What Happens When You Realize Your Major is Not for You?

When you ask a child what he or she wants to be, the generic answer is: president, doctor, princess, astronaut, fireman, or policeman. When you’re young, you usually have no idea what you want to do with the rest of your life. Just like every other young girl, I wanted to be a princess but once I got older, I knew that I was never going to be a princess (unless if I somehow married into royalty, but the chances of that happening is slim to none).

            I was one of those kids who had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. In high school, I took all the science AP classes because I thought I wanted to be a veterinarian. Once I graduated high school, I was set on being a vet. My parents told me how much work it would be and I was prepared for it. I took AP and honor classes so I thought I could handle all of the college work.

            My first semester in college was a difficult one. I was taking biology and chemistry and at first, I thought I could handle the work, but as the semester went on, it became more challenging and confusing. No matter what I did, I couldn’t get a full grasp on biology and chemistry. I tried everything in my power to understand science, but it just wouldn’t click.

            I didn’t want to give up on science. My parents always told me never to quit something just because it’s a challenge. Of course biology is difficult, but I knew if I put 110% into studying and the work, it would click eventually. As second semester came around, I thought science would finally click with me this time. I was wrong.  Just like first semester, I did everything that I possibly could in order to understand biology. I was having such a difficult time with the course. The only thing that I was running through my head was “If I can‘t even handle the introductory courses, how can I handle the courses that were to come?” My heart wasn’t in science anymore.

            I remember sitting in class talking about the electron transport chain, and I looked around the class at my peers and they were so interested. I just sat there thinking, “This isn’t for me”. That was the exact moment when I knew that I was going to have to change my major. The question was: what to change it too?

            During summer break I really had to think about what I want to do with my life. It’s never easy to make a decision that impacts your future. I know it sounds a bit dramatic, but it’s true. I was deciding what I wanted to do for the rest of my life and I knew that I had to make the right choice. I didn’t want to be one of those students who changed their major 5 times. I wanted to make the right decision. At first, I wasn’t sure, but after sitting down and talking to my parents, it finally hit me.

            I’ve always been extremely interested in politics and law. In high school, civics was probably one of my favorite classes. Not to mention, I watch the news daily. I like knowing what’s going on in the world and what is going on in our government.  My parents have always told me that they could see me being a lawyer. That was originally what I wanted to be when I was in high school. I really had to think about it because after I made my decision, I wanted to stick with it.

            I know that Political Science is where I belong. It’s a big jump from biology to political science, but I know this is what I want to do with my life. I’m interested in this field and I think that it would be the perfect fit for me. Who knows, maybe one day I’ll be a great lawyer or even a politician. I just have to work hard and see where the journey takes me. 

-Nicole Aron, Student/Guest Blogger