The dreaded follow-up question to "Where are you going to school?" is usually "What are you studying?"

So, if you're like me you, you decided before enrollment and you'r ready to go with classes for the fall. Maybe it was an ambitious choice, something you were interested in that would provide a good job. Such as Biology, with emphasis in Pre-Physical Therapy. Something that was going to be hard, but you were prepared to work hard and get it done.

And yet, by November, you're drowning in classwork and you already have to start thinking about classes for next semester. How can you choose classes for next semester if you can't even pass this semester? You work harder, ignore the emails from your counsellor about next semester and try to enjoy yourself a little You chose this major for a reason, you knew it would be hard, you can't give up now.

By the end of the semester, you're drained. Mentally and Physically. You worked so hard to pass the required 100 level class for your major. And, thats all you did, you passed, with a C. You have your schedule ready for next semester, with more required classes for your major, one of which seems pointless. However, you're ready for a break and to start again next semester.

Back from break and you're in the next level class. Day one and you have no idea what's going on. Yet, everyone else seems to understand, they know what the professor is talking about. So you tough it out, one or two more days, to the end of the week maybe. And, you're still lost. You start to realize that if you're only a week in and you're already lost, this is not going to go well.

But it's required for your major. Your major. The one you chose before enrollment, whether you really wanted it or not. Or because you thought you could do it, you believed you could do it. And two hours later, you're changing your schedule, abandoning that major. And suddenly you're "that student". "That student who changed their major."

Going into college, I had a lot of ideas about how things would go for me. One of them was not being "that student." I thought my major was a good choice and I knew I was a hard worker, so I imagined I would do it. But deep down, I didn't want to be the student who didn't know what to study, who didn't know what they wanted to do with their life. So, I chose something I thought was interesting. Because I've always been a planner, and not having a plan is scary, especially in college. By February, I was without a plan, and I was terrified. All my friends around me had their majors decided and they seemed to have their lives planned out. And I didn't. I was miserable for months, stressing over what I wanted to study, examining courses of study, wondering if I made the right choice to abandon my original major. Through that, I learned one thing, one very important thing. Happiness is key.

Yes, I was majorly (pun-intended) stressed for months about not having a major. And I cried weekly about it because I felt so out of place and so lost. But I was happier than I had been in November. I was not weighted down with too much work for one class, I wasn't stressing over one class more than my others, and I generally felt better. I was happier.

Now, college is not easy, nor is it supposed to be. But, when a choice that can be changed is weighing you down and ruining your happiness, it's not worth it. A choice that you made before you started college. Lots of changes occur in the first year of college and it's okay for one of those to be your major. College is a time of self-discovery and exploration, which allows for change. You might go into college thinking you're a super science oriented kid, and by the end of your first year, you could be an art major. Or, you could stick with the major you started with, because college showed you that's what you're meant to do. And that's okay too. Regardless, happiness should be the main factor in deciding a major. What will make you happy to study, make you happy to learn? And, even if that changes 10 times throughout a college career, it doesn't really matter. Do what makes you happy, or at least not miserable, and you will be successful.