You are very articulate and seem very intelligent. I would say go for it.
Your mention of not feeling interested or engaged makes me wonder if you have ADHD- has anyone ever suggested that to you? Not to pathologize, but some insights on how to proceed might result if you think about things a little differently and that is one possibility, however slight.
I say go for the CS but I would think it will take a full 4 years. It seems many schools want you to do their full sequence of classes and even those with 5’s on AP’s often take the beginning classes in those sequences.
ps editing to add that there is a huge difference between EMT and paramedic practice for patients: my child with type 1 diabetes was saved by paramedics’ ability to do IV dextrose; EMT’s could only transport (I have been advocating for EMT’s to be able to do glucagon injections w/out success). As for heart issues, paramedics can do IV’s of fluid and meds, injections and of course EKG’s on the spot. I don’t know why your hospital doesn’t make a distinction: out in the field the difference is significant.
@compmom - I have never been suggested that, no. I do, occasionally, take a type of medicine to help stimulate focus ( unprescribed of course :\ ) when I feel like I need it - and it helps extensively. However, I don’t believe that I have clinical ADD/ADHD. I’ve relayed concern to my primary physician one time, and he basically told me to “suck it up”. So theres always that.
I’d rather do 4 years to do something I enjoy more, than another 4 years of something that I am not fully enjoying or being engaged in.
I concur with you about the field differences for EMTs and Paramedics. IM Glucagon is a relatively simple skill, and even EMT’s are taught basics of IV preparations and beginnings. However, to no avail. I dont understand the differences between the why’s paramedics can’t do more advanced things in the hospital setting - but that’s not my place to bring up concern.
About 1/4 of freshman CS majors drop out between freshman and sophomore year at (for ex) UCSD. So my caveat would be that it’s difficult and it’s not exactly what some students think it’s going to be. i.e. more math, principles and concepts and less coding per se. Note that by junior year the number of CS majors swells to nearly 4x the original.
That aside - even getting half way through a rigorous CS program can lead to career opportunities. A friend of mine - his kid was in junior year at a nearby UC. He called his dad first half of junior year with bad news and good. The bad: he was dropping out of college. The good: he just accepted a six figure offer from a gaming company in San Jose. Code a lot and get your body of work up into git hub or similar.
First- kudos for recognizing that health services of any kind are not for you and making the change now instead of taking a slot from someone else who wants the classes. No reason to finish that if you never intend to do the work (physician here, I can understand loving/hating various health care jobs). btw- our son was never interested in medicine- he went a math/CS route.
Your school should have a career advising office. If they do not your local community should have services. You need to take aptitude and interest tests this fall. They will give you career ideas that fit with your interests and personality. You also should know your academic strengths and weaknesses by now This includes finding math and other STEM subjects easy/hard, writing, social sciences, humanities fields easy/hard for you.
You also need to figure out how good you are in math- not just that it may be your best subject, but how you perform relative to other students. Computer science requires a fair amount of math- beyond calculus courses (some are cross listed in both math and computer science departments). There are many ways to be involved in computers. Hardware or software. Programming. Software development. Information Technology. CS is a lot more than learning some computer languages- the ones you currently know show your interest and knowledge of how to learn them On the job you may expect to learn others and never use the ones you know, depending on the company.
The testing can help you figure out possible career paths. Finishing your current program could be useful in supporting yourself while finishing a different course of study. You could be done by the time you can apply and be accepted to a college appropriate for your intended major and abilities. Presumably a lot better paying job than many jobs held by college students!
Short answer- get tested asap. Then you can tell your parents real possibilities based on your profile.
If ADHD meds help you focus, you may very well have ADHD. That was a total stab in the dark on my part but your answer actually made me think you might benefit from that diagnosis. There is no real test for ADHD. The psychiatrists we know just use a questionnaire, which is even available online. There are many different kinds of meds out there, some that are in your system all the time, and some used as needed. When you mention an inability to sustain interest or really feel engaged, I do think it might be worth looking into- and legally!!
You may have a primary care doctor that you like, but his response on this particular subject wasn’t the best. Try to see someone who knows more about ADHD. Psychologist or psychiatrist for instance. Perhaps at school.
If you find a job that does that, let me know. It’s a unicorn.
My advice is to learn to deal better with boredom and ennui, because it is part of life and it’s a needed skill.
I find meditating when I’m stuck doing something boring or waiting for my kids works for me, but for many of my friends meditating drives them crazy because they’re wired differently.
Whatever the solution, recognize that it’s internal, and switching external stimuli might not solve your problem of disengagement.