12 signs you're in the wrong college major — even if it doesn't feel like it

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It goes without saying that choosing your college degree is a major decision.

It's a choice that likely will impact your entire college experience, not to mention your future career.

Some students arrive on campus knowing exactly what they want to major in. Others have a vague idea, but leave some room for themselves to explore. Many have no clue and sample a few different options before declaring.

And you know what? Any one of those paths are valid. Personally, I tend to think it's good to have a general idea of what you're interested in, while keeping an open mind and seeking out new experiences. Still, to each their own when it comes to deciding on a college major.

Here's the thing, though — what if you pick the wrong major? Suffering through that situation that can stress you out, trash your grades, hurt your future, and just generally make you a miserable person. No one wants to find themselves thousands of dollars in debt over four years of angst and a useless degree.

But how can you tell that you're headed down an academic path that's just not right for you?

Here are 11 tell-tale signs that you should reconsider your course of studies:

Your grades are terrible

Bad grades aren't necessarily a sign you're pursuing the wrong degree. Obviously, your GPA is dependent on a number of factors — the difficulty of your major, your inherent skills as a student, the academic intensity of your college, your ability to multitask ... the list goes on and on.

Nonetheless, if you're giving it your absolute all and your grades continue to fall in flames, you've got to take a step back. It's great to challenge yourself in college, but definitely consider the possibility that you're forcing yourself to do something that you're simply not very good at.

You can't explain why you chose your major

Maybe you just kind of fell into your major. Sometimes, that works out for people.

That being said, if you really can't justify why you picked your field of study, it's possible that the passion's really not there.

You're not excited about the coursework

Okay, even the biggest nerds get sick of coursework at some point. No matter how much you love studying 17th century Europe or advanced neuro-immunology, the honeymoon will eventually end. You're bound to feel somewhat bored and overwhelmed with at least a few of your assignments.

However, you should still have at least be a spark of interest in your major requisites. If you seriously couldn't care less about anything you're being taught, that's a bad sign.