<p>In many cases kids switch majors, it isn’t a big deal all the time or maybe even a lot of the time. Yes, if you tried to switch from English to Chem after sophomore year, you would be in some hot water, because at least in the dark ages when I went, you not only have the chem course lecture, lab, but also lab lecture and recitation, plus you generally have to take 3 semesters of calc (least I did), so it isn’t always easy (and I suspect someone switching from english to engineering, well, would be in trouble).</p>
<p>But it all depends on the requirements for the major. One of the things to keep in mind is that most schools have core courses, liberal education courses, whatever they call them, and usually they encourage kids to get those done the first couple of years, so it is likely a lot of the courses those first years are all requirements courses. And in switching majors often courses you have taken can be used to fulfill those requirements, a chem course fulfils a science requirement, math courses can fulfil the math requirement…I agree it is probably easier with a humanities course or with let’s say business to switch into it, since a lot of the coursework there may not be tracked, so you can take courses towards the major concurrently, as opposed to let’s say chemistry where you have to take organic chem before taking bio chem…so you can take accounting with finance with business law in the same semester, which would make a business degree a bit easier to switch into late.</p>
<p>I’ve been looking into the different majors a bit so we can discuss over Thanksgiving. He is in pretty good shape to switch into another engineering discipline, or as is more likely, a non engineering science track. We’ve been messaging today, and he agrees that he’s probably likely to look outside the engineering school majors.</p>
<p>He will be thrilled to learn (not!) that the college of arts and sciences has a language requirement. :)</p>
<p>He would not have to change his courses much for next semester, just drop the engineering class and substitute biology or a gen ed requirement. He is in a dorm with other freshman engineering students, but he will still be in most classes with them.</p>
<p>My D, who is now a junior, started out as a math major, changed to undeclared, considered computer science, changed to buisness and now is back to a math major (with a computer science minor). She will graduate in 4 years. What we did is map out what was required for all of her prospective majors and then plan her schedule with what was common to many adding classes (such as computer science and accounting) to test her interest.</p>
<p>That’s a great idea, tx5athome. He is not going in a totally different direction, so if he is taking core courses to various possiblities, he won’t be too bad off.</p>
<p>So far he just has the one engineering class that would not count toward a science degree (unless he picks another engineering discipline).</p>
<p>I had another comment. For son’s first semester, the advisor he met at summer orientation told him to take Math 2XX, an easier version of linear algebra, which is fine for some engineering majors. He had signed up for it, but dropped it after realizing that he would rather take the harder version on linear algebra, Math 4XX, which is required for other engineering majors. He will take linear algebra after diff equations.</p>
<p>It would have been unfortunate to take the easier linear algebra then have to take the harder linear algebra, too.</p>
<p>S started in a six year pharmD program. Knowing that so many kids change majors, I told him he had to go to a “regular” school (not a school that focuses on health majors) and he could not assume that it was okay to borrow simply because pharmacists earn $100,000 out of school. Now he’s glad mom was so mean. He has taken courses that will all transfer, so no “5 year plan” needed. He doesn’t have loans, so no problem there. Now he can concentrate on finding a school he likes with an ES program (thanks for the info, PackMom), and he will also realize the importance of taking the “right” courses in the first couple years … that is, courses that will work for other majors if the major changes yet again.</p>
<p>D started out thinking she wanted to major in the sciences, but she realized that being good at something doesn’t mean you have to major in it. When she thought about what she really wants to do in life, it wasn’t involved with science. She thought she might want psychology, switched to sociology, and now will graduate with a degree in Medicine, Health and Society (health care delivery type stuff - she “could” do health care policy work) with a minor in Sociology. And guess what her career field will be? Nothing related, of course! She is going to work in the business end of the music industry (she has had internships at a management firm & an independent record label).</p>
<p>H cringes at the kids’ choices, being the dyed-in-the-wool engineer he is. I, on the other hand, have a similar technical training background but am much more understanding of non-science passions.</p>
<p>S is at a school where I’m sure he’ll find something he likes, if he was at an engineering school this would be much more difficult. He’s always been very science oriented, but I’ll bring up the option of even non science things he may not have thought about before.</p>
<p>It is much easier to talk to him about this stuff now, he is way more open to things than this time last year.</p>
<p>I will admit I was happy he had picked a major that had a good earning potential, but I’ve always wanted him to pursue something that he was enthusiastic about. Of course, many people end up doing things that have nothing to do with what they studied in college :)</p>
<p>On her apps, D1 noted as prospectve major the same field my husband is in. He cringed, since career opps are highly competitive. When she registered for classes, she announced he couldn’t sway her. Beginning of freshman winter sem, she tried to declare and they told her it was waaay too early. DH still cringing. We keep trying to get her to experiment; she does try an addl class here and there, but is fixed. DH keeps nagging her to try something with real job opps. We could trade kids for a day. Thing is, she really loves her major. I suspect your son wants that same feeling- that it all is meaningful to him.
You’re right in your concerns; so is he. As long as he keeps in mind settling on some direction, committing to it and doing his best, you both can come out winners.</p>
She is going to work in the business end of the music industry (she has had internships at a management firm & an independent record label).</p>