A student walks to her first class, holding her phone in one hand with the Maps app open, looking closely at the blue line on the screen that she must follow to get to the correct building.
On the outside, she was a normal college student having her first day of classes. On the inside, she was already questioning the major she declared at SOAR the month before.
That student was me my freshman year.
I took many science classes in high school and did well, convincing myself and my family that I would do well in the sciences. So, I declared my major as nursing.
However, I always thought the expectation that high school students must decide what they want to do with their life at that age was strange.
That expectation was looming over me as I began taking classes. It made me question if I really wanted to study nursing, or anything related to it.
Everyone else seems to know what they want to do, I thought to myself. Did I miss something? Did I do something wrong to be feeling this way?
Dear freshman me:
It is okay to be unsure.
To high school me, college looked like a place for people who had solid plans for their future.
But if my feelings change after I have already completed a semester or two, what happens then?
I tried to convince myself that I needed to stay with my major, even though I was unhappy.
My goal was to avoid disappointing people who were rooting for me to get the degree I said I was pursuing.
Toward the middle of my second year at MSU, I realized I needed to change my major. If I waited longer, it would be even harder to bounce back.
I knew that I excelled in other areas, like writing and design. The communications major seemed promising, so I decided to change to that. I kept my Spanish minor.
But that’s awful late to change, I thought to myself. Will I graduate on time? What will mom and dad think? And how many people are in the same boat as me right now?
Dear freshman me:
The boat is big, and there are more passengers aboard than you think.
I can’t believe it took me as long as it did to realize that changing your major in college is normal.
There is no shame in it. In fact, my advisor, professors and friends all praised me for taking the step to change. My parents ended up being very supportive; they could tell I was happier.
I was surprised by how many people related to me. When hearing their own stories about changing their majors, I felt like I was listening to myself.
Both professors and students acknowledge that it’s difficult to decide your life plans right out of high school. No matter how much progress you have already made, changing your major is ultimately normalized.
I felt nothing but support from others in my decision. My previous fears melted away.
Because dear freshman me:
You’ll be fine.
You’ll end up graduating in December 2021 (a semester early!) with a major in public relations and a minor in Spanish.
You’ll meet so many new people, make professional connections, and find your true passion.
You have so many things to look forward to.
Trust me.
Dear freshman me:
Welcome home. You’ll love it here.