To change my major or not change my major, that is the question

I entered school in fall 2012 as a health studies major on the pre-med track with a minor in psychology. By the time I ended my freshman year in spring 2013, I was a communication major with psychology and Spanish minors. My freshman year involved a lot of self-discovery and new experiences that I wouldn't trade for anything. After carefully thinking about my interests and what I'm truly passionate about, I realized the communication world was much more suitable for my personality and aspirations than the world of medicine.

I've been a host on PSU television for a year now, learning the "ins and outs" of television news production. I've gained on-camera experience that will benefit my potential future career in the broadcast industry and have made connections with professionals in the field. This summer I will be an intern with a non-profit, working on community outreach and public relations at concerts in the park. This internship will open up a wide variety of opportunities for me as a professional in the future. I've recently traded psychology and spanish for a film studies minor.

I don't mean to bore readers with my life story- I promise I have a point to all of this. If you've been considering changing your major but are apprehensive about it, I highly recommend meeting with a career adviser about a potential major change. By discussing your interests and the careers you may be interested in, the adviser can help narrow your interests into a specific major, a major you might not even know exists at your university.

I've known multiple people that are afraid to leave the area of study they've originally chosen for a variety of reasons. But they absolutely hate what they're doing. If you're already miserable studying that topic, how do you expect to work in that industry the rest of your life? While changing your major may lead you to be in school longer than expected, you won't have to go back later and get a second degree in what you actually enjoy after getting a useless degree in something you don't enjoy at all.

Ever since changing my major last spring, I've been much happier in my classes, I've had many opportunities present themselves to me, I've seen an increase in my GPA, and I've received a lot of support in my decision. If you're even slightly unhappy with your major (or minor), I challenge you to just look and see what else is out there. You never know what other areas of study might interest you and cultivate your skills.

Advice to Incoming College Students

"Where do you go to school?" "Portland state"
"Do you live downtown?" "No I live at home" "Oh to save money?"

While it's easiest for me to just reply with a yes, the main reason I live at home and commute to Portland State each day is not because of the outrageous housing costs (however, that's an added bonus). The main reason I chose to stay at home and attend PSU is because of my family. I'm so fortunate to have the relationships I do with my parents and brother. Our family operates as a unit and when one piece of the unit is missing, the whole thing feels off. When picturing college, I couldn't see myself living (at least) two hours away from my parents, my brother, my dogs, my big bed, and the city I've grown up in. People would always speak of this "college experience" they couldn't wait to have but nothing about waking up 10 minutes before class because I'd been out all night sounded appealing to me.

What did sound appealing to me was being able to go home every night to a home-cooked meal after watching my brother's baseball game and then getting into a nice big comfy bed in a room I have all to myself. I could definitely picture myself attending classes during the day downtown and then retreating to the suburbs at night.

I've been doing this for almost two years now and it couldn't be a more perfect set-up. I'm still able to get involved at PSU with a dance team, sorority life, and as an orientation leader, all while spending quality time with my parents throughout this collegiate journey.

Every person's situation is different. Some don't have to think about money when going to college and can ultimately go wherever they please. Others rely solely on scholarships and without them, education is out of the question. For me, I'm somewhere in the middle. No matter what a person's situation is, I think it's important that people keep an open mind and realize that just because someone is doing college in a different way than you, doesn't mean it's a wrong way to do it. It just works best for them and their needs. Who cares, really, as long as they are getting educated.

My advice to incoming college students is to not throw this idea out so quickly. I understand I'm in a rare group of people that are close with their parents and enjoy their parents company. But if you are a part of this rare group too, consider staying at home. I promise you'll have some great experiences at PSU. It's what you make of it.