come up with an academic curriculum to help get you there. Good luck in your path!
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Jeffery’s Answer

If you realize you are on the wrong path. Just do it and change your focus. You may have to spend more time in school, but it's best to not get trapped in something you HATE or do not have the proper mind set for.
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