It’s never too late to change your major, sure. But is it worth it the closer you get to graduation?
I’m only a second-year student, a junior standing. I’m not too deep into major. I can, luckily, adjust need be without too much struggle and hassle. Others have not been so fortunate, and I fear that this realization is a mere ticking time bomb for some.
I’ve spent countless hours googling random major’s salaries. I’ve scoured countless Reddit pages, blogs, articles and personal testimonies on the post-college job market. All signs point to everything working out, but I’m not convinced.
The job market for some degrees is rapidly diminishing, especially in the era of COVID-19. Majors that were once profitable and a sure-fire career starter have become nothing more than a hobby that cost $40k to learn about. At what point is it too late to jump ship?
I don’t think there is any right answer. However, the consequences of doing so only get harder as the days, weeks and months go by. Another semester pursuing a major you’re unsure about is another semester potentially wasted.
That entire system seems wildly unfair.
It’s human nature to become specialized in a skill. But are we really supposed to do the same thing our whole lives? At this age and at this point in my life, I have no clue what I want to do. I have kind of an idea. Little whispers of a concept, I guess. But the thing? No idea.
Paying $40,000 to get a degree in a skill that might be useful seems kind of like a scam. I’m not saying that it is, but the structure of this system seems fundamentally flawed.
We are effectively putting youthful, vibrant and determined students into a box. Once they get put into that box, it’s hard to leave.
That box determines the rest of your life, it seems like. It will determine where you live, how much money you make and how happy you will be. Realizing that that box might be setting you for failure, a year or so from graduation, is next to nothing the scariest aspect of college.
Hence why I think it’s never too late to adjust. It’s always going to be worth it to change your major. Heck, it might be worth it to drop out.
Life is too short to do what you think you must do. The only important way to live is by doing what you want. Doing what you feel is right. If what feels right for you is a 180-degree career switch, do it. Don’t hesitate because you feel like it’s too late.
The fact of the matter is, it’s never too late to live your life the way you want to live it. Even when the entire system seems like it’s against you, your truth will always prevail. It will just take some time.
Carter Kolpitcke can be reached at arg-opinion@uidaho.edu or @carterkolpitcke on Twitter