Skip to main content
8 answers
8
Asked 553 views

What happens if I want to switch majors.

I can't decide between business or animal health science and I'm afraid that if i choose one I'll end up regretting it later on. #business #animalhealthscience

+25 Karma if successful
From: You
To: Friend
Subject: Career question for you

8

8 answers


3
Updated
Share a link to this answer
Share a link to this answer

Justin’s Answer

It took me a long time to decide what I wanted to do. I ended up being a supervisor in a customer service environment. My strengths were never in the customer service world. I am far too analytical to be a natural fit. But what I discovered is that I, or anyone can learn something from any experience. So, while I wasn't a natural fit for customer service, I analyzed what created good customer experiences. When I applied my analytical mind to the problem I started to get results...by my way. Being involved in the customer service world for over 15 years, my communication skills grew, and now serve me very well in a new field.
So, don't be afraid that you will chose the wrong one, you will learn something from the experience that you will be able to take with you other places. However, you are right to be prudent and to give this careful consideration.
See the Next steps that I filled out below. I found it to be incredibly important to understand myself. Once I understood me, the career path that I ended up taking jumped out at me. I knew what I wanted to do, and now that I am doing it, I love it, and am excited to get to work every day.

Justin recommends the following next steps:

16personalities.com - take the free assessment. Be honest.
When done read the entire profile to get a better understanding of yourself.
Finally, there is a careers section, where it will give you some ideas of career paths that people with your personality type enjoy. They are a fairly wide variety. The other nice thing is that the analysis gives you the WHY behind the options they give you.
3
2
Updated
Share a link to this answer
Share a link to this answer

Pedro’s Answer

There's no problem at all with switching majors! College is the time where people get to learn about what they're most interested in and make changes. This happens more often than not and it can be a difficult situation. Try looking at the pros and cons of each and think of what you're most interested in. Maybe you can do some research on each too to learn more about them and look at resources your college may provide. Just understand it is okay to make changes and still be unsure of the decision you make. It takes time for some people to choose the right major for themselves. Take that leap of faith and you always have time to change your decision again because everyone's path is different.
2
1
Updated
Share a link to this answer
Share a link to this answer

Lisa’s Answer

If it helps, this is not uncommon. I've met many people that were unsure of what to major in, whether because they had many interests or they were just undecided in general. I also went through this experience when I was in college and debating between two completely different majors (one would lead to a B.S., the other would lead to a B.A.). My college had even offered an option for students to propose new majors, and it seemed like the result of that were majors that were combinations of majors so students didn't have to double major. In my case, at first I went down the path of double majoring, and then I realized that my schedule would be too full to do much of anything else, or else risk having to put in five years instead of four years in college. In the end, I chose the major that I found the classes to be the most interesting, easiest to complete because I was most interested in them, and were less risky at extending my college duration beyond four years. I decided that I didn't have the patience to be in college for more than four years. Ultimately, that was the best decision for me because after finishing college, I've learned that there are many paths to get to the career you want for yourself.

Life is long, and you can always change your career path down the road if you decide that the path you chose for yourself doesn't align with what you want. I've known many people that majored in sciences and ended up going into completely different fields after college (and they didn't regret that decision).

The two majors you're considering are each worthwhile in their own right. You may want to consider jotting down a list of pros and cons for each major, and that could help inform your decision of which major to select. I don't believe you'll regret your decision if you keep an open mind.
1
0
Updated
Share a link to this answer
Share a link to this answer

GABE’s Answer

Well, you can always Major in One and Minor in the other, or double major. If you want to be a Veterinarian, you will need a science background to get into Vet school and a business background to run a successful practice.
0
0
Updated
Share a link to this answer
Share a link to this answer

Colleen’s Answer

It seems ridiculous that we pick our careers based on the way we feel about life at 16-18 years old, but I suppose you have to have a starting point! A lot of people start in one field and move to another, I happened to be a person who stuck (kind of) with my original field. Business is translatable into a lot of different areas of work and once you have finalized your higher education, you'll be building experience in the areas most important and relevant to your interests, hopefully. My advice would be to take classes in both and see where your passion is heaviest.
0
0
Updated
Share a link to this answer
Share a link to this answer

Justina’s Answer

I would recommend to do research to see the pro/cons of each career, maybe ask student adviser or family if they know people in both careers that you could talk too. And also as hard as it might be ask yourself what interest you more and why. Look for volunteer programs in either business or animal health and this might be a great opportunity to see if you like one vs the other. But also talking to student adviser to understand the frame work /studies for each major.
0
0
Updated
Share a link to this answer
Share a link to this answer

Felicia’s Answer

I switch my major / minor a few times in college and I understand the fear of choosing the wrong path. While certain careers require specialized knowledge and paths, that's not the case with all jobs (especially business). Focus on learning these basic principals first: solid communication, problem solving, basic understanding of how a business makes money, and keeping the right attitude even in tough situations. There are many managers who would rather teach a person with the right personality/drive than to hire someone who has the right credentials, but a poor attitude and poor processes. Stay humble, never stop learning, and look for ways you can make things better wherever you find yourself.

As a beginner to any industry, you'll learn the ins and outs of it with time. Your key to succeeding is your reputation and work ethic.
0
0
Updated
Share a link to this answer
Share a link to this answer

Jake’s Answer

I switched majors from game design/ animation to international business. And now I work in the cyber field! For me it was scary to switch, I did it late in my studies and lost quite a few credits that made it take longer to graduate. If you're early on in your studies, this may not apply to you and make a switch much easier.

As Newt Scamander said "my philosophy is that worrying means you suffer twice"!

Jake recommends the following next steps:

talk to a guidance counselor
0