College is the highlight of most people’s education. It is a chance to earn a degree, work towards a dream career, and spend three or four years making new friends and having fun. However, the fun soon fades if you end up studying a subject you cannot stand. It might sound unlikely, but a surprising number of students choose the wrong subject when they apply for college. Why does this happen? How can you spot the signs you’ve made a bad call?

There are several strategies to help students decide which course to pick as their major.

• The first is your future career. For example, say you want to be a plastic surgeon, providing nips and tucks to the Beverly Hills elite. To achieve this, you would need to study medicine. There is no other possible route.
• Secondly, you might have no idea what you want to do when you graduate, so you decide to stick with a subject you know.
• Lastly, you may be clueless in all areas and rely on your parents to dictate what you study at college. For example, if your daddy and granddaddy were both lawyers, your family will expect you to follow their example and join the family law firm upon graduation.

There is nothing wrong with these strategies, but there is a strong margin for error. The following are clues you made a huge mistake and instead of toiling away on an MBA, you would be far happier studying for a masters of arts in military history.

You are Falling Behind on Your Studies

College can be intensive, but if you hate your major, it is hard to stay motivated when assignments are due. Consequently, it won’t be long before you fall behind on your study schedule. If your tutors are harassing you about late assignments, instead of making excuses, start thinking about why you can’t be bothered to study. The answer could be staring you in the face.

You Fall Asleep in Class

Falling asleep in lectures is not uncommon, especially after a weekend of partying, but if it’s happening on a weekly basis and you don’t even go out that much, it is not a good sign. Most people tune in with interest when they like the subject. If your major isn’t keeping you awake, it probably isn’t right for you.

You are Bored

Would you rather watch Netflix than hit the books? Do you prefer surfing Facebook than writing assignments? If your major bores you rigid, it’s time to switch to a different subject.

You Prefer Sitting in on Different Lectures

Do you secretly sneak into the military history degree lectures because they are more interesting than your business studies course? Perhaps you should think about ditching one course for another.

Belatedly discovering you have picked the wrong course is not the end of the world. There is plenty of scope to change a major, so speak to your college careers advisor to find out what your options are.