Switching Majors & College Debt

A lot of people go to college thinking they know what they want to do for a career and end up changing their mind. There are also a lot of people that go to college just to go to college and keep their major simple. After a year or two (or three), they realize what they really want.

Unfortunately, the majority of people that change their mind or realize what they want don’t do anything about it. You must always remember the following: Passion > Money. That’s if you truly want to win the game of life.

If you go for the money, you’re going to be miserable because you’re always going to be chasing more money. If you go with your passion, you’re going to be happy. If the money comes with it, great. If not, that’s okay. At least you’re doing what you love. And DO NOT let any family members or friends tell you what you want! You know what you want. Listen to your heart and follow it.

This leads me to the point that if you want to change majors and you have an opportunity to do so, then you should do it. If you didn’t read this article, your first step would likely be to see an advisor. That isn’t necessarily a good idea because advisors are often trying to lead you in a direction that helps the school, not you personally. The only person that can lead you in the right direction is you.

I usually don’t tell personal stories in these articles, but this is a good spot for it. When I was a senior in high school and sitting at the dinner table one night, my father looked at me from across the table and asked, “What do you want to do for a career?”

I said, “I want to be a writer.”

He said, “There goes your future.”

At that time, I didn’t want to let him down, so I changed paths. It was a ten-year setback. Fortunately, I’m on track now, with 16 published books and movie in the works, but it’s still a struggle at the moment. It wasn’t always a financial struggle.

I was in Finance for five years and made about $500 per day, but I wasn’t happy. I’d much rather struggle financially and love what I do than make that kind of money. What does the money do anyway? Okay, so you can go on two vacations per year for one week each. And you can get a steak dinner. What about all the other hours in your life? I’m speaking from experience: DO NOT choose the money! Choose your passion! I promise you that this is the correct path.

This obviously means it’s worth switching majors, even if it’s going to add a little debt. At the same time, your biggest financial enemy in life will be debt. When you have debt, it negatively impacts your innovative side. It’s difficult to build when you have to pay off debt. The debt will also weigh on your mind.

It’s possible to avoid debt when switching majors. The first is to look into scholarships, which can be skills-based. What are your skills? Whatever they are, make sure they shine when applying for a scholarship. Other options include a grant, early graduation, or finding work while in college to pay off any added debt.

If you’re not sure if you should switch majors, there are a few ways to figure it out. Ask yourself the following questions…

“Am I bored in class?”

“Are my grades bad?”

“Do I dislike my professors?”

“Is money my top priority with this major?”

If the answer is yes to those questions, then you have the wrong major. I highly recommend changing it tomorrow. Unless it’s the weekend, literally tomorrow. I’m speaking from experience.