For many post-secondary students, the path to a degree isn’t as straightforward as it seems.
Many start thinking they know what they want, but the programs they enter are not what they expected, or they have a change of heart.
Students should know they don’t need to feel ashamed if they’re thinking of switching programs.
Student experiences
Alexis Robinson and Hailey Jensen both began their university journeys in Mount Royal University’s journalism program, but soon realized it wasn’t the right fit for them.
Robinson began to feel that journalism wasn’t for her when she had to write stories for publication.
She says she is more introverted than the profession requires.
“I realized that going out and doing the interviews didn’t suit my personality as much as I thought it would,” said Robinson.
After months of uncertainty, she decided to transfer programs, saying the work itself no longer matched what she wanted from a career.
Robinson is now preparing to join the MRU education program and minor in language arts, with a plan to teach elementary school.
But the process wasn’t easy.
“It’s very complicated and very stressful,” she said. “One problem I faced was not knowing who to contact and not knowing how to really transfer. It’s something that’s not talked about very often.”
Robinson faced financial setbacks when she learned that her journalism courses couldn’t transfer into her new program.
“The only thing that transfers over is my [General Education courses], which, thank goodness!” she said.
For Jensen, the change meant a complete shift in direction. Jensen first chose journalism somewhat impulsively.
“I texted my little Snapchat AI and said, ‘What’s the degree where I can write and I don’t do math, ‘” she said with a laugh. “’It said journalism.'”
But it didn’t take long for Jensen to realize that journalism wasn’t the right fit. She said her interest in writing didn’t quite match the writing required in the journalism program.
“I tried to use the word ‘plethora’ in an article, and they told me it was too big of a word,” she said. “Then I realized I don’t like writing stories about other people — I like writing, just not like that.”
As time went on, Jensen also realized she wasn’t there by choice. She said she hadn’t enrolled out of genuine interest in the program.
“The only reason I got into MRU was because my dad was like ‘you need to be in school or else you don’t have a place to live,’” she said.
Jensen has since enrolled in the welding engineering technology program at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology. She said the change made her feel more independent.
“Now I feel way more confident in my decision and feel like I have more of a sense of direction,” she said.
MRU points to flexibility and support
The Calgary Journal requested to speak with academic advisors in the faculty of business, communication studies and aviation. While they declined to be interviewed for this story, they provided an email statement saying the university understands some students may choose to change their academic journey.
“Faculty-based advisors are available to help students who have questions about the process,” the statement read.
The university added that programs such as an undeclared bachelor of arts and bachelor of business administration are designed with flexibility in mind. About 80 per cent of BBA students go on to specialize in another business major.
“When excluding both Arts Undeclared and the BBA, along with programs that only offer a single major and therefore don’t allow students the option to switch, data from the past five academic years show that only about 6.5 per cent of students changed majors within their program,” the statement said.
For students like Robinson and Jensen, the experience has been challenging but ultimately freeing.
“There’s no shame, there’s no embarrassment of switching,” Robinson said. “Do what you love, don’t be stuck in something you don’t love because you’ll be in that career for the rest of your life.”