Should I Switch My Major? A Values-Based Decision Framework
You're partway through your degree but increasingly certain you've chosen the wrong path. Switching feels like admitting failure, might delay graduation, and you're not entirely sure the new choice is right either. But staying in a major you dislike feels like a slow mistake.
Key Takeaway
This decision is fundamentally about Authentic Interest vs. Career Alignment. Your choice will also impact your time and money.
The Core Values at Stake
This decision touches on several fundamental values that may be in tension with each other:
Authentic Interest
Your passion for what you study. Consider whether your current disinterest is about the major or about academic life generally.
Career Alignment
How your major connects to career goals. Evaluate whether the new major actually leads where you want to go.
Time and Money
The cost of switching in delayed graduation and potential additional tuition. Calculate the true cost.
Sunk Cost Reality
Your investment in your current major. Recognize that time already spent shouldn't dictate future choices.
Certainty vs. Exploration
Your confidence in the new direction. Consider whether you've researched enough or are jumping from one uncertainty to another.
5 Key Questions to Ask Yourself
Before making this decision, work through these questions honestly:
- 1What specifically do I dislike about my current major—the content or the difficulty?
- 2Have I taken classes in the new major to confirm my interest?
- 3How does switching affect my graduation timeline and total cost?
- 4Is there a way to incorporate my new interest without fully switching (minor, double major)?
- 5Am I switching toward something or away from something?
Key Considerations
As you weigh this decision, keep these important factors in mind:
Watch Out For: Grass Is Greener Fallacy
Every major looks better when you're struggling in yours. You see the interesting aspects of other fields without experiencing their difficult parts. Before switching, take actual courses in the new major and talk to students further along. Make sure you're not just trading one set of challenges for another.
Make This Decision With Clarity
Don't just guess. Use Dcider to calculate your alignment score and make decisions that truly reflect your values.
Download on the App StoreFrequently Asked Questions
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Should I Go to Graduate School?
The decision to pursue graduate education often comes at a crossroads—dissatisfaction with your current trajectory, desire for career advancement, or genuine intellectual curiosity. But the stakes are high: years of your life, significant debt potentially, and no guarantee the investment pays off. The uncertainty is paralyzing.
Should I Change Careers?
The desire for a career change often builds gradually—a growing sense that you're in the wrong place, doing work that doesn't resonate. But the prospect of starting over, potentially at a lower level or salary, creates paralyzing fear. You wonder if the grass really is greener or if you're just restless.
Should I Learn to Code?
Coding seems like a superpower that could open doors to new careers and opportunities. But you're not sure if you have the aptitude, if it's too late to start, or if you should invest months of effort learning something you might not enjoy. The tech industry's promise beckons while imposter syndrome holds you back.
People Also Considered
Similar decisions in other areas of life:
Sources
- Astorne-Figari, C., & Speer, J. D. (2019). Are Changes of Major Major Changes? The Roles of Grades, Gender, and Preferences in College Major Switching. Economics of Education Review.doi:10.1016/j.econedurev.2019.03.005
- Sklar, J. C. (2018). Event history analysis of switching to and from STEM majors. Social Science Research.doi:10.1016/j.ssresearch.2017.11.002