Here I am in my Junior year, one week into the semester, and BAM! That feeling is back again. It happened once before, but this time I felt it growing inside me before it became unavoidable. I want to change my major. Again. I’ve spoken to my roommate, to my running buddy, and my sister, and now it’s time; time to have the dreaded conversation with my parents.

I dread it not because I think my parents will disown me, or say they have had enough of me not knowing what I want to do with my life. They are always ready to listen and to support me. The dread comes from wondering how all the courses I have taken will fit into prerequisites of the major I now would like to pursue. I know my parents will want me to have answers to questions like what prompted this wanting to make a change? What about this field interests me? What will I need to take to get to where I want to be?

I changed my major once before, in my freshman year, but it was more of a redefining than a drastic change. I began my college career as a Business Administration major and changed to Accounting after to my first semester. Exercise Science is now the career path I would like to pursue. My parents have always said “if you love what you do, it will seem a lot less like work”. My friend has acted like an athletic trainer, which is what his career goal is, since we met 2 years ago. He has encouraged me and a few of our mutual friends to get out and get moving. We made fitness goals and he helped us each design a training schedule, and 3 of the 4 of us have stayed with it. He started with what food choices to make for energy and health, and encouraged us to go to the SERC at least a half hour every other day. We started training for a 5k, then a 10k and are all doing our first half marathon in a few weeks. With Diabetes and Obesity being top health issues in America, I want to make a difference while doing something I enjoy.

One of my concerns about changing my major is feeling that I have taken many courses toward one degree and now I will have to fit in prerequisites for my intended major prior to being accepted into the program. One of the friends I talked to reminded me of winter and summer sessions, and how to utilize that time to get me into a better position for the Exercise Science curriculum. My sister probably had the best advice to offer when she helped me develop a plan to talk to the Department Chair to talk about my options. She also told me to have my facts in order before I speak to my parents, which better be before this article goes to print.