RACHEAL ALVSTAD / Scroll Photo Illustration

When a change is in order

Why the process of picking a new major brings new challenges

Stephanie Fantasia JAM02003@BYUI.EDU Scroll Staff

Choosing a major can be difficult. However, deciding to change a major halfway through the college experience can present completely new challenges.

Several students come to college unsure of what they want to do with their lives or their college careers. Regardless, many skip the recommended general courses and jump headfirst into specific career fields without realizing this can prove detrimental in the long run.

The general courses are mandatory to graduate; however, no requirements exist as to when they must be taken, which makes it possible to take major credits first and fulfill general course requirements later.

“By the time a lot of the students who skip generals realize they dislike the field they’re in, they already have too many credits to turn back,” said Lila Strasser, a recent BYU-Idaho graduate living in Rexburg. “That’s why it’s important to investigate first by taking generals.”

Barbara Smith, of the BYU-I Career and Academic Advising office emphasized the importance of direction and research in committing to a major.

“It is better to do a little research into your major and maybe take an interest test for that particular field,” Smith said.

Knowing which skills certain majors require and what type of personality may be necessary to accomplish expected tasks is the first step. Being overzealous and committing to a major that sounds interesting without doing adequate research can prove disappointing many credits later, which may also be too many credits too late.

Students with 75 credits or more must now petition in order to change their major. This is to ensure graduation is still possible without exceeding the 140 credit limit. The petition is offered by the Academic Standards Committee led by Amy LaBaugh, general advising supervisor, and will also require students to complete a graduation plan describing how their remaining semesters will be accomplished successfully.

Some new programs are in the planning process that may help prevent students from finding themselves in the dilemma of changing majors. The university is especially concerned about freshmen and is developing courses and programs to help them choose their majors. Implementation of these programs is undecided.

There are several steps that students can take to make sure they have found the right major, according to the BYU-I Academic Advising Web site. One step is to examine their interests, relying on the Career and Academic Advising Center if necessary, for numerous resources and publications which provide job descriptions, potential salaries and other information.

The site also recommends that students gather information from specific departments that appeal to them and talk with professors and other students who are in that department.

After doing this, students can review their options and shorten the list, as they study out their decision and pray for guidance.