There you are, sitting in biology class, and you absolutely hate it, and you don’t know what to do. You thought you wanted to be a doctor, but the more and more you learn about the field, the less and less you can imagine yourself being one. They say at 18 you are supposed to have all the answers…well that’s not necessarily true. Sometimes you start thinking one thing, but then that changes.

A lot of people think just because they chose a major, they have to stick with it, but this isn’t really true. As a freshmen, you may have entered college dead set on a certain major, but as you came immersed in the classes, you realized it hasn’t been quite a right fit for you. There are steps you can take if this is you!

Seek Advice – Changing majors is not unusual! Most universities offer some type of counseling service for students who are not sure about the major they were accepted in. An advisor can tell you what steps you need to take in order to switch your major and can help you evaluate the areas of your major that you particularly do not like. Sometimes, it might just be a single class.

Talk to your Support Group – Ask older friends that are in your current major and your family about their thoughts on switching your major. Listen to words of encouragements over words of doubt, but be accepting of criticism. Ask people what they think your strengths are and see if any of those correspond with jobs in your field of study.

Research – Look into other majors that might appeal to your interests. Try researching some areas that you hadn’t considered or that have sparked your interest in the past. Maybe you will find something that appeals to you. Additionally, just because you are majoring in biology doesn’t mean you have to be a biologist. There are different paths a single major can take you down even if it isn’t so obvious.

Think About Why You Hate Your Major – Evaluate why you hate your major. What made you want to study finance? What made you love biology initially? Think back to reasons why you initially chose your major and the career plans you hoped to achieve. In some cases, your major may be too hard for you, but are there adjustments you can do make to do better in your major? Try finding solutions to your problems before you immediately make plans to change your major.

Whatever your situation, don’t feel trapped. There are steps you can take to getting the most out of any situation, but it definitely requires hard work. People change all the time. Don’t worry about other people, but focus on your own desires. Each person has to do things their own way within their own time. There is no perfect way to get to a destination, but if you make a plan and work towards it, you can definitely get there!