You Don’t Hate Your Major, You Just Need a Nap
Do you really hate your finance major, or are you maybe just a tad overtired?
By Maria Alvarado, Savannah College of Arts and Design
As scary as it might sound, it’s not uncommon for people to reach their senior year of college and realize that they don’t like their major anymore.
What do you do when you find yourself thinking, “Huh, I don’t feel like I want to be an economist anymore”? Restless nights, anxiety and cold sweats might be the result of people constantly questioning whether or not they made the right choice when they declared their major. Some might feel that they need to finish college as soon as possible, and some others will feel tempted to drop their majors, even if there are only a few months left until graduation.
As a college senior, I have often asked myself if I am content with been a writing major. Many people talk about the struggle of becoming a writer, family members hint that it’s not so much of a career these days and friends constantly ask how a writing degree can be applied in the real world. Still, after much consideration, I realized there is nothing I would have rather pursued than writing. Am I scared of not being able to get a job as soon as I graduate? I’m terrified. Yet, I’m lucky enough to not regret my decision.
But not everybody can say the same. As I get closer to becoming an alumnus, the number of people I hear complaining about feeling unsure of their future keeps increasing. After struggling with projects, essays, presentations, running around to get an internship, juggling assignments for different classes and coping with chronic homesickness just to get a diploma with their name on it, why would college students feel regret when looking toward the near future? The answer is simple: Exhaustion.
When a close friend first revealed that she hated her major, she did so with words of anger. She was tired of pulling all-nighters and spending all her weekends on group projects for her classes.
“I feel that I hate fashion now. I don’t even know why I’m taking these classes anymore. When I look at the lists of possible jobs after graduation, I just want to puke. To be honest, I would rather not graduate at all just so I can have a break from all of this.”
She sounded enraged, but as she finished that sentence, her voice faded and she sighed. She looked sad and anxious, but, overall, she looked like she needed a good nap.
Think about senior year in high school. After finally receiving that one acceptance letter, many people felt they had already achieved success. As a consequence, teachers would see grades drop and classes become emptier. Even the students who did go to class seemed to simply be there to be counted as present. Deep in their hearts, they only wanted to go back home and sleep for a couple more hours. In their heads, however, they kept telling themselves that they really, really, really hated high school.
Hating your major during your senior year of college is pretty much the same. It’s a symptom of “senioritis.” Also known as, “I’m tired. Can I have a break, please?” Four years of studying can tire anyone out. Even then, though, there is a certain dedication and willingness that has to be attained in order to reach a career. There’s a lot of effort put into working through the rough patches and challenges that colleges impose on their students. Indeed, a mix of fatigue, anxiety and pressure can make the world seem like a trashcan. Surely then, the degree that was once so loved might feel like a banana peel too.
It’s easy to think that this isn’t the case. Some people will read this article and think, “Nah, I really hate my major now.” If that’s your dilemma and your conclusion is that the major in question is no longer the one you dreamed about, don’t fret. This is also okay. There is no need to feel that time was wasted in vain. At first it might seem that reaching this verdict in your senior year of college is the worst possible scenario. Though I hope this isn’t the case for many readers, I must also say that there is nothing wrong with pursuing another career after realizing that you are not happy with your first one.
Nowadays, it isn’t uncommon for people to go back to college to study a second major. In fact, it’s becoming quite a popular option as many people aim to become more educated. This brings me to another important argument:
Nothing that you can learn in college is useless.
“I spent years in college and now I don’t even want to work in the field I chose. Did I just waste four years of my life?”
It doesn’t mean that four years of college were useless. Going to college not only serves to acquire knowledge, but also as a valuable life experience. Despite the bitterness and disappointment that falling out of love with a career can bring, it is necessary to remark that no one graduates from college without having learned a thing or two about adulthood and the real world.
What is truly important is answering the question: What will you do after graduation? The answer lies in the hands of each college student, and it can be different for everyone. Starting college all over again might seem more appealing than working in an area that doesn’t bring any sense of fulfillment. Or maybe the answer is giving that last push to reach the goal you set at the beginning of the journey.
Does it ever stop? Do graduates stop hating their majors after they have that shiny diploma in their possession? To be honest, I don’t believe that any college senior wholly hates their major.
For many, the hate for their major ends as soon as they realize that they achieved what many others can only dream of. After all, completing a degree is a physical proof of the effort, sweat and tears put into finishing college. There is nothing more rewarding than holding that piece of paper and knowing that it shows you accomplished something that big. It’s completely worth all the hours spent awake past bedtime.
