Once upon a time, a pretty princess really liked to read and write. She liked to write so much that she took every reading and writing college course in the kingdom. In return for all her hard work, the princess was given a degree in English. And she was happy.

That is, she was happy until she remembered that she lives in the Washington, D.C. Metro area, and a degree in English made her about as marketable as a muddy puppy in an Ikea showroom.

So if you haven’t figured it out, I’m changing my major.

Every time I’ve heard someone talk about how they changed their major, they talk about it in a way that makes it sound like a super-smooth transition, like it’s something you can do right after eating your hammy sammy on a lunch break.

But no one ever told me what a gigantic pain it is to transition from the arts to the sciences. So, because I spent a significant amount of time tossing and turning and slamming my head against my keyboard in frustration, I’m going to give you the quick and dirty list of the truths of changing majors halfway through a Bachelor’s degree:

Passion vs. Functionality: 

Deciding to change my major came from a simple, cold truth: I have no idea what I’d do in the arts, but I knew exactly what I would (and could) do in the sciences. I knew that I could read and write as a hobby, and that a degree in the sciences was much more applicable (and lucrative) in the local job market.                                                               

Do the research:

And I mean ALL of the research. Research the job market you want to be in, that is available in your geographic area, what degree plans are available at your school (and if you are an online student, make sure that the program you want is available online). If there are any issues with availability of programs, you’ll have to decide if you want to pick another major or if you’ll need to switch schools (which we will tackle in another post).

Classes (Core, PreReqs, and Electives):

Go through your unofficial transcripts, and see how they line up with the requirements for the major you want to switch to. Often, the core courses are the same (English, math, a few science and lab combos).

Prepare for some extra requirements:

 I’ve found that my work for my AA completed the majority of the requirements to enter my chosen BS program, and that was a huge relief. If you need a few more classes to qualify for entering the program, it is helpful to ask your academic advisor how to proceed. Sometimes there are course equivalent exceptions that can be made, and sometimes you just have to suck it up and take an extra class or classes during your first semester or two in order to catch up.

Don’t get discouraged:

If you’ve really thought it through and changing your major is the best option to accomplish your goals, the information can be incredibly overwhelming. And it’s okay to be overwhelmed. But it’s important to remember that you kick some tail, and that the commitment to do something important (no matter how scary) is an achievement all by itself!