When I first came to Cabrini University, I was undecided and didn't really know what I wanted to major in. In high school, I enjoyed learning about history and the legal system. I had an interest in political science and thought I would go to law school eventually. However, that changed soon when I realized law school wasn't really for me, and I decided to venture into different classes and majors.
In the spring semester of my freshman year, I took a health professions seminar class, and I looked into public health but wasn't sure if it was the right major for me. I loved learning about all the possibilities the major could offer, but since it was a new major and I was the only one interested, I felt reluctant to declare it as my major. In the same semester, I took an introductory psychology course, and I loved it. I loved learning about the human mind and brain and how it correlates with behavior and thinking. I decided to declare my major in psychology that summer, and I thought about going to graduate school and possibly getting a master's or PhD in psychology. However, over the summer, I changed my mind again, and I decided I really liked Public Health and so I should stick with it. So, I changed my major from Psychology to Public Health, and I am very happy with my decision.
The most important thing to know is that you don't need to know what you want to major in the second you start your first college class. It would be a good idea to do research and learn more about different majors and career paths in high school and during the first year of college, but you are not required to declare a major right away. I think it's essential to use your first year to experiment with different classes and majors and evaluate your interests, strengths, and weaknesses. It may also be helpful to shadow other people in your preferred career paths and learn more about the profession from them.
It is perfectly okay to change your major. Most college students change their major at least once, so it's normal and quite frequent. Most of the classes I took during freshman year were all core classes or general education requirements because you would need them to graduate anyway. I would recommend taking general education courses first and then focus on major courses, so if you decide to switch majors, you would still be able to graduate on time.
Aside from taking core classes, try to take between 15-18 credits every semester to make sure you're qualifying as a full-time student, and this will also help you graduate on time. To graduate from Cabrini, you need at least 123 credits. So, try to make a plan for how many credits you want to take each semester, what classes, and calculate them to make sure you will reach 123 credits by graduation. If you are within six credits of reaching 123 credits, you may be able to walk on graduation but will have to take the remaining classes or credits at Cabrini the following semester. If you are behind on credits, try taking summer classes. Sometimes, the University offers discounted tuition prices for summer classes, and you may be eligible for summer financial aid. In that case, you could take summer classes on campus or online and get caught up with credits or major courses.
Also, talk to your advisor or a trusted professor, and they may be able to help you and direct you to better options and tell you more about how to change your majors and still graduate on time.