By Briana Keenan
Correspondent
At the start of spring semester my freshman year, I had an identity crisis. I no longer felt passionate about having a career in journalism.
I stuck it out for a while and confided in my fellow Signal editors about ways to accommodate my shifting interests. When the spark wasn’t as bright as it had been since my freshman year of high school, I knew that it was time to make a change.
I was frightened at the thought of changing my major because I had wanted to go into the journalism field since ninth grade. I consider myself to be a strong writer and figured that’s what my career would be.
One night in February, I anxiously visited the School of Education’s website, considering it was another field of interest I wanted to explore if journalism no longer felt right.
I read about the speech pathology major and felt that it was a fitting choice for me; I enjoy helping others, was in speech classes as a child and have a kind and patient demeanor.
I contacted a professor in the program who was recommended on the website as a contact. After she gave me a breakdown of the program and its expectations during a Zoom call, I immediately filled out the change of major request form. I was eager to learn about verbal communication after having so much experience with written communication.
That spring, I joined more campus organizations within the education field, including ROSCOE Educators and the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association (NSSLHA), where I started making more connections.
I saw information about NSSLHA on the School of Education page, and thought it would be a great way to meet more aspiring speech pathologists. I heard about ROSCOE Educators from a “This Week at TCNJ” email, attended one of their community events and was subsequently added into the program.
Is changing majors always this easy? No. I am fortunate that many of my former classes count towards my elective credit and “core” requirements so I should still graduate within four years.
I still do have a love for journalism and talked to Professor Kathleen Webber, head of the journalism department, about minoring in professional writing. She has been incredibly supportive in this process, and I am thankful for her guidance in this change.
I took SLP 102 and I found myself smiling — not only out of excitement for the new topics that I will be learning, but also for her genuine support for her students. I am beyond fortunate to attend a college that has incredible faculty across many disciplines.
Fast forward to my first semester of sophomore year, and I am already loving my new major. Although it is still the first week of classes as I am writing this article, I am already reassured that I made the right decision.
I used to feel ashamed about losing my desire to pursue a career in journalism because I felt it was the path I had set for myself. However, I’ve come to realize that writing will always be a part of my life. I am now proud I was brave enough to advocate for myself and switch into a major that I am eager to pursue as a career.
For any students at the College that are considering changing their major but are unsure or intimidated like I was, I advise you to take the chance and reach out to each department’s respective advisor. It doesn’t hurt to ask questions, and the information that you receive will help you make an informed decision. Changing majors is common among college students and college is meant for trying new things.
The unknown behind change can be intimidating, but switching majors can be both exciting and a setup for broader success.
