It’s getting around the time of major declaration for many college students. What many people don’t realize are the stages many students go through throughout their decision that effects literally the rest of their lives.

1) Careful Consideration

At this point, you’re trying to decide between the many interests you have acquired over the years. You are sitting in your room, probably with a pros and cons list trying to decide what you love the most.

2) A Bold Decision

Congratulations, you have chosen what you want to major (and possibly minor) in, have gotten your declaration signed, and even gotten assigned an advisor.

3) Excitement

So you’re probably planning out the rest of your college career around what you declared. This is super exciting, and you’re probably metaphorically jumping for joy as you post pictures of your declaration form and four-year plan on social media sites.

4) Second Thoughts

You have probably taken a few classes that fill gen ed’s that you actually kind of enjoyed; like an anthropology class, or painting. Now there’s a little voice in the back of your head that’s going “You really like painting, why not do it for the rest of your life? This could be your life, you could get paid for this!” That little voice has a really good point. Now you’re having second thoughts about whether your original major is really what you want to get saddled with for the rest of your life.

5) Life Crisis

This is the stage where you’re kind of freaking out because you don’t know what you want to do with the rest of your life and that’s a little scary. You realize that literally your entire life rests on this one decision and that’s just too much to handle. Hopefully you have someone that you can sit down with you and talk it over with that won’t laugh and say they love that you translate your Latin books into English instead of doing your homework or read medical journals instead of your required text (shout out to Dr. Macalister, who was absolutely no help).

6) Irrational Rationalizing

As much as you want to believe that you can just ignore it, or have multiple majors (in my case three), eventually you stop rationalizing this with yourself and move on with your life.

7) Careful Consideration

Definitely have a pros and cons list in front of you this time around. Going through every aspect of each major and its payoff’s in the long run. You’re trying to decide between the many interests you have acquired over the years, in the end you have to pick what you love the most.

8) A Bold Decision

Congratulations, you have chosen what you want to major (and possibly minor) in. It may have stayed the same, or you may have gotten another declaration signed, and gotten assigned an advisor for your new major.

9) Excitement

So you’re probably planning out the rest of your college career around what you declared. This is super exciting, and you’re probably metaphorically jumping for joy (mainly because your crisis is over) as you post pictures of your declaration form and four-year plan on social media sites.

Tschüss!