The Voice - Student Newspaper

Changing majors made easy with the right help

By Michelle Tabatabai-Shahab
Reporter, The VOICE

There are a few main issues that students tend to face when they decide to change their major.

Some students start college to please their parents, some study for careers they know their good at rather than pursuing what they want, while some truly can't decide on a single major because their interests are so broad.

The beauty of attending a community college is that you can change your major as many times as you feel necessary.

When you're an adolescent people ask you, "What do you want to be when you grow up? " At the time you were confident that you wanted to become an astronaut, the president, or a ballerina. Here is where the pressure was on to decide an ultimate career goal.

Even though you might have a really good idea about what you want to do for the rest of your life, don't restrict yourself to a course outline.

College is the time to explore, learn, and discover. You can study mathematics and still take an art class or creative writing.

Don't push away all of your career options, embrace them. You are not wasting time by exploring all of your options. If you are questioning the course path you're on, it's okay to stray away from the major's prerequisites. Any class that you take that doesn't comply with your declared major can still be counted as an elective.

While taking general studies, it would be a great idea to pick up a class that seems interesting to you. Taking general studies as an alternative to picking a major won't help you achieve a career goal.

Being a student at a Glendale Community College (GCC) is a perfect place to explore your options. Don't feel discouraged if you are unsure about your major like GCC student, Monica Gonzalez, who stated, "I'm undecided because I don't know what I want to do for the rest of my life."

If you feel like you're the only one of your friends that isn't career focused, don't stress out about deciding, it is completely normal to be uncertain about changing majors and deciding a career path. You are not alone in feeling insecure. Many students are still unsure well into their junior year, as student, Dillon Evans shared, "I've changed my major four times so far. The last major I chose was psychology, but I'm defiantly not sticking to it."

Students that would like to declare a new major or just make sure the one you're studying for is the right one for you, ideally the GCC career center is the first stop to make.

The faculty can help you find which majors satisfy certain career aspirations. They can also assist you in deciding which major course path to take while exploring your options.

Waiting to see a guidance counselor, GCC student Jennifer Tannen commented, "I have never been so unsure of the rest of my life. The counselors have been helping me find a career I'll want to work for."

It is important to remember that the declaration of a college major will not indicate a concrete career path.

Use electives to explore career options. Don't sweat it changing majors, a majority of college students change their major at least once and many students will change their major several more times before they commit.