So you’ve decided to switch degrees! Well freakin’ done.

Making the plunge from the comfortable to the unknown is always scary, especially when it comes to your future career. But absolutely worth it once you get over the few initial speed bumps. Here’s a few you can look out for.

#1 Everything Is Confusing All Over Again

Remember in your first year when the course coordinator rattled off all the emails, people and referencing guides you needed to know? And by the end of the year, you had all that knowledge down pat and felt fully comfortable in the system?

Well, prepare to feel that soft rug being pulled right from under you. Even if you’re at the same university, the lingo, the faculty, the way you submit assignments and even referencing guides will be totally different.

#2 New Course, Who Dis

All those friends you painstakingly made in the first semester? Prepare to say a tearful goodbye. Depending on how close you are, the only time you’ll see them is a wistful look from across the quad.

On the flip side, you get to make brand new friends who you’ll (more than likely) have a lot more in common with because they’re studying what you enjoy. Win some, you lose some!

#3 You Won’t Stop Comparing The Two

You’ve spent the last however-many-years trying to wrap your head around certain concepts, so of course it’ll take a while to shake them out of your brain. Just try to refrain from constantly telling your brand new friends about all the little differences you’ve noticed – you just convinced them to hang out with you, you don’t want to scare them away with inane stories about course administration.

#4 The Admin Is A Nightmare

Switching over isn’t so hard but getting course credit can go suck it. Yes, you can use up all the non-related units on your electives but then you’ll get no electives? And what fun is uni without the opportunity to take some of those really left-of-field units that the humanities department offers?

Trying to get this all sorted out is a nightmare but trust us, it’s better to it sooner rather than later. You don’t want to get to the end of your degree and realise you haven’t applied for credit yet because that’ll be even more of a nightmare.

#5 You’ll Feel Like You’re On The Right Path

It goes without saying but when you’re passionate about something, it’s a whole lot easier to study. The subject matter is more interesting and the assignments are less of a chore (but still a chore, let’s be honest). This is the most wonderful part of switching degrees, and the reason we do it in the first place.

Here’s hoping that’s what you find.