When I started college, I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I had always been interested in business. From the time I was a little kid, I was always trying to find some way to make money, from selling water bottles to golfers to selling girl scout cookies on eBay to finance a trip to the Grand Canyon. I was very active in my high school’s Future Business Leaders of America club. I made it to states every year I participated, and my senior year, I came in first in states and qualified for nationals. Going to business school seemed natural. I wanted to study international business and entrepreneurship. After graduation, I was going to start my own company. I saw so many issues in the business world, and I wanted to be the one to change them. Unfair labor practices, environmental neglect, poor wages, and the lack of women in business were all issues that I cared (and still care) about.
My first semester was great, and I liked my classes. I wasn’t crazy about the culture within the business school, though, but I figured I would adjust and make friends that had similar outlooks as I do. This proved difficult, though, because every single one of my classes was a 200+ person lecture. I made a few acquaintances, but nobody I wanted to hang out with on the weekends. This continued through the second semester. I was determined, though, and I wanted to graduate with a business degree.
However, while planning a study abroad trip, I realized that business just wasn’t what I wanted to do. My advisors actually encouraged me to not study abroad because it would require me to take an extra class one semester if I wanted to graduate on time. They offered no help in trying to help me fit a semester abroad in my schedule, and instead encouraged me to finish my Spanish minor on campus. The study abroad office was much more accommodating, but I still had issues finding a program that satisfied my semester requirements. When I finally found a program that seemed appealing, I realized that I didn’t even want to go. I was so burnt out and had been feeling resistance at all times for months. I was so determined to push back, though, that I didn’t even realize I was unhappy. My grades were suffering, I wasn’t going to class, and I began dreading the school related events I used to look forward to. I decided that I needed to change my major.
Now, I study advertising. I switched my major without telling anybody, including my parents. When they found out, they reacted pretty much exactly how I thought they would. They were worried that I had made a mistake. To be honest, I was, too. They told me that an advertising degree might not be worth it. That I wouldn’t make any money. That a business degree would ensure success of some sort after graduating. I gave credit to these ideas for a while, but I realized after a conversation with one of my high school teachers that advertising is still a viable career, and that it would fit me much better than business school.
I still worried a lot over winter break that I really had blown it, and that I would somehow be less happy in advertising. This is not the case, though. During my month of frantic googling to find out whether or not I was making the right choice, I discovered that 33% of students change their majors at least once. I don’t think it’s fair that we’re expected to already know what we want to do after we graduate high school. I don’t think it’s fair that programs outside of business and STEM are seen as less valuable. I think I internalized this thought, and it was actually a big (albeit unconscious) reason I even chose business school in the first place.
I still feel a little aimless and unsure about my degree, but I certainly feel a lot happier and more interested in my studies. I am currently applying for internships, and I’m really excited about what I’ll be able to do with all my new skills and knowledge in addition to my (already completed) business minor.