Members of the Messiah community share their thoughts on change

On academic direction

What's the most important thing for a student to consider as they are contemplating a change of major?

Try to discover your passion—what do you like to learn about or talk about? You don't have to know what job you will be doing down the road at this point, that will work itself out. Don't worry too much about majors— many of us (myself included) are doing work that is not directly connected to the major we graduated with, let alone the major we started with in college.

What are some possible warning signs that signal to students they might need to consider changing their major?

• Boredom in the current major
• better grades in courses outside of the major
• more time is spent working on courses outside the major
• a desire to speak with professors or students in majors other than your own
• a feeling like you fit in better with those not in your major
• people who know you well who are surprised that you are in a particular major

When a person is facing a significant change in the course of their college career, what advice would you give them on navigating through the uncertainty?

The key is to follow your heart or your passion. I believe that God helps to guide us in life by giving us those passions, so if we are walking with God, we should trust the desires of our heart. When we look back on life, most of us realize that we did not end up doing what we thought when we were younger, but we can usually trace the thread of our passions through our past and identify God's leading in the process of life.

John Addleman

Director of Academic Advising

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