Healthy Communities • YMCA Employment Programs
Having second thoughts about your school major?
29 March 2016 - by YMCA of Greater Toronto
You have started post-secondary education but now you are beginning to have some doubts about your program. If you are like most people this can be a disheartening discovery and can leave you feeling discouraged and adrift. Emotionally, many will find this affects their self-esteem and they start picking at themselves; “What’s wrong with me that I don’t even know what I really want to do!”
Another approach to this impasse is that you start blaming others; “I would do better if my teachers weren’t so boring, if class sizes weren’t so large, if other students weren’t so cliquey…" and so on. This kind of rumination can have the negative effect of actually making you feel worse. You have become problem-fixated and can no longer see beyond this.
The answer to all of this is to become more solution-focused instead of problem-fixated. Just having this insight will put you in charge, rather than others or your own negative emotions. Start with some positive self-talk such as, “The programs I took in the past helped me figure out that I wanted to move into another direction. I got to explore a variety of courses and now know more about what I enjoy (and don’t enjoy)!”
It’s not Pollyanna but positive self-talk, having clear objective awareness of yourself and your circumstances that will leave you feeling more optimistic. Find others who you respect to talk about your education and career ideas, interviewing teachers and professors, and also it may be time to consider an objective professional approach. Get a comprehensive educational and career assessment with supportive counselling sessions to help you manage your transition to greater focus.
And remember, a change in the future is created from a decision made in the present.
The YMCA Career Planning & Development Services can help
For one-to-one counselling sessions and comprehensive assessments that explore your strengths, interests, and personality, call us at 416 928 3362 x 22609 or email careerplanning@ymcagta.org. We look forward to chatting with you!
Another approach to this impasse is that you start blaming others; “I would do better if my teachers weren’t so boring, if class sizes weren’t so large, if other students weren’t so cliquey…" and so on. This kind of rumination can have the negative effect of actually making you feel worse. You have become problem-fixated and can no longer see beyond this.
The answer to all of this is to become more solution-focused instead of problem-fixated. Just having this insight will put you in charge, rather than others or your own negative emotions. Start with some positive self-talk such as, “The programs I took in the past helped me figure out that I wanted to move into another direction. I got to explore a variety of courses and now know more about what I enjoy (and don’t enjoy)!”
It’s not Pollyanna but positive self-talk, having clear objective awareness of yourself and your circumstances that will leave you feeling more optimistic. Find others who you respect to talk about your education and career ideas, interviewing teachers and professors, and also it may be time to consider an objective professional approach. Get a comprehensive educational and career assessment with supportive counselling sessions to help you manage your transition to greater focus.
And remember, a change in the future is created from a decision made in the present.
The YMCA Career Planning & Development Services can help
For one-to-one counselling sessions and comprehensive assessments that explore your strengths, interests, and personality, call us at 416 928 3362 x 22609 or email careerplanning@ymcagta.org. We look forward to chatting with you!
