Changing majors in Undergrad- Conspiracy

[BeatrixKiddo]

When you guys started college, did they give you a speech at orientation saying like 90% of freshmen change their major and it's okay and totally normal.

I think that's the worst advice to give a confused kid, they just want our money as we take unnessesary classes and graduate years late.

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[bbabul01]

I don't think it's a fundraiser. I think it's true for most liberal arts colleges. Everyone at Tufts changed their majors constantly and I don't know anyone who didn't graduate on time because of it. You pay $40k a year to take up to 12 classes, they don't gain any more money from you taking random classes. And with up to 48 classes in a college career, you should be able to take as much random stuff as you want and graduate on-time.

The real conspiracy is the laxatives they put in the dining hall food.

 

[BloodySurgeon]

I don't think it's a fundraiser. I think it's true for most liberal arts colleges. Everyone at Tufts changed their majors constantly and I don't know anyone who didn't graduate on time because of it. You pay $40k a year to take up to 12 classes, they don't gain any more money from you taking random classes. And with up to 48 classes in a college career, you should be able to take as much random stuff as you want and graduate on-time.

The real conspiracy is the laxatives they put in the dining hall food.

More like 1 in every 3 students, but no conspiracy its quite true.

 

[SeventhSon]

When you guys started college, did they give you a speech at orientation saying like 90% of freshmen change their major and it's okay and totally normal.

I think that's the worst advice to give a confused kid, they just want our money as we take unnessesary classes and graduate years late.

well thats definitely not the case at state schools. UCSD charges you more per unit if you go over your "expected graduation date". My brother is at CSU fullerton and they make tuition CHEAPER if you sign up for more classes per semester!

 

[BeatrixKiddo]

I don't think it's a fundraiser. I think it's true for most liberal arts colleges. Everyone at Tufts changed their majors constantly and I don't know anyone who didn't graduate on time because of it. You pay $40k a year to take up to 12 classes, they don't gain any more money from you taking random classes. And with up to 48 classes in a college career, you should be able to take as much random stuff as you want and graduate on-time.

The real conspiracy is the laxatives they put in the dining hall food.

There's no way we can take 12 classes a year, maybe 8 to 10 max. We have a limit of 17 credits per semester, however with most science classes that's a hard number to fill so if you do maybe 15 credits a term, times 8 terms that's 120 credits. My current major is around 125 credits, there's really no room to take a random class, in fact you have to have prior credits to graduate on time or take summers.

 

[bbabul01]

UCSD charges you more per unit if you go over your "expected graduation date". My brother is at CSU fullerton and they make tuition CHEAPER if you sign up for more classes per semester!

Schools are obsessed with attrition rates, the number of students who finish their degree in 4 or 5 years. It's something that really effects a school's reputation.

UCSD and CSU are both on the same page. UCSD charges you more after 4 years in an attempt to make you finish early. CSU charges you less during your 4 years so you take as many classes as possible and finish on time.

 

[braluk]

The real conspiracy is the laxatives they put in the dining hall food.

Haha i hear that!

 

[allthaticanbe]

Yup I was told that but honestly I think its True...actually most people I know changed their major ones or twice already.

 

[BloodySurgeon]

Pretty much everyone in the west coast take summer classes, east coast ppl are somewhat different.

 

[SeventhSon]

Schools are obsessed with attrition rates, the number of students who finish their degree in 4 or 5 years. It's something that really effects a school's reputation.

UCSD and CSU are both on the same page. UCSD charges you more after 4 years in an attempt to make you finish early. CSU charges you less during your 4 years so you take as many classes as possible and finish on time.

yeah, but my main point was that schools aren't making money off perpetual students taking more classes without finishing their degrees... i think it's quite the opposite, in fact

 

[bbabul01]

There's no way we can take 12 classes a year, maybe 8 to 10 max. We have a limit of 17 credits per semester, however with most science classes that's a hard number to fill so if you do maybe 15 credits a term, times 8 terms that's 120 credits. My current major is around 125 credits, there's really no room to take a random class, in fact you have to have prior credits to graduate on time or take summers.

Interesting. I know a lot of people who took summers but they did it mostly to focus on premed classes without the distraction of other courses. All schools are different I guess, and it's something you don't really figure out until you're half way through.

Tufts is 1 credit=1 class, so I apologize for not being able to talk in terms of 17 credits per semester. But we have a max of 5.5 credits, or 5.5 classes, petitionable to increase to 6. Most people do 4-5 and graduate without a problem with the 34 credit requirement.

I don't think the conspiracy is in telling you to change your major whenever you want, because that's pretty standard across most schools. I think schools just need to make it easier to take classes you want and still graduate on time.

 

[brbsb]

I heard it at every college I visited and swore that wouldn't be me...and then I ended up changing my major/minor like 5 times before ending up right back where I started (I went in pre-med...and I've been pre-med again for awhile now). I'm glad it happened (even though it means graduating a year late) because now I know what I want to do and why I want to do it.

 

[bbabul01]

yeah, but my main point was that schools aren't making money off perpetual students taking more classes without finishing their degrees... i think it's quite the opposite, in fact

I sometimes wish I could be Van Wilder. Or maybe Taj. I obviously have high aspirations.

 

[mave]

There's no way we can take 12 classes a year, maybe 8 to 10 max. We have a limit of 17 credits per semester, however with most science classes that's a hard number to fill so if you do maybe 15 credits a term, times 8 terms that's 120 credits. My current major is around 125 credits, there's really no room to take a random class, in fact you have to have prior credits to graduate on time or take summers.

Where do you go to school? It's been my understanding that most schools (mine included) will allow you to take up to 18 credit hours per semester without special permission. So, 6 classes x 3 credit hours x 2 semesters = 36 credits. It's totally doable. Most degree programs require 128 hours, so almost everyone takes a hell year.

I think you'd have to be pretty nuts to do this on a rough "pre-med" semester... trying to fit 18 hours plus lab credits in? Ugh.

 

[wolfram241]

Yes, everything is a grand conspiracy. No war for colleges making money off students changing their majors!!!

 

[BeatrixKiddo]

Where do you go to school? It's been my understanding that most schools (mine included) will allow you to take up to 18 credit hours per semester without special permission. So, 6 classes x 3 credit hours x 2 semesters = 36 credits. It's totally doable. Most degree programs require 128 hours, so almost everyone takes a hell year.

I think you'd have to be pretty nuts to do this on a rough "pre-med" semester... trying to fit 18 hours plus lab credits in? Ugh.

Our max is 17, also our credit hours fluctuate some classes are 3, 4, or 5 at the most I beleive. Totally not doable. Any lab and math classes are automatically 4 credits so it messes up the 6x3 = 18 rule, which actually wouldn't even apply here, since we have a PRIME NUMBER of allowed credits. I think it suffices to say that our college's motto is "You can't finish"

Yes, everything is a grand conspiracy. No war for colleges making money off students changing their majors!!!

I guess I could reply but I'll just blah blah blah.

 

[digitalraid]

I changed majors 3 times but it was confined to the first year and the very beginning of 2nd year.