It’s time to sit down and have the college major conversation

Some people know what job they want from the moment they can speak. They dream of being a scientist or a writer with such conviction that when it comes time to apply to college, they have no doubt about which major they will choose. However, this is not the case for many 18-year-olds, but nonetheless, they are pressured to decide on a major that often dictates their career. 

At USC, students can change their major, but there are restrictions in place that can hold students back from exploring various fields of interest. Certain majors require a student to submit another application separate from the one they completed to be admitted into USC initially in order to make the switch. There are even particular majors that only accept applications once every academic year, an obstacle that can keep students from applying for fear they will fall behind in their current requirements.

As stated on the “Declaring Your Major” section of USC’s website, “Competitive majors require specific prerequisite courses and usually a minimum GPA, but meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission … the competitiveness of the major depends on how many students apply.” 

Language that reinforces the idea of competition undoubtedly hinders a student from applying for fear they are “not good enough.” Not only is an undergraduate pressured to know exactly what they want to do with their life, but they may not be able to pursue it due to competitive barriers.

A study published by the Education Advisory Board found that students who waited to declare their major, even as late as their junior year, were still able to graduate on time in four years. Moreso, despite the fact that about 80% of college students change their major, students are often encouraged to apply to universities under a certain major, even though there is a high likelihood that it will end up changing. 

Students tend to also feel the burden of having to pursue a major that will lead to a fruitful career instead of following their passion. As reported by the University of California at Riverside’s student newspaper, “Oftentimes the ‘perfect’ major is defined as one rooted in the STEM field. Many low-income students attempting to break free from the cycle of poverty hold onto this dream of a STEM degree … However, students forced to obtain this degree often find themselves unhappy when thrown into this school of study.” 

Not only do colleges and universities need to change the way they approach the major system and how easily students change their majors, the conversation around college majors itself must change as well. 

There are multiple website entries that actually list the “worst college majors” for high-paying careers, enforcing the idea that there are limited paths to success and fulfillment post-grad. Colleges should encourage academic and intellectual exploration by making it easier for students to switch majors, within reason of course. 

College students have a role to play in reforming the conversations by not engaging in language that suggests one major is better or more difficult, and therefore more valid, than another. When talking to ourselves, too, we have to be uplifting and reassuring, since negative self-talk has the potential to affect the way we view ourselves and how we take advantage of opportunities.  Celebrate everyone’s chosen path, even if it makes no sense to you, and encourage those in your life to pursue something they care about or find interesting.