Experts and academics monitor 10 reasons why students change their university majors

Academics, educational experts, and students confirmed to Emirates Al-Youm that changing a university major is no longer a rare decision, but rather a growing phenomenon driven by 10 main reasons, including the influence of “trends,” labor market changes, psychological and family pressures, the shock of university reality, the difficulty of some majors, low academic averages, the discovery of new inclinations, poor professional guidance, fear of the future career, and being influenced by the experiences of others, which prompts many students to re-draw their academic path in search of a more specialization. In harmony with their abilities and future ambitions.

They said that many students tend to change their majors after months or years of study, after discovering that the academic reality differs from their expectations, or that the major is not compatible with their inclinations, abilities, and professional ambitions, stressing that the university stage represents a turning point that prompts some young people to completely re-evaluate their academic path.

Attempts to adapt

In detail, university students confirmed that the decision to change majors often does not come suddenly, but rather after a period of hesitation and attempts to adapt to an academic reality that differs from the image they had previously drawn for the major. Student Sarah Ahmed said that she chose her major based on its reputation and career opportunities, but she later discovered that the nature of the study did not match her actual interests, while Maryam Khaled explained that the academic pressure and the intensity of the theoretical subjects made her rethink her academic path, stressing that she felt more comfortable after moving to a major closer to her inclinations.

Review options

Student Nour Ali pointed out that social networking sites and the experiences of some graduates greatly influenced his conviction regarding his major, pointing out that he began reviewing his academic options after noticing the changing needs of the labor market and his trend toward modern specializations related to technology and artificial intelligence. He added that many students discover new skills and interests during university life that were not clear to them at school, which prompts them to reshape their academic path.

Poor academic guidance

For his part, educational expert Dr. Ahmed Mohieddin Sobhi at Jumeirah University confirmed that a large part of the problem is related to weak early academic and professional guidance, explaining that some students enter university without accurate knowledge of the nature of specializations or the requirements of the labor market, while family pressures sometimes play a role in pushing children toward specializations that do not reflect their true inclinations. He added that changing the major should not be considered a failure, but rather a natural step that may help the student reach the field that best suits his abilities and ambitions.

Fast transitions

In turn, academic expert Dr. Hind Abdullah at Ajman University explained that the rapid transformations in the labor market have made students more sensitive to the future of jobs, noting that many of them reevaluate their specialization as soon as they feel that job opportunities are limited or that the market is moving towards new skills. She also pointed out that the influence of digital platforms and celebrity content has become an influential factor in shaping young people’s convictions regarding some specializations that are promoted as “trend” or most in demand.

High skills

For her part, Assistant Professor at Heriot-Watt University Dubai, Dr. Fabian Shadid, confirmed that some students encounter difficulty in majors after enrolling in them, especially in fields that require high skills in analysis, mathematics, or programming, which is reflected in their academic performance and psychological state. She added that the student’s feeling of comfort and belonging to the specialty is an essential element in achieving psychological stability and academic success, stressing the importance of supporting students academically and psychologically during their university years.

The importance of early guidance

Experts called for strengthening academic and vocational guidance programs within schools and universities, to help students discover their inclinations and understand the nature of different specializations and the requirements of the labor market before making decisions that may change their career and life path later.