Only a week into marketing classes last fall, then-freshman Armani Welch realized that the major may not have been for him and embarked on the year-long journey of finding an area of study that better suited his goals in life.
Welch has been through five majors since starting at Oral Roberts University in 2023, bouncing between different colleges like a hot potato. He came to ORU to study marketing and business, but soon realized that “this isn’t really for me.” He changed his concentration to digital marketing a few weeks before realizing right after the course drop/add date that he was in the wrong department entirely.
“I left marketing because the program just wasn’t what I thought I needed at the moment and I felt like marketing felt too rigid,” Welch explained. “I didn’t find any of the work extremely hard or anything like that. But I wasn’t finding a real connection.”
Changing majors multiple times can stir strong responses from parents and mentors. For Welch, the reaction seemed passive but was noticeable nonetheless.
“There was a lot of, ‘Can you just pick something and be happy with it?’ I’ve heard that from friends,” said Welch. “I’ve heard that from mentors and, in much kinder ways, from teachers. But I think it’s worth going through the journey, especially while you can. It’s important to just say, ‘OK, where do I fit?’”
Switching from the College of Business to the College of Arts & Cultural Studies in the middle of his first semester was no easy task, especially explaining the switch to Welch’s friends and family.
“I got a lot of like, passive-aggressive statements like, ‘Oh, how are you going to make money? Or like, ‘Why would you do that? Marketing seems more secure,’” said Welch. “But I always remember my why.”
Registrar Connie Sjoberg has seen many students change their majors over her years at ORU.
“What we see as the primary reason students change their major is connected to pursuing God’s purpose in their lives,” said Sjoberg. “As students grow in hearing God’s voice, they will often adjust their area of study to prepare themselves for the future.”
At ORU, 32% of students change their majors, according to data from the Institutional Effectiveness Office. Those students change their majors on average 1.5 times before picking the major they will graduate with.
“Most students explore different majors in the first two years of their college experience.” Sjoberg said. “If a student changes their program in the junior or senior year, often they will need to add additional semesters to the expected four years to complete their degree.”
Changing his major three times before Christmas break and twice more during the spring semester, Welch finally found where he thinks he belongs. The trail from marketing to digital marketing, theatrical design and production to strategic media was long but it has ultimately led him to majoring in theatrical design and production.
“I love the Theatre Department,” said Welch. “We are a super connected group and super supportive. I love just being able to be part of it.”
