How many times have you changed your major?

[SusGob711]

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Just wondering if I'm the minority here. As a freshman I started as an education major then switched to nursing. Transferred to a CC to save money. That CC lost it's accreditation at which time I did some soul searching and switched to biology/pre-med at a 4 year college.

Now I'm thinking I should have stuck with nursing and done pre-med courses on my own time for the same reasons AsianPersuation mentioned in his/her recent thread. I don't want to sound shallow but I literally wouldn't be able to support myself financially if by chance I wasn't accepted my first cycle. My main concern is how my indecisiveness will look when it comes time to apply to medical school. If I switch back to nursing I might work for awhile so I can pay down my debts and work on my prereqs then. The statistics don't lie--it might be a bad attitude by the average person will not get in to medical school so would I be discriminated against for having an established plan B? Am I over thinking this or no? (sorry for the rant but I really need to make a decision asap 🙁)

 

[Tappinfool66]

Honestly? Probably a 1000 times. Seriously. But that's just in my head. I've never actually officially changed my major. And I've still been pre-med the whole time.

Edit: After re-reading your question, I realized my answer wasn't much of a help. Sorry :/

 

[jadealer]

I changed my major multiple times and career goals and transferred colleges

Start at 4 yr private college for Equine Studies---> Sophomore: Equine Science and Biology Pre-Vet ----> Transfer to 4 yr large state college as Animal Science and Biotechnology major with intention to become a vet ----> Senior year decided I didn't want to be a vet and medicine might be a better fit ---> Graduate Jan 2007---> Spent 2 years in medical research post-grad took MCAT and applied to med school late 2009 - WLed and didn't get in - 2010 ACCEPTED two schools and will start in July 2011.

I feel that my journey made me the person I am today.. and gave me a unique story that alot of my interviewers were interested in learning about.

 

[goldenwest]

The point of the interview is to see who you are instead of what you look like on paper. You may have an indecisive looking CV, but that doesn't mean you're an indecisive person. If you can explain this well to an interviewer and show how you would make a good physician in a persuasive way then I don't see it being that big of a deal.

 

[karafox]

I had no idea what I was going to do after high school.

I always had a natural talent for art, so I settled on studio art my SOPHOMORE year (+1 year, yikes). I decided to do pre-med after taking a few science courses, then switched to nutrition my JUNIOR year (...+1 year). So, I am going to graduate with 6 years of undergrad. !!!

It blows, but you know what ... totally worth it. I have a great sGPA/cGPA and supportive people behind me. College is a time in your life where you can explore. Even if you feel like you are indecisive, spin it -- you were exploring your options and you now found your calling. 😀

 

[CoolWhipp]

Computer science, Economics, MCB.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Biochemistry ( School set me up for the program) -> Biology ( I decided I don't like chem all that much and went for a typical bio degree) -> Psychology ( My schools requirements for biology also weren't favorable to me and I found psychology and physiological psychology ( Biopsych) significantly more interesting).
So a total of 3 switches I guess. But officially only 2.

 

[Hoody]

pre-pharm for two years, graduated in nursing. now I'm undeclared. 😀


If I had a do over, I'd do political science or foreign language (sign language).

 

[Pkiss]

I started out as a Mechanical Engineer and didn't really have much of an interest for it. I switched to Exercise Science and am doing pre-med reqs.

 

[MCATism]

I changed my major about 1000 times. I've majored in everything from theology to astrophysics. Fortunately, nothing shows up on my transcript except the major that I graduate with. Lucky me!

Disclaimer: I'm not an adcomm 😉
... However, I feel like it isn't bad to change your major a few times. A high school teacher once told me "If university didn't change your mind, it didn't do its job." For me, this rings true. While frequent change may signal indecisiveness, a few, well-thought-out changes seem simply to me like you've kept an open mind and learned from your experiences. While some of this "I've wanted to be a doctor since I was in the womb" stuff may or may not seem compelling, a changed major and a good reason why you chose medicine in the end feels like it should be good enough.

As for keeping the doors open ... you'd be crazy not to. I'm in the same position as you (I'm going to work for a year or more before applying. Hopefully committees will understand!) and I feel like I've made the right decision. I changed from my "passion" major to my "this is fun but more practical" major because I realized the reality of the job market, my own debts, and the fact that my previous major needed a PhD to be employed. Just do what's best for you - you never know where you'll end up!

 

[HBSlim]

Athletic training-->Phys Ed Teaching-->Biology/Pre-med

 

[Geneticist]

Pre-Med ---> Biology 200th post! Yippee!

 

[iusesharpies]

Art -> Spanish -> Philosophy -> MCB -> IB -> Art

 

[Wolfman89]

Technically I haven't changed my major. I just added a biology major to my existing psychology major.

 

[Buttermellow]

I've always been bio (we don't have a pre-med major, or else I would've done that). I take a lot of classes in other disciplines though, for fun.

 

[Overload]

I haven't changed my major (law) at all. Just added another major (business). I gotta say I love my major, and my school. I have no regrets whatsoever.

 

[circulus vitios]

I was accepted private as an electrical engineer. Financial aid sucked so I went to a state university as a CIS major (no engineering at the state school.)

I withdrew immediately because I didn't know if I wanted to do CIS for the rest of my life and I wanted a year off school anyways.

I enrolled a year later at a community college as undeclared to do all my liberal arts prerequisites, then transferred to the same state uni as a biochemistry major. I was a biochem major for 1.5 years then tried switching to physics (getting closer to what I originally wanted, electrical engineering!) but the school shut down the physics degree.

I switched to an applied math major, where I am now as a second semester junior, because it lets me take a bunch of upper level bio/chemistry/physics since it all falls under "applied."

What a mess, right? I'll be graduating in 4.5 years instead of 4, not that it's a big deal.

 

[orthomyxo]

I changed mine once, when I changed schools.

 

[MeowMeowCAT]

Changing majors always seemed way too expensive in my opinion. That's why I just stuck with a major, biochem, that I was interested in from the start and was happy with getting even a B.S. in. And along the way I have been meeting the requirements, such as prereqs, for most of the pre-professional directions and related majors such as biology and chemistry, just by taking classes I already needed.

 

[Ursa]

Once. From neuroscience to medical humanities. I must say, if I could go back and do it again, I would have stayed with neuroscience. However, I can't be sure that I wouldn't have ended up with a lower GPA.