Hello I'm new and could use some advice

College Confidential Community
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<p>Hi. just found this site (which im impressed with by the way) and I was hoping that some of you could give me some useful advice and I could impart my knowledge on everyone who needs it. </p>

<p>with that being said, I could really use some help:</p>

<p>well here's my story: Im 20 years old and I'm a sophomore. Right now my major is chemical engineering. The problem is that I hate the engineering core classes and the other pre-reqs. just something about sitting in a 50 min class trying to learn something that I cant see or understanding what they're talking about in class conceptually, but when it comes to homework and test, its as if I didnt even pay attention in class (no example problems are done in lectures, just concepts) I really hate these kind of classes.</p>

<p>So you might say why not switch your major? I did freshman year since I entered as an engineering student and due to various academic/disciplinary reasons, I chose to switch majors. So I took an intro Psych, Antro, Econ, Accounting, and Bio class. I didnt do well in any of them (Anthro and Psych since they were boring, Accounting and Econ since I never went to class due to class times, and Bio since the tests were extremely hard even though I knew the material). So at this point since I had already gotten through intro Calc and Chem, i decided to take summer classes and re dedicated to engineering. During the summer I took a Chemistry of Materials class, which I utterly hated because I was disappointed in the fact that the description didnt match what we actually did. I didnt do too terribly in this class.</p>

<p>So 1st semester of my sophomore year i took Calc 3 (which i dropped since the teacher was incomprehensible), physics, computer programming (and other elective courses like portuguese and a gen writing class). I did ok in physics although I hated it every step of the way and programming i barely passed since I have no aptitude for computer programming (Java) and thus had no passion for it (and the teacher didnt have office hours). So my gpa last semester took a huge hit.</p>

<p>Now Im trying to pick myself back up and to refocus on engineering but I just cant stand it anymore. Right now Im taking Thermo, Statics, Calc 3, and other gen eds. I cant stand any major here. I tried nearly all of them (even religion, history). the only thing that a year and a half of college has taught me that I dont have a passion for anything and that the only reason im doing engineering is because its the only thing that remotely interests me (even though Im bombing every class their is in the program).</p>

<p>So i need help. Idk what to do. I thought that as long as I kept my interest in chemistry that I would be ok, but thats actually fading away. I dispise computer programming, Im ok in physics albiet ive only taken 1 class in my entire life. Idk if I should switch type of engineering so that I would have motivation or should I just quit college all together or what. I cant take this anymore!!</p>

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<p>I’d say that 20 is a watershed time. I think that you’ll soon see that you can almost say that “maturity” is a euphemism for lowering one’s expectations. Your expectations of what major is fulfilling, of what you find enjoyable, and what you would want to do for a career, should regress to a degree that you’ll be able to buckle down and study something without hating your life, because you’ll know that there’s nothing else. Back in the day, I’m pretty sure that they gave people like you (disillusioned males) - F’s in their classes (engineering of course) instead of the D’s and C-'s that you’re getting now, which forced them to drop out instead of merely strongly encouraging them to change majors, which allowed them to get their heads together real quick instead of wasting their time taking a bunch of other, perceivably easier classes in other majors that they have even less interest in, as you did (which your university profited from). A lot of professors, even, have had that experience due to a lack of maturity when they were young (i.e. expectations of the personal fulfillment of their major too high). </p>

<p>And about those “concept” based courses where going to lecture is virtually useless, I think the pretense there is that someone highly intelligent should be able to absorb what he sees in class and use it to tackle his exams using what they call “critical thinking”. So that’s their angle on this, AFAIK. As a student, this means that you should get ahead on everything in the class so that you’ll know for a fact that the professor is lecturing on something inane instead of sitting there trying to absorb it like it’s important. You’ll feel a lot less stupid when you see that a lot of times they’re making things a lot harder than they need to be, and your understanding will be enhanced on those things where they do lecture effectively. Basically, there is never really “par” - you’re either ahead, or you’re behind. No middle ground.</p>

<p>I just told you the same thing that practically anyone else here would tell you, but hopefully I helped you see it from a different angle than just “you have to do what you love, do that and you’ll never work a day in your life!!!11”.</p>

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<p>hi
i have no clue where to ask a question somebody please help
does anybody know if giving my babysitter a 1099from my w2 will help toward my fasfa</p>

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<p>I completely understand what you are saying Whistleblower1 and agree with most of it. However, Im just at a loss since I bascially hate college from the engineering classes to the other stupid gen ed classes and the lack of social life that isnt ■■■■■■■■. Idk, i thought that once I get through the classes I thought were stupid, then id enjoy my Chem E classes, but it looks like i wont even get to those since I keep bombing my tests left and right seems like, not due to a lack of studying, but because I just dont care about any of that science stuff. It may seem like “Then why did you get into engineering in the first place? Dont you know what it is?” and basically no i didnt. I was going to originally be a chem/pre med in high school but my guidance concelor told me to get into chemical engineering (tada! here i am). no passion for this stuff, my grades are basically **** and i strive really hard to do well even in things i dont like, but it just doesnt work out</p>