I was never really sure what I wanted to do when it came to my career, especially with the little money my family or I had making college seem impossible. I was told about FAFSA and was pressured into doing SOMETHING with my education, so I registered for Lib Arts & Science - Math and Science at a community college. Math is a lot of trouble for me, but I enjoy science.
The problem is that I don’t see it leading me anywhere. I can’t even see myself in the field of science. The only good that’s come of this is all of the friends that I’ve made. One of them is now attending a criminal justice college in NYC. Another is going to head up to New Paltz. Mostly everyone has got their own goals, and it’s just now starting to hit me that I’ve got no real direction here. The only thing that drives me is the fear of ending up living like my mom did, paycheck to paycheck and ultimately being unable to find solid work.
My first semester was a failure. I found it difficult to manage my work and college. My GPA hit 1.5 and I was put on academic warning. Second semester was a slight improvement, but my third was much better. Sitting on a 2.9 right now. I’ve probably got 2-3 more semesters to go depending on how my schedule looks in the upcoming months. I’m not sure how much higher I can get. I’ve considered switching majors but feel like I’ve already wasted so much time at this CC (was supposed to be 2 years, might be 3) that I’m horrified to waste more time here while everyone else has already moved on to better things.
I don’t even know what I’m asking. Maybe I just needed to vent. I don’t know who to talk to about this. I’m too embarrassed to talk to friends. I don’t want to put them under the impression that I’m them asking for guidance.
Spend a summer doing a landscaping job. Then finish the break with a 2-3 week trip to a third world country with a $10 daily budget. Your focus will improve.
Pre-med/sociology/public health/psychology are majors where you want to help people directly.
Business/engineering/comp sci are majors where you want to solve technical/organizational problems.
Which is more appealing to you?
What were your favorite classes in HS?
Talk to someone in the counseling center about feeling aimless
Go to a counselor or career centers. I’m pretty sure there’s a survey you could take that will suggest to you a lot of career options based on the type of person you are. Almsot everyone will feel lost when new to college. I changed my majors like at least 4 times and I ended up taking courses I didn’t need. I have many friends who went from high school straight to a uni and end up transferring to a CC because they changed their minds. Rome wasn’t built in a day.
Edit: This will be my 3rd year in CC and it doesn’t bother me one bit, it’s not a race.
I spent three years at CC. I was alos put on academic probation. I spent another three years getting my degree after finally transferring into a university. I made the Dean’s list. Everyone matures and makes choices at their own pace. There isn’t a competition. To finish in a certain amount of time. I alos didn’t declare a major until as late as possible. I think you need to sit down with an advisor at your college and think about which majors you can consider given the courses you have already taken. You are young, you have plenty of time to figure out your options.
I alos really love the idea of taking time off the work and/or travel. I did that. Travelling for whole sememsters at a time is why it took me another three years to get my BA. You find your path, and don’t worry about what others are doing.