Every student during their college career faces many difficult decisions. However, thanks to the infrastructure that has been established for UNR students, advice is usually readily available by a single, if not a multitude, of helpful UNR departments. But where can a student seek advice regarding a change in major? Unfortunately, there isn't a department catered to this specific subject area. But this should be seen as a positive outcome, for it allows the student to obtain feedback from a variety of resources, such as the department faculty, undergraduate and graduate students, and of course, the department advisor. By gathering information from multiple sources, the student can weigh the pros and cons before changing their major.

Even with the information a student obtains, an increasing number of variables still come into play when deciding whether to switch majors. Personally I knew I wanted to change majors, but I hesitated because of the following reasons:

• Delay in Graduating: My objective was to do the traditional 4-year route. I was focused and motivated in taking those 15+ credits each semester plus summer classes if need be. But then I spoke to numerous students from various universities, of various majors, and about 80% asked me: What's your hurry? The workforce will always be there when you graduate, and 5-6 years out of your entire life is virtually nothing.
• Family & Friends: Family & friends can be the 'pusher' at times; stressing you out by always asking when you're graduating, what your major is, and popping out stupid statements like "Penelope graduated in 1 ½ years with her Ph.D. in Astrophysics." Blah, blah, blah. When it comes down to it, they are not living your life……you are. For me, I took the criticisms, suggestions, experiences, and advice and chose a major that I was truly interested in. Don't be to easily influenced-listen to yourself.
• The Major: Students usually know if they are switching into a major that has less prestige, or a major that has a lower pay scale after graduation. These concerns may be extremely important to some, but not to all. For me, I didn't have those dollar signs in my eyes. Although changing my major would lessen my future pay scale, I really didn't give a flying $**@. Of course this principle doesn't apply to everybody, which leads us to the next and last point.
• Research: Talk to everyone. From undergraduates, to graduate students, from UNR faculty to those working in the profession. Even your family members (who know you well) can provide some worthy advice. Take some courses within the major you are interested in and see how you like it. You wouldn't buy a car without taking it for a test drive, so why would you buy a degree without taking a variety of courses? And once you find out that the major you switched into is not for you, don't be afraid to switch again. My co-worker for example changed his major four times! But hey, he's happy with the degree he graduated with.

Remember, graduating with a specific major doesn't necessarily mean that you are locked into that field. So research, weigh out the positives with the negatives, and specify what you want to do (not so much in life, but in your collegiate career). It's college, and in college, students explore, experiment, learn, and grow. Live your own life; don't let other people live it for you.

Good luck!

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