Going into college, many young people are confused and are not ready to decide what they want to do for the future. I was one of those people. Coming into Farmingdale, I wanted to major in Criminal Justice and go into Forensics. Forensics was what really caught my interest and was a job I could definitely see myself doing. Now I am a Bioscience major in my sophomore year hoping go to med school one day. It is hard, but I learned to have faith in myself and go for my dreams. I always wanted to become a doctor ever since I was little, but I lost faith in myself. However, a little hard work can boost your confidence and help you reach for what you believe in.
How to change your major: There is nothing wrong with changing your mind in life. If you are studying something you’ve lost interest in, a change needs to be done. Depending on what major you want to switch to, there are different requirements. Some will require taking certain courses or completing a placement exam. Thankfully, it was very simple for me. All I needed was at least a C in BIO 130 and a form filled out.

You’ll have to contact the head of the department and tell them why you want to be in the program, then learn the necessary steps to get there.

What to expect: If you are changing your major later on in the game, don’t get stressed and feel left behind, or worry you may not graduate in the time you anticipated.  It may take you a semester, or even a year more than you expected. However, it is better than working the rest of your life in a job that makes you unhappy.

Always check DegreeWorks, see the classes, and organize the steps you have to take in order to get to where you want to be. When I changed to Bioscience, I did not realize how many classes were needed. I wanted to panic at first, but then I looked over everything I needed to take. I considered taking a summer and put myself into perspective. I put aside my stress and focused on working hard in my classes.

Now in the program you want: Now switched into your desired program, your job is now to stay there. You did the work to get in, now do the work to stay in. You no longer have to worry about the “what ifs,” but you can focus on working hard in any classes you need for that new major. You can also look into classes that would be good for grad school. For example, med school requires you to take Physics and Anatomy & Physiology, so it would be a smart move to work those classes into your schedules while you’re still an undergrad.

Make sure that you keep up your grades and do what makes you happy.

Changing my major was a little scary at first, but then I realized there was nothing to be afraid of. Instead, I should’ve been more excited that I knew what I wanted to do in the future. I may have thought that I wanted to go into forensics but I am young and my decision changed.
I knew Bioscience would be hard, and I lost my confidence at first. Now, I am confident that I changed my major. I am very excited for the future and I really hope to become a doctor one day and help others. Students should never be nervous about changing their major. They should never believe they cannot do it, because they can.