A Guide to First-Year Students’ Plan B and C
In your last semester of college, it’s easy to take a step back and reflect on your college experience and your life in general. My experience may be one of the furthest students away from what the “traditional college experience” is supposed to be. Our society makes it seem simple: go to college, find your major quickly, and graduate in four years. No slander on people who did that; they just found what they were passionate about earlier and worked hard to get there. My college experience was far from that. To give you the short rundown: I went to community college and had a rough transition transferring to Grand Valley the first year. I realized that I was not great at my major because I was not passionate about it. So, I changed my major in the second semester of my junior year to public relations. It was the hail mary throw. If this didn’t work out, I might have had to consider other options. However, since changing it, I have loved PR ever since. So you can say that I know all about making a plan B and even a plan C. Psst, they’re even more students that have these similar experiences. In fact, only one in four of this year’s college freshmen will graduate in four years. So, I’ve gathered some advice for first-year students that I wished I would have known earlier.
Your first major is not written in stone
When deciding on a major, it’s all about fit and what you value to determine for yourself. While that may be pretty cliché, it’s true. Only you can determine the balance between a major that is a passion and what can help you with career opportunities post-college. I say help because the standard for employers now is a college degree, not necessarily what your major was. So don’t be afraid to change your major if it’s not a good fit. The only way to find that fit is by trying.
Your peers are on different tracks than you are
It goes without saying that you have to do what is best for yourself regarding your education. If you need to take fewer credits a semester to manage your time effectively, do it. I would recommend staying full-time because you probably have student loans hanging over your head, like myself and a million other college students in this country. Not that anyone likes to borrow more money, but the four-year student is becoming less and less of the norm. In short: take your time. It’s okay if you don’t graduate in four years. There’s no shame in dropping a class and retaking it. Do what is best for you!
You’ll know when you find your path
The reason I chose PR is that I love working with people and being an advocate. Having a voice with a significant role in management, traditional media, and social media has always appealed to me. Also, being a problem solver and strategizing is a huge passion of mine. When I started to enjoy classwork and finding my strengths and passions, I knew I had found my path. It turns out plan B or plan C is better than what I imagine plan A being. I hope you all find the same to get the most out of your college experience.
About Hunter
Hunter Bachman is a senior studying Advertising & Public Relations. He is currently a public relations and Social Marketing intern with Spectacle Creative Media. This is his second semester with GrandPR, continuing his role as an Account Associate for the fall semester. He is looking forward to working with his team members on projects that will continue to develop him as a professional.