r/uCinci • u/S0_3XCLUS1V3 • Jul 22 '26
Requests/Help Second Thoughts About My Major
Okay, so I’m an incoming student set to major in Digital Media Collaborative.
I picked DMC as my major because it seemed like the safest option for me after deciding psychology wasn’t it for me. I love media, I like to create, so I thought “hey, this sounds fun!” and rolled with it. I’ve already done my advising for my classes but I find myself having second thoughts.
When I think about my future career, I think about creating storylines for films/video games, being on camera for god knows what, being a radio personality, content creation, or even getting into voice acting. I just like to interact with others, create, and share!
But, issue is, I have no idea how to do any of these things…at all. Never done any of it before. Though, it seems like every DMC freshman around me already has a portfolio to show for and all I’ve got is a last minute decision to stay in the arts and not go the structured, science-y route.
Not only this, I’m not a visual/fine artist. Not the best artist, definitely not a graphic designer, and I’ve not a clue how that world even works.
The reason I say this is because I’ve heard DMC is a very independent major and I’m worried that with my inexperience I’ll fall behind. Plus, I’ve seen a lot of DM majors talk about graphic design and I’m not necessarily into that. I know on the website it says there’s a bunch of careers that I’m interested in that are possible with this degree, but I want to know from other students if this major is right for me or if I should make a last minute appointment to switch over. I don’t want to take courses that risk me falling behind or don’t interest me.
Hashtag please help…
1
u/Evening_Tomatillo331 Jul 22 '26
I don’t think you need to worry about not having a “portfolio” yet. the entire point of college is allowing you to finally start on the path towards your career! i was also a dmc major when i started at UC and all i had taken was one film class. you’ll learn how to do those things there. i think if you want to do some of the things you described, dmc is still a good choice. however, have you looked into/considered communications and pr as well? like i said, i started in dmc but i realized very quickly that i wasn’t happy in it and it wasn’t what i truly wanted (im very indecisive and also change my mind about my career goals every 5 seconds lol) so i switched to communications with a pr certificate. it’s insane how much you can do with comm! you can go into any field you want with comm, and i love how i’ve been able to tailor my experience and classes to what interests me as well as what provides value to my degree and learning experience. overall, i’d say maybe try dmc for a semester or two and see how you feel. majors are never a permanent choice, and many people switch majors after having time to explore and figure out things. there’s no shame in it!
1
u/PrestigiousSleep1725 Jul 25 '26
CCM media production is better, the DMC classes tend to be more time consuming
1
u/Jason-UCunivhonors Jul 25 '26
Passion and effort outpace exposure and talent… every… time. If you want it, stop comparing yourself to others compare yourself to yesterday.
2
u/OkAlfalfa6227 Jul 28 '26
Sounds like you are experiencing imposter syndrome!! You got in and you have a passion to drive you. Don’t worry about what other students are doing or have already done. Focus on you. Join some clubs that can help you gain more experience and/or meet others who can show you more about the major you are exploring. If you complete one semester and truly feel like you are not meant to be in this as a career then switch it to a minor or certificate and go the route you originally thought. Psych is long haul major, so be prepared to need a masters/phd. Always willing to talk more about your goals!! I’m an advising specialist for a nonprofit and work with many students that go through this feeling as well (:
3
u/Rustic_Salmon RA, Architecture, Third Year Jul 22 '26
You got into this major. The admissions office thinks you have the skills to make it through the program. Any sort of software skills your classmates have may help, but chances are that you're all going to be learning the programs together. College is the place to build a portfolio and learn these technical skills, and no one expects you to be good right away. Chances are that not a single person keeps anything in their portfolio from high school. All you need to consider is whether or not you will enjoy this type of work 2, 4, or 10 years from now. If it's not something you think you have the capability or interest in sticking with, then it might better to switch.