For some students, the grass is always greener on the other side.

Of the 3,146 freshman who entered Iowa State in 1993, 38.8 percent graduated or were still enrolled in the same department, said Elizabeth Stanley, director of institutional research.

Stanley said that 27.8 percent graduated or are still enrolled in the same college but different departments, and 33.4 percent graduated or are now enrolled in a different college.

Stanley said there are no records of the number of students changing majors within the same department.

Sophomore Rebecca Drish was unsure about what major she wanted to choose.

“I don’t know why, but I decided to major in computer science,” Drish said. “In a couple of weeks, I decided that wasn’t going to work, so I changed to sociology. I’m happy now.”

The first step for students wanting to change their majors is to visit their advisers. Students must meet the pre-requirements and grade point average of the program to which they wish to transfer.

Ann Farni, coordinator for undergraduate programs in the College of Business, said students should expect advisers to ask a lot of questions to make sure the students have a clear understanding of why they want to change.

Though the process varies across campus, most students typically walk their advising file to the new department or college.

“Students complain about paperwork and running around, but that’s more so we can ensure everything is done correctly,” said Tom TenHoeve, administration adviser and coordinator of classification for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. “It’s actually pretty trivial.”

Drish said she had no problems in the process of changing her major.

Undeclared students, TenHoeve said, are encouraged to pick a major by the end of the first year.

Choosing a major, TenHoeve said, is an exploration process.

“Students go into something with the wrong impression,” he said.

Farni’s best advice: “Major in what you like and what you’re kind of good at.”