Majoring In Journalism Was One of My Best Decisions

How I chose to do so and never looked back.

I’ve made countless decisions in my young life. What should my first car be? Where should I attend college? What should I do after I graduate?

Those decisions were easy, if not, too easy. I knew what I wanted and went for it.

Nevertheless, deciding to switch majors at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign from political science to journalism was one that scared the heck out of me.

But it was one of the best decisions I will ever make in my life. And I’ll never look back.

I thought politics was my niche.

I had campaigned and shadowed at the Illinois State Capitol for a state senator and representative on separate occasions. The 2016 election season kept me on my toes.

I thought I could run for public office someday, maybe write speeches for a politician and work in a government office.

But that all changed at Illinois.

Three semesters into school and having taken four political science classes, I couldn’t take it anymore.

Classmates argued their political opinion. Some professors did too. Lectures kept me bored at every class.

Was this now college was supposed to be? Surely not. I wasn’t happy at all.

Sure, I had made some friends in the major but it’s not that. I’m still friends with a few of them to this day; I just couldn’t take another political science class.

I couldn’t keep majoring in it either.

I thought to myself: Could I really switch majors?

I know students have done it before and do it all the time.

But why was I so nervous? Would I not be able to do it? Was there something stopping me?

What would I switch to?

I knew the answer to that question easily: journalism.

At this point during sophomore year at Illinois, I served as a senior columnist for the school’s independent newspaper, The Daily Illini. I still do.

I wrote for my high school newspaper and yearbook and served as Editor-in-Chief and Copy Editor respectively. Both of my parents studied media in college. It was literally in my blood.

One, I finally visited an academic advisor and I told her my story.

She leaned forward in her chair and said:

“Honey, you need to be doing journalism.”

I couldn’t believe she said. It was a breath of fresh air.

A few months later, I officially became a journalism major. And I’ve never looked back.

I’ve learned how to write better, what makes a great news story, how to be a better communicator, and so much more. I’ve made tons of friends in my friend. I enjoy all my classes.

I was home.

Because of it, college is even better than what it was. I’m excited to attend class. I’m excited to work on an assignment or attend a meeting.

Life is pretty good.

I never knew I would switch majors in college, but it’s a life decision that’s had a major impact on my years in higher education.

I love every minute of it. And I’ve never looked back.

If you’re a college student wanting to switch majors or make another big life decision, do it.

Trust your gut, follow your heart, and you can never go wrong.