Study decisions · 6 min read
Should I change my major?
Work out whether the problem is the subject, the course or a difficult term. Four questions and one practical test before you decide.
Written by Nivaan, founder of OffLadder · Last reviewed · Sources listed at the foot of this page
The short answer
Before changing your major, separate four things that can feel identical: the subject, the way it is taught, the term you are having, and the alternative you are imagining. Check the real academic and financial consequences with your institution, then try one piece of the alternative course before deciding. A difficult term is not always evidence that the whole subject is wrong.
The short version is that you may have a subject problem. You may also have a module problem, a teaching problem or a hard stretch outside the course. They can feel the same from inside the week, so slow the decision down just enough to tell them apart.
1. Was any part of it ever interesting?
Think about the first part of the course. Did anything make you keep reading after the assigned work ended? If yes, ask what changed. If no part of the subject has held your attention, that is worth taking seriously too.
2. Which part is the problem?
Write down three moments you disliked. Make them specific. 'Spending nine hours formatting a report' is more useful than 'coursework'. Then ask whether each problem belongs to the subject, this module, or the way the course is delivered.
3. What are you comparing it with?
Your current course is real and untidy. The alternative is probably imagined. Read its module list and assessment rules. Ask a student what its worst week looks like. Compare like with like.
4. What would changing actually cost?
Ask your institution about timing, transferred credit, fees, funding, visa conditions if relevant, and the deadline for changing. Get course-specific advice before acting. The decision becomes clearer when the consequences are written down.
Questions people ask
- Is changing my major a failure?
- No. It is a course decision. The useful question is whether changing solves the problem you actually have, once you compare both options using real course information.
- Will changing my major delay graduation?
- It might, depending on credit transfer, course rules and timing. Ask your institution for the answer in writing before deciding; a general article cannot calculate it for you.
- What should I do before changing subjects?
- Read the alternative course modules and assessments, speak with a current student, and try an honest sample of its work. Compare its difficult week with your current difficult week, not its brochure with your current reality.
Degrees and what comes next
- What can I do with a psychology degree?
- Computer science careers besides coding
- What can I do with a business degree?
- Biology careers outside medicine
- I graduated and still do not know what to do
Directions you could test
Sources
How this page is written
We only state what can be checked. Where a page makes a claim about work, automation or the labour market, it links to a primary source rather than paraphrasing a secondary summary. We do not publish predictions dressed as facts, invented statistics, or lists of AI-proof jobs. Pages are reviewed and dated when the argument or the underlying evidence changes. More about OffLadder.