How did you know that you were in the wrong program/at the wrong school/in the wrong field (or not)?

Student Lounge College Life
1

Warning: this will be a long post

I am a junior studying Medical Biology and I always thought that I wanted to work in healthcare. It seems to suit my strengths, desires, lifestyle choices (as in the crazy hours) and financial aspirations. However, entering into university, I never really felt like I fit in my school and my faculty: I never really felt school pride, I tend to disdain my faculty’s associations, and I constantly wish that I went to another university (not only in general, but I also have a select few that I wish I could transfer to). I never really was interested in the things that other science students and pre-meds/PA/OT/PT/Dental/etc. partake in, such as research, charity work, and am much more drawn to company info sessions, networking and internships. It’s just more grandiose, more stimulating, and more suited to my character.

Long story short, I was never exposed to the business up until now, and I feel such a strong pull towards it, from the tedious work to the hyperextended hours to the ‘‘Work Hard, Play Hard’’ mindset that seems to be ingrained, as opposed to my own field. It has gotten to the point where I regularly skip my classes and am preparing to attend finance and management seminars on my own, outside of the campus. I am reading used books on financial theory (from my school’s free book racks), and I am finding out that these are actual coursework material that I am reading FOR FUN.

I must also say that I really hate my school as it just doesn’t fit me. I stayed home for college (commuter) and it is by definition a commuter school, which I really really hate. Some people might prefer it, but I have been to college town universities and I would just kill to attend one. I have tried, for three years, to get over it, but I have slumped into depression about my program, long-term career, and my school experience. This really is a strange feeling since, from the outside, it seems like I have it all: requisites for medical/PA school, clinical experience, research, volunteer work with the homeless, etc. Yet, I just don’t care. I really can’t seem to generate a spark of even mere excitement with regards to healthcare right now, as opposed to a few months ago when I loved it. I am working in psychiatric and long-term care, and I am transferring to the ER, ICU and Surgical Units soon, as a last attempt to revive my passion.

Although I am aware that I should try to defeat my depression before anything, I would like to know if anyone has made a similar realization this late into college, and how did they deal with their situation. I am going to transfer schools 100% at this rate, but I am scared of leaping into another field, meaning I would graduate not at 22 but rather 24-25. I was on the path to graduating from undergraduate studies with minimal debt, but honestly, I do not care anymore.

If you have ever switched paths, how did you identify what was wrong with your current situation? How did you know that it was your major? Or your school? Or both?

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There is nothing wrong with graduating at 24-25, tens of thousands of students get their bachelor’s around that age. And one reason is that they changed their major late, or multiple times.

You have a few options: (after dealing with your depression.) Finish your degree while taking a few business courses & an internship and parlaying that into a job in business. Or you could try to get a job at a big company that will pay a portion of your tuition to get a grad business degree part time. Or you could take some time off schoo, work full time, save some money, and go back as an undergrad business major. Or you could transfer to another school now and do a business degree, graduate at 24-25 with some debt, which you would presumably pay off because you’d be gainfully employed in business.

There are many choices. Which one sounds best? Most doable? Most affordable? As you ponder those questions, get help for your depression.

And chin up. You know what you want to do. That’s a lot more than many people your age.

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Make sure you aren’t just becoming a professional student, I have seen some go that route where nothing seemed to hold their interest long enough to graduate.

Having said that, I made a major career change at 30, and my life would have been easier had I figured that out 10 years earlier. Don’t just plow through because you feel you are too deep in to change course.

One thought is whether you could transition into the business field from a medical one. I will be honest I don’t understand much about how that world works. But I had a couple of friends who were engineers feeling the same way you are when they were in college. They completed their engineering degrees, and after a couple years got MBA’s. They stil work for engineering firms (who paid for the MBAs) but are working in a business capacity not as an engineer. I don’t know if that is practical for you or not, just a thought.

Good luck.

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It’s not the school, it’s what you do. There is a business side of healthcare, and there must be a bridge to that, even if it’s a wonky bridge. There must be people/resources at your school who have the knowledge base to help you figure it out. If not at your school maybe a hospital or other nearby school. If you keep waiting for it to happen to you, you’ll keep feeling depressed and stuck. If you actively find a way to figure out your path, you’ll feel more empowered. Stop grieving what you don’t have, make the best out of what you do have.

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You can switch careers or combine your interests. Check out Healthcare administration. Get an MBA and work in Healthcare. Talk to your guidance counselor. Don’t worry when you graduate. Get an internship in your new field of study and see if that works out better for you.

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I had the same issue in college. Changing majors this far into the game could have some negative effects since there’s limits on how much financial aid you can take out. I think the best strategy is to finish out your current degree and then go straight into graduate school and get your MBA. This way you can graduate at 24-25 and have a masters degree. You would have both a healthcare and business background, which is extremely valuable.

7

Commuter schools are impersonal, that is true. But remember that the goal is to get an education. If you suffer from depression, “college experience” might not help you at all, especially with a party culture. You’re not meeting real people, just an idealized facade meeting another idealized facade. That’s not going to solve any problems. Naturally, you don’t have to go to that school for graduate school. You can choose something more traditional, but the thing you need to treat first is the depression.

I recommend making an appointment to see a doctor and getting on some medication. Also a few weekly therapy sessions can make a world of difference.

8

I didn’t have the money to put into more years of schooling. As a result I ended up not being able to leave my field of study during undergrad as I’d have had to add another year of college. Everything snowballed from there and I haven’t ever been able to leave the field. This has been a blessing and a curse. I tried several times to leave my field when I entered the professional world–tried very hard – but since what I do is considered “rare” it also makes me very employable in that area almost exclusively.

It’s like being a peacock and no one will believe that the peacock wants to be anything other than a peacock. The thing is, I discovered my freshman year that carrying around that long peacock tail was exhausting and boring and stressful and everyone I meet gets dazzled by the peacock tail and treats me like, well, a peacock no matter how many times I say: may I please try something else? My resume says “peacock” on it and that just accumulated over the years no matter how many attempts I tried at doing non-“peacock” work.

In any event 35 years later, I’ve resigned myself to my peacock status though I refuse to show my peacock tail publicly any more in a useless, headstrong attempt to define myself as something other than peacock. As soon as kids are out of college, I plan to take the financial plunge and do something else. Maybe an owl. Owls are wonderfully creatures, fierce and yet poetic in their softness.

9

I was a liberal arts undergrad and developed an interest in business. As a scholarship student engaged to be married, I couldn’t extend my class time by switching majors. I took a personal finance class and got a marketing minor since that was all I could access as a non-business school student at my college.

Post graduation, I worked at a bank and used the tuition benefit to get an MBA. I must say that banking and business consulting are industries where you may blossom.

If you are close to graduating, try to get accounting, economics or marketing classes in and graduate. Go for the MBA. BTW - I have found that a graduate degree is more valuable than a second bachelors.

10

Make sure you go to your classes. Even if you want to change your major, you need to have a good GPA.
See if your college has some kind of business fraternity.

See a counselor and get your depression addressed.