Former World Heavyweight Boxing Champion Mike Tyson famously once said, “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.”
Many college students arrive on campus with a clear idea of what they want to study and how they’ll use their degree once they cross the graduation stage a few years later. But whether it happens in the first month, the first semester, or sometime later in their academic journey, every student eventually gets “punched in the mouth” by the reality of figuring out whether their original plan is truly the right one.
In fact, at least one in three students change their major at least once during college — and many more start out unsure of what they want to study. As both a long-time enrollment management professional and a two-time Samford parent, I’ve seen this moment come for many students, including my own students. Here are three ways you can help your student navigate the major selection (or change) process with confidence and faith.
1. Encourage Your Student to Try New Things
One of the best things Samford offers is a safety net tightly stretched below your student — one that catches them when they fall and, like a trampoline, launches them back onto their feet.
As a result, encourage your student to take advantage of that by trying new things. Challenge them to do at least one new thing each term. It might be a class outside their comfort zone, a cadre, a mission or service project, a study abroad program, or something they’ve always wanted to try but were too nervous to attempt.
Now’s the perfect time to explore. They may stumble onto something that sparks a whole new world of interest and discovery. And if they fail at it? No problem. That safety net will catch them and help them bounce back — it’s likely one of the many reasons why you chose Samford in the first place.
2.Work Together to Seek God’s Plan
Thinking back to how your family chose Samford brings me to my second tip: Work Together.
I was recently in Middle Tennessee leading a financial aid night at Brentwood Academy and shared a piece of advice I’ve given for years when families are deciding which college is the best fit. That same advice applies to choosing a major: when students and parents work together as a team — talking openly, praying together and individually — and then come to the same conclusion, you can be confident God’s will is coming into focus for all involved.
God has a plan for your student and your family. It includes not only being at Samford but also discovering what to study and how that fits into His bigger purpose. Working together helps you see that plan unfold in His timing.
3.Trust the Samford Safety Net
Finally, let’s go back to that safety net I mentioned earlier. Samford has more than 2,600 full-time and part-time employees who all share one thing in common — they serve this great university and its students.
The Career Development Center offers personality and aptitude assessments that assist your student in stepping toward a new path or confirming the one on which they are already walking. Faculty and staff help connect students with professionals in their fields and provide leads on internships and networking. Academic advisors guide them through course registration. The Academic Success Center offers tutoring and resources to help them reach their full potential in any major they choose.
Samford One Stop Advisors can walk students through the financial side of changing majors. Samford CARES helps them manage stress and anxiety during times of transition. And the Office of Spiritual Life is always there to offer wise counsel and prayerful guidance.
These are just a few examples of the many people and resources that make up Samford’s tightly woven safety net.
The Bottom Line
That “punch in the mouth” Mike Tyson talked about will likely come for many of our students. But with the freedom to try new things, your steady and prayerful support, and the incredible network of people surrounding your student at Samford, they’ll navigate this next big decision with confidence, resilience, and faith.
