Students in colleges and universities are heading back to school – and trying to choose their identity in the process. Their days in college are a time to make changes and adjust, including changing their major, a change that many students have demonstrated to be life-altering.

According to the National Education Advisory Board, over 80 percent of college students change their majors at some point in their four years of collegiate education. For some, the change is beneficial to the extent that it may completely change your career and life goals.  For others, the change may cause a strain in their degree plan and overall plans after undergraduate schooling.  Yet whether a student has struggled with the process of changing a major, the outcome is usually for the better.

Mackenzie Chaffin, a junior at NMSU, is an example of students who were completely unsettled until they found their major.  Her advice to incoming freshmen is to not make a hasty decision.  “Don’t change your major unless you know for sure; go in undecided if you have to,” said Mackenzie.

Like Mackenzie, many students weigh the pros and cons of changing majors, including graduation date and staying on track.  Yet a great number of students change their majors based on instinct.

Students like Yetzabell Rojas found that following their gut feeling was the best guidance in changing their major.

“I went into journalism for the camera work but found that filmmaking was everything I wanted to do, and it allows me to express myself,” explained Yetzabell.

The positive and rewarding experiences that occur for many students once they change their major is key to them deciding the degree that suits them.  A student’s time in college is their time to experience a wake-up call (or many); changing majors allows students to realize what they want to do with the rest of their lives, and acknowledge that their personality is changing and taking their passions to new heights.

A student’s journey through college can be crucial in determining whether their career will be based on money or on passion, and changing majors is a helpful way to come to this decisive conclusion of yourself.

Not only is the ability to change a major an opportunity for a student to bring a sense of conformity to yourself, but it is also a way to change your perspective on the classes you are taking.  Numerous students found that before changing to their new major, they found no meaning to the classes they were taking or the money they were spending on these classes.

Although it may not seem like it, when a student transitions between one major to another, they bring academic and life skills from the classes taken for their previous major, that can potentially be used for their newly chosen major.

If a student was initially a finance major and switched to early childhood education, the student adds credibility to themselves in the eyes of recruiters in the education field.  Changing majors presents to many students a small advantage over other students in terms of experiencing different fields of study.

There are some students who have serious doubts about their future degree but are concerned that the process of changing majors is either too complicated or simply not a good idea.  Nearly all colleges and universities have several resources that alleviate the stress of changing majors.  New Mexico State University’s Center for Academic Advising and Student Support has a website that explains how to change a student’s major or minor in minutes.

It’s important to remember that changing majors is a personal decision; your friends’ plans should not affect yours.  Next time you may be doubting your degree plan or one of your core classes, don’t be afraid to take the next step and change your major, and potentially change your life.