DON'T SETTLE: SWITCHING MAJORS WITHOUT FEAR

By Victoria Rivera

The scariest realization you can have in college isn’t that you forgot an assignment, it’s that you’re studying for a life you don’t even want. That epiphany came to me long before I actually stepped foot on campus. I knew it the second I told my parents I wanted to be a marine biologist, because the idea of becoming a writer felt equivalent to trying to be the most gripping shade of white in the paint store. It felt easier to choose a job I knew was in high demand and hope I come to like it rather than

face the uncertainty.

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I know my story isn’t one of a kind. Going to college is expensive, even with scholarships to keep you afloat. Even if your tuition was completely covered, which is unlikely for the majority of students, you still have to pay for food or textbooks. If you’re a commuter, you have to worry about travel costs on top of that. It’s the most expensive undertaking most college students have undergone up to that point in their lives, and they’ll need to be locked into it for a minimum of four years.

Suffice to say, there’s a lot of pressure to choose the “right” major. Thousands of dollars are on the line, and more often than not it feels like your whole future is too.

That’s why it matters so much when a school makes the change less intimidating.

At Barry, switching majors is only one signature away. Every student is appointed an academic advisor who keeps them on track for graduation, and in the case of changing a major they can handle the paperwork for you. Alternatively, you could also directly go through the dean’s office. You’d only need to finish your current semester before the switch.

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Switching majors doesn’t mean starting over either. It’s highly unlikely that changing majors will delay your graduation time, as your first two years will be focusing primarily on your pre-requisites. Your core classes overlap across all of Barry’s programs, meaning you never lose any time. All the credits you accrued still

go to your new degree. Unless you change your major by senior year, you’re almost certainly going to graduate at the same time as you would’ve before.

In kind, you won’t lose any financial aid you currently receive. In my case, I was initially paid to come to Barry for its marine biology program. I would be covered for four years to get a bachelor’s degree. When I made the switch, I didn’t lose this money– which was by far the most terrifying thing to me. I had come to college very reluctant to take loans, and I knew if I didn’t get a scholarship, then I wouldn’t go to school at all.

So I, and hopefully other students in the same position, can let out a great sigh of relief to know all aid carries over. Once the switch is confirmed, you’re not required

to submit any more applications or make panicked phone calls to the Financial Aid Department: Barry makes it immediate.

Don’t let shame keep you from changing your major. While the job market looks scary, Barry’s annual job fairs can help graduates jump straight into new work, and it’s far more common than you think for students to make the same leap of faith.

The National Center for Education Statistics discovered that 30% of students end up changing their major within the first three years of college. One in ten students

even changes their major multiple times before actually settling down. While I myself only needed to change majors once, I’ve had at least four embarrassingly flunked classes that made me need to stay for an extra semester. Not only have I been met with

the support of my advisors, but I’ve kept my scholarship to cover the extra classes I would need in spring. In the case that a student needed to change majors enough

times to be held back, there’s still a good chance that they’ll be supported for it.

That uncertainty I faced in the beginning of my time in college was terrifying, but trying to fit myself into a box I didn’t belong in did not make that uncertainty go away. It only came back in a new form. I was always wondering if I’ll ever earn a degree when I can barely answer a question in class, constantly terrified of the threat of a quiz because I knew I couldn’t recall the course material.

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When I finally found the confidence to look that uncertainty in the eye to become an English major, I couldn’t have been happier. I’m paid to study something I enjoy, and Barry has provided me opportunities like the Buccaneer newspaper and future

internships. If anything, I feel more secure now getting to build my portfolio and have hands-on experience with the work I love. You don’t need to sacrifice your happiness for a stable career, I know I didn’t.