Switching majors was the best decision I ever made

It was an early Sunday afternoon in October 2014. Sitting at the dining room table in my apartment, I was working on the latest excruciating homework for Marc Smith’s Accounting 2200 class.

I had been thinking it before, but now it had been cemented:  I can’t do this anymore.

What the Fisher College of Business did to me on a regular basis

Being a business major was the worst fit for me. I quickly learned I didn’t care whatsoever about the business world, nor the ideology spouted by the Fisher College of Business. While everyone around me was auditioning to be on Shark Tank, I didn’t know what the hell I was doing with my life.

Fisher — my former home

After having a mini-breakdown, I did some research and evaluated my strengths, as well as the things I was passionate about. Because I loved writing and had briefly thought about going into journalism or english when I was in high school, and because I was a voracious reader who wished to write as well as [insert famous writer], I reached a definitive conclusion. I scheduled an appointment with an adviser in the English department that week, and soon I became an English major.

Denny Hall — my new home

I’ve been an English major for two years now, and I can’t picture myself being anywhere else. I’ve had some incredible teachers for my English classes and have met people with unique takes on a variety of topics. I’m much more comfortable knowing I’m around people similar to me.

We draw sentence trees in Traditional Grammar (English 4572) because that’s how we roll

Although I always receive the “So what are you gonna do, teach?” kinds of questions at family gatherings, they don’t deter me from what I actually want to do after school, which is to be a writer. College has taken on this role as a job factory, and while that’s extremely important, it takes away from its basic function. There’s too much of “How will this get you a job?” and not enough of “How will this shape you to be a more well-rounded individual?”

I bring this up because I want other students to know you shouldn’t major in something because of money. Find something you love and work your ass off to get where you want to be. And don’t worry about what other people say if you do decide to change majors. Because the person who knows you best is you.