Major transitions: how college students interpret the process of changing fields of study

ABSTRACT: Selecting a major is one of the most consequential decisions a student will make in college. Though major selection is often conceived of as a discrete choice made at a particular point in time, many students change their majors at least once during college. This article examines the process of changing majors as a key education transition. Drawing from 38 interviews with college students at a public university in the USA who changed their declared major, this study explores the ways they make meaning of transitions between fields of study. Specifically, I ask: How do students describe their experiences navigating the process of switching college majors? Six themes emerged in relation to three phases of transition: endings, neutral zones, and new beginnings. These themes provide new unders

SUBMITTER: Silver B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10169191 | biostudies-literature | 2023 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature