My first semester of college has been going rough so far from me. I am feeling rather defeated because of my grades. I have went from a 3.9 gpa in high school to roughly a 2.6-3.3 depending on how finals go. I had 27 hours of credit coming into college and was on the spring semester full time student honor role for my local community college because I had a 3.5 GPA. I am currently in 16 credit hours in my college’s engineering program. Should I consider switching to an easier degree program. I feel like I am learning a lot, and I am getting tutoring, but I am not testing very well.
First, you have to re-frame your thinking. Your high school GPA (and likely your test scores) showed that you were prepared to handle college work, but high school and college GPAs often do not stay equivalent for most students, especially in certain majors. You are an engineering major, which is considered by many, to be one of the most challenging undergraduate college majors that there is, and you are doing relatively well. A 2.6-3.3 range is equivalent to a mid- to high B average. You are more than passing and somewhat above average by that standard.
Before switching degree programs, you first need to consider whether or not you really want to be an engineer. If you really want to be an engineer then you should keep going even if it is difficult and you are not getting the results that you are used to. Keep getting tutoring, go to office hours, study sessions and do whatever you have to in order to get by. You do not need to have an A average to be an engineer. You do have to learn the material and pass your classes at an acceptable level for your school to continue in the program. Once you get a degree and that first job, your GPA will never again be an issue–unless you have aspirations to go on to graduate school.
As far as dealing with your parents, I would say honesty is the best approach, and keeping them informed about how things are going as you go usually helps. You might be surprised how understanding they will be.
First off, slow down. Your finals range is big. 3.3 is a very good GPA for engineering, STEM GPAs are typically a bit deflated from average (humanities are inflated).
High School GPA also has to be taken with a grain of salt. It’s a relative predictor. You also have a ton of credits in the bank as it is.