Did you ever want to be a doctor? How about a lawyer? Engineer?
I wanted to be doctor at one point. Well, at least I thought I did.
Majoring in biological sciences and graduating from medical school sounded great. I would make lots of money, have job security and be respected.
After a year of sitting through tough classes I didn’t like, med school didn’t interest me. I worked up the courage to change my major to something involving writing — a subject I have always enjoyed more.
And here I am, a student of the University majoring in a subject, which, even if I attend grad school, will never have the demand or salary of a doctor.
Many students are in a similar situation — beginning college for a well-paid career and then changing. And there’s nothing wrong with changing a major.
The Office of Budget and Planning’s enrollment summaries break down enrollment among each college as well as the University Center for Freshman Year.
According to enrollment statistics for the fall 2009 and spring 2010 semesters, almost half of the students who entered the University as biological sciences majors changed their majors, dropping enrollment from 878 in the fall to 496 in the spring.
Another prominent major in fall 2009 was mechanical engineering — a major that dropped from 293 students enrolled in the fall to 142 in spring 2010. The entire College of Engineering’s enrollment for freshman dropped 1,080 to 528 from fall to spring.
The previously mentioned majors had huge cuts in enrollment, whereas majors like mass communication saw enrollment drop from 398 to 394. In addition, marketing only dropped from 97 to 67.
One reason for the initially huge enrollments in some “harder” majors can be explained in a study by Michigan State University professor John Miller.
Miller’s study showed high school students were 41 percent more likely to pursue STEMM (science, technology, engineering, medicine and mathematics) careers with parental encouragement.
And while parents may consistently advocate for some careers, many outside sources also constantly bog students down with information about what the highest paying jobs are.
Yahoo! posted an article Monday boasting the title “Get Hired With These Degrees.” Six degrees were listed, and only one (criminal justice) was not a math- or science-based major.
To further ingrain the idea that students should chose either a STEMM career or imminent poverty, Money Watch, a financial advice website, posted a column in 2009 cataloging “The Best and Worst College Degrees by Salary.” The “worst degrees” ranged from social work to drama, and — you guessed it — not one math or science major made that list.
With so much positive stimulation toward math and science, it’s no wonder their enrollments are exponentially large.
Ramon Lopez, UCFY counselor, believes students get an idea from media and parents that they should do something lucrative with their choice of major.
“A lot of people have this idea that they’re expected to be a doctor, lawyer or engineer … but when they get to college they realize their expectations [of what they think they should be and what they actually should be] don’t match,” Lopez said.
Lopez also had an answer for the huge slashes in enrollments.
“After a while, [students] realize they have other options or realize that they really don’t like their  original choice,” Lopez said.
While many would argue against changing from a potentially rewarding major like math or science, students shouldn’t waste their life away miserably studying differential equations or organic chemistry if they’re not fully devoted to it. They should simply change their major instead.
We’re given the opportunity to try new things in college, so why not take advantage of them?
We should find something we are passionate about rather than struggle to find motivation to study biology or engineering and pass with C’s. With only mediocre grades may come only a mediocre salary.
So freshmen —or any students really — if you hate your major, change it. Find something you’re good at, and enjoy the subject you study.
If you put yourself ahead of the class, finding a decent job probably won’t be so hard after all.
Besides, life is too short to spend it wishing you could do something else.
Chris Grillot is a 19-year-old mass communication and English sophomore from New Orleans. Follow him on Twitter @TDR_cgrillot.
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Contact Chris Grillot at [email protected]