Conflicted about Major Change...

Student Lounge College Life
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<p>I need some motivation and wise words right now, as I just switched out of STEM and into liberal arts at a huge university. A quick overview below:</p>

<p>I took some higher level liberal art classes already (from professors recommending that I take them), and found that I had more of a passion for this specific field than I originally thought. I've always been good at this field and have loved the work. Good enough to have a year or so of freelance experience. Good enough to be hired as a tutor by the university. </p>

<p>However, I had my mind set on a specific STEM degree and never looked into working in the field above. Being closed minded hurt. A lot. This semester I got killed by intro STEM classes. I threw everything I had at these classes. I never worked so hard in my college career. I used every resource I had and put extra-curricular commitments on hold, but it made no difference. I ended up dropping more than half of my course load (I was doing good in two classes so kept them). I hated every minute in every class that semester, regardless of my grades. I regret not dropping all of them. </p>

<p>My conflict comes from feeling dumb for being "weeded out" of basic STEM classes in a field that I had wanted to go into since middle school. I could retake them and continue in the major (I know kids who have), but I don't want to. I thought that the field would be different. Sure, I found a major that I am sure I will be happy in, and am ecstatic about it. But I also feel dumb for switching out of STEM for liberal arts. I feel like a self-deluded washout one minute, then ecstatic for switching into something I love the next. Does anyone have some wise words? I am sick of feeling conflicted...</p>

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<p>The average college student changes majors 3 or more times before graduating. </p>

<p>Nothing is a failure if you learned something from the experience. You learned that you may not be cut out for the STEM career you were considering. Maybe you were considering it for the wrong reasons? Did you engineering activities in high school, or just think that it would lead to a good salaried job? If you enjoy it and want to stick with it because you are really into engineering, then continue to seek help through tutors or study groups. If you were just in it for the money or prestige, then bow out gracefully.Better to get out now than to find out five years from now that you hate it and were stuck in it.</p>

<p>If you are loving this new field of study and think you’d be happier as a journalist, then you are in the right place. Perhaps you can write for an engineering firm or trade magazine and combine your interests. Then you could take some engineering courses, but not be as stressed or unhappy.</p>