I’m being serious when I say that the website for the list of majors at UC San Diego is my top recommendation when I open Safari. If there were a Spotify Wrapped for Safari, I would be in the top 0.005% of major-changers with 60,000 minutes logged on WebReg. As someone with extensive expertise on the matter, I hope to show you how valuable it can be to find a major that suits you. 

You may feel like your current major is something that you are “supposed” to be doing, but allow yourself to be surprised by a better fit. Rather than sitting complacently in your comfort zone, get out and test the waters with something you may have been too nervous to try. 

This seemingly daunting task only takes a few clicks. All you have to do is search “TritonLink Tools UCSD,” click on the “Major and Minor” button under “Advising Tools,” and a dropdown menu will open with a list of majors. Throughout my time at UCSD, this button has become my best friend; I used to treat myself to a major change every few months, so here are my four tips for switching.

First, remember that some hobbies can just be hobbies, so pick a passion that you are happy to turn into work. Second, prioritize a major where the majority of requirements are within your skillset, or at least a skillset that you want to develop. Third, pick a major where you actually look forward to learning more, and perhaps do not make this decision in the middle of the night. Finally, your major should feel like you and support your personal growth.

My first major was literature/writing, and I absolutely loved it. I enjoy reading and writing for fun, and the major allows you to take any literature class; most of the writing courses are actually blocked for majors outside of literature. But when my professors asked me to analyze a single sentence across a five-page paper, I decided to analyze a different major.

I knew by this point that I wanted to go into the sciences, and I remembered enjoying AP Environmental Science in high school. I tried out environmental systems, but ultimately switched out for, I’ll admit, a slightly embarrassing reason: I have abysmal calculus skills and only slightly less awful physics skills. I was in a physics lab trying to get a marble to roll the “correct” way when I decided that I was done with physics.

My third major was biological anthropology, which allows you to go into almost any field because of its broad range. After going through multiple majors and being plagued by indecision, I knew I wanted a major that allowed me to explore various paths and potential careers. However, every single upper-division requirement is in anthropology, and I am just not a huge anthropology fan. You may be asking yourself, “Then, why on Earth did you pick this major?” and to that, I respond: I was in the middle of a 3 a.m. hair-dyeing session, and it sounded fun. I like biology, and it didn’t have a math or physics requirement, so I thought, “Why not?” But “Why?” was definitely the question I should’ve asked. Telling my mom that I was switching my major for a third time because I “didn’t vibe with it” was a fun conversation that I recommend to every student!

My final major change to human developmental sciences was a midnight revelation. Yes, this completely goes against my third tip, but it’s my rule, so I’m giving myself a pass. The human developmental sciences major requires you to take classes within certain domains, but these domains include courses in psychology, biology, literature, linguistics, and more. If you are like me and get bored easily, pick an interdisciplinary major and try a bit of every subject. I knew immediately that I loved this major because I didn’t get my telltale stomachache when looking over my requirements — instead, I felt excited and ready to learn. 

I never had a concrete idea of what I wanted to do after college, but one particular course in the physiology department made my future goals snap into place. Taking this class made me realize how interested I am in the reproductive health field, and I now want to pursue embryology to help people through their fertility journeys. This never would have been possible without the path that my four majors set me on.

I think that students place too much stock into picking the “right” major; many jobs nowadays prefer to hire from a variety of majors. It is most important to do something that motivates and excites you. Switching majors is easy — and easily reversible — so don’t be afraid to follow your true interests and try something new! 

By switching so many times, I not only feel confident in my choice, but I also have a significantly better idea of what I want to do after college. Of course, I have conquered difficult classes without rushing to switch my major, but I did discover that, for a major that I love, I don’t mind taking the hard classes. 

Had I not switched my major, I would be sorely lacking in motivation. If you currently relate, it never hurts to branch out and see if there’s something that’s a better fit for you.