We know how you’re feeling. We’ve been there.
Here’s a little bit about us:
Emily Estephan
I started as a graphic design major at the Tyler School of Art and Architecture and ended as a marketing major at the Fox School of Business. I made the switch in the middle of sophomore year and am on track to graduate in fall 2024.
Anthony Eckert
I started as a computer science major at West Chester University and transferred to Temple at the end of freshman year. I have changed my major a number of times and am currently a business management major at the Fox School. I am on track to graduate in spring 2025.
We understand there are lots of emotions when you change your major—let alone navigating the process of where to go next. We share our firsthand insight on how to deal with this emotional time.
Here is our guide to the top four things you may be struggling with, along with some places to find support.
#1
Struggle: Feeling like a failure.
Reframe: You didn’t fail, you just changed.
It’s easy to see failure in change. Maybe you moved away from STEM and now it feels like you’re not smart enough to keep going. Perhaps, you moved away from the arts and it feels like you’re giving up your passion. This feeling of loss is understandable, but it doesn’t mean you failed. You aren’t the same person you were when you first came to college.
Support: Develop your future career.
Feeling unsure of where to go from here?
Make an appointment with the Fox School’s Center for Student Professional Development (CSPD)! A degree can take you anywhere and CSPD can help you understand your potential path.
“I really had to take inventory of what I wanted to do in my career. Art was my passion but doing it as a job took the fun away. Marketing allows me to have a stable job while also being creative.” ~Emily
#2
Struggle: Feeling behind.
Reframe: You can’t fall behind in your own life. Everyone is on their own timeline.
Changing your major could mean a delayed graduation. Watching your friends graduate without you can hurt, but you aren’t alone. There are many students who take more than four years to pursue a bachelor’s degree. Some people take gap years and others decide to come back to school later in life.
There is no one way to do college. The key is making a plan that works for you.
Support: Map it out.
Talk to your Fox advisor and make a plan to understand your graduation timeline. I [Emily] personally filled the gaps in my degree with summer courses both at Temple and at community colleges. Finding the mix that works best for you and your timeline helps take the pressure off.
If you’re in the process of transferring to or from a different school, consider looking into Temple’s Transfer Equivalency Tool.
#3
Struggle: Everyone has an opinion.
Reframe: Don’t stress yourself with what other people want.
As a recovering people pleaser, I [Anthony] get it. It’s hard to separate what you want from what people in your life want for you. Take a few moments to think about why you’re making this change and accept that those reasons are enough. This is easier said than done, but once the mindset shift happens, it’s amazing—you’re getting this degree for your future, no one else’s.
Support: Take care of your mental health.
We all need a little extra support sometimes and the Temple Wellness Resource Center and Tuttleman Counseling Services can help. Mental health and wellbeing are an incredibly important and oftentimes overlooked part of your health.
“Everyone had a (well-meaning!) opinion on what major I should choose, so I had to take time to consider whose advice I should or shouldn’t take. Ultimately, I realized the choice about my future was really only my own to make.” ~ Anthony
#4
Struggle: Feeling alone or out of place.
Reframe: Immerse yourself in your new environment.
Change is going to take some getting used to, especially if your new major is much different compared to your old one. Take this time to immerse yourself in your new environment, participate in school-based events such as career fairs or club events and make connections with your fellow students in and out of classes.
Support: Surround yourself with like-minded peers.
Make the most of your time and join a club! Temple has a wide variety of student run organizations that are both major based and hobby based. Explore your passions within your major with the Fox Student Professional Organizations or outside of your major with Temple’s student run activities, fraternities and sororities, and leadership and service groups.