I’m going to be a junior and am currently a toxicology major. I transferred after my freshman year because I was unhappy with the way things went at my previous school. Honestly the grass isn’t always greener but I don’t think I can transfer again.
I need to be certain on a major fast. After some research, it seems like toxicology is not a good option for me. I don’t want to have to go to grad school to get a good job and I don’t really want to do something boring like being a lab tech.
I’m the kind of person who gets really passionate about something for a few weeks and then just forgets about it. I’ve been super depressed lately because I don’t know what I want to do with my life. Nothing really seems to peak my interest and I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed anything.
If I had to list things that I would want for characteristics of a job it would pretty much be; control over my hours, fun, challenging, good pay, get to work with good people, etc. I am an athlete and really enjoy sports, but I know that coaching and exercise science are bad choices. I loved AP physics and Calc in high school but I can’t see that getting me the kind of job I want.
There are a wide variety of careers that can be fun, challenging, flexible, pay well and allow you to work with great people. Much of that is really dependent on the work environment itself and is not determined by your major - an art history major may be just as likely to get all of that (perhaps besides high pay) as a computer science major.
Do you actually like toxicology? Because majoring in that doesn’t doom you to either graduate school or lab work. There are a variety of other things you can do, especially if you develop some marketable skills and do an internship or two before you graduate. If you are a rising junior, you still have time to do a summer internship next summer and maybe even pick one up during the school year to learn some skills. You could also learn some basic computer programming, statistical analysis, writing (especially technical writing), a foreign language, or some other skill that can make you marketable in a field you like.
At this point, it may make more sense for you to stick with the major that you’ve selected unless you have the funds to take an extra semester or year to graduate. An option would be to switch into something closely related to toxicology, like chemistry. Or you could see whether you’ve got enough credits in any one field to give you a head start on another major. It just kind of depends on your grade distribution.
Also, you sound like you have some symptoms of depression, so I’d try to talk to a counselor - either at college or at home over the summer. It’s not uncommon for college sophomores to not quite know what they want to do with their lives. That’s normal. At best, you are - what - 20 years old? I don’t even know what I want to do with the rest of my life, and I’ll be 31 this summer. I have a good job that I enjoy and that pays me well and I didn’t even know this field existed when I was in college. I was a psychology major! Few people know right now what they will be doing in 5 years, much less 10-15, and especially not while they are in college exploring everything and learning about themselves.
(Also, physics and math are definitely majors that can get you a job with the characteristics you want, so if you are interested in those things, consider changing your major to those. Mathematical skills are highly prized on the current job market!)