Changing College Career Plans

People make mistakes. Wrong decisions are made. You can be part-way through a program and realize that the sick-to-your-stomach feeling you’ve been having has nothing to do with cafeteria food. Something’s been trying to tell you that this program isn’t for you. Don’t ignore your gut instincts. Instead, head down to career services and get some advice on changing program plans. Don’t feel badly either. Sometimes you have an idea of what a program is going to be like, but when you’re actually sitting in the class, you realize it’s not for you. If you’re switching from one program into a similar college program, you might be able to transfer certain credits. On the other hand, a drastic shift from something like carpentry to cooking classes may require you to do some catch-up. If too much time has passed, it may even be necessary to withdraw from the program and reapply when the new school year starts. If that happens, chalk it up to experience. You haven’t failed at anything; you’ve made a discovery about yourself. That creativity and energy you thought you could put into carpentry (for example) might be much better served in cooking classes. Don’t think of it as time or money wasted. Remember, a big part of your education comes from real-world experience.