Hello!
I’ve really just been so unsatisfied with my career choice, I change my mind so often but was always to nervous to change majors so I’d try to find different careers that fit with my major. I still was unhappy. It took me this long to realize it was my major this whole time.
In high school, I was heavily involved in art and design with all my electives being art and design related. My life basically revolved around art and creating things. I loved it and enjoyed every moment of it. Then, my senior year when it was time to apply to colleges, I wasn’t sure if art was something I wanted to make more than a hobby so I decided to major in Life Sciences/Biology to get a safe career despite not having much of a passion for it. Mostly encouraged by my parents and since I’m the first in my family to go to college, I wanted to just make them proud. I had a 4.6 GPA in high school but went immediately to a community college because of limited finances.
My GPA in college was quite low, I managed to bring it up to a 3.3 when I received my Associates. I then transferred to UHCL (this is my first semester at UHCL) and this semester really opened my eyes of how much the medical field was not for me. I was so depressed and really did some soul-searching to why I felt this way. My GPA is starting to look like it will probably be below a 3.0 this semester which really stresses me out. Due to being depressed, I fell behind in my studies and I feel like it’s just getting worse. After A LOT of career research it came down to Engineering. As I delved deeper into Engineering, I came across Architecture and fell in love.
I am so lost on where to go from here. I have 70 credits of classes (including this semester). I am at UHCL at the moment but I want to transfer to the architecture program at UH. I am kind of confused on the course set up. If I were to transfer into the program, would none of my credits even apply so it’s like those credits go to waste? Also, how would that work with my GPA? My GPA is probably going to be a 3.2? I’m not too sure since I haven’t even taken finals yet so I don’t know how that’s going to affect my course grades. Is there any way I could use my high school transcript instead of my college one? Would they understand that I was perusing a degree that I had very little passion for and that architecture is my true passion? I also don’t have any recent works to use as a portfolio since I haven’t had much time to do any of my hobbies.
Also, as a second option, I was thinking about Engineering. From what I understand, there is a lot of calculating involved more than creativity, correct? I feel like I’d be able to manage that since I can usually understand math if I put in the time probably since I am analytical. Though, I don’t have any of the requirements to get into the program. They said I need “Calculus 1 and 2, Chemistry, Physics and English” and they didn’t really elaborate on that. Is there specific courses that are needed to get into the Engineering program? and will any of the 70 credit I already took transfer? What it sounds like is that this is a 4-year bachelor program? Does that mean it would take me an additional 4 years to complete or would it just be 2 because I have my associates?
Obviously, I’d love to do Architecture as my career but I’ve heard a lot of mixed things. I’ve heard more positive things about Engineering and feel like if I’m not worrying about my GPA, I can actually do well in the courses without being stressed. And one provides a way more comfortable lifestyle than the other so I am not sure which would be best for me and what I have the best options getting into. Thank you for any help!