I hate my major....HELP!

<p>Hello, I am currently in my fifth semester of college. I am majoring in Digital Forensics with a AAS degree. I have one more semester to go (current Spring Semester, and the summer semester).</p>

<p>Thing is, I dislike my major so much I want to quit and pick another major. Why pursue something you don't like anymore?</p>

<p>But at the same time, the fact that I am two classes away from getting that degree is eating me away. Why quit when I should finish what I already started? I just need two classes! TWO! which is Math and a Linux course and those are what I am taking this summer. </p>

<p>The reason I picked Digital Forensics is because I like the criminal justice field and this major, I felt like was right up my alley since I get to be taught about investigating cyber and computer crimes. I went into this major with exciteness...now I have regrets picking this major.</p>

<p>The thing is that the digital forensics field requires knowledge in the Network Security field...sounded easy but then I started to get confused when they started talking about all this DHCP, routers, switches, IP addresses, firewalls, honeypots, DMZ, DMS, and all these other things that I lost interests in even paying attention whenever my instructors lectured. But I always did the homework and always made A's on everything which was the reason I passed all those class throughout the semesters.</p>

<p>All I know about networking is connecting my laptop to a wifi-connection, Ip addresses, and some router stuff but these courses at school are so advanced. </p>

<p>But today that stuff hit the fan....we had a lab assignment today. And I felt lost and confused. I had no idea what we were supposed to do. We were supposed to do some wireless bridging and I had no idea what I was doing. I didn't know the difference between a router and a bridge device, what cables we needed or what. I was at a standstill and it hit me: "You are dead meat! You have no idea what you're doing."</p>

<p>I was on the edge of having an emotional breakdown. I didn't wanna ask the instructor for help because I felt like he was going to call me out on my mistakes in front of everyone.</p>

<p>I felt like such a failure...all that financial aid and time wasted on a degree that I had no idea about anymore and had no interest in it whatsoever. I felt so bad and all I could do was leave the classroom and not finish the lab assignment. </p>

<p>I felt like I went into this because I thought I had an idea of what it would be like but I was wrong. I thought digital forensics was simply taking the suspect's computer, pulling out the hard drive, looking for the evidence and presenting it in course. But it's more than that and I hate it so much. </p>

<p>My original plan was to finish, graduate with a degree and then go back to school and pursue the criminal justice degree which I have high interests in. That, I feel like I know what I am doing and I know all about. </p>

<p>But since I had that revelation today, i was thinking about quiting all together. And just not finish the digitial forensics degree but go ahead and pursue the criminal justice degree...I don't know what to do. </p>

<p>Finish the digital forensics degree which I so hate but go back and do the criminal justice degree? Or quit the digital forensics degree and change my major to criminal justice?</p>

<p>I am not wasting my own money. Financial aid is paying for this...aand I feel really bad since I wasted all that money on nothing.</p>

<p>I don't know what to do...but either way, if I do finish the digital forensics degree, there's no way I am going to get a job with that because like I said, I have no idea or interest with what I am doing. </p>

<p>HELP! What should I do?!?! I feel like such a failure!!</p>

<p>Finish the digital forensics then get the CJ degree.
Seriously, what are you going to do when you get to something you hate on the job…quit???</p>

<p>How much longer would it take to do the criminal justice degree? If you are one semester away from the forensics degree, and you think you can do OK in the remaining courses, I’d tend to complete that and then start the other courses. Will the AAS degree be useful in your desired field, i.e., is it a requirement or at least a valued certification? If so, it could be that the forensics AAS plus your ongoing coursework would be enough to qualify for an entry level position.</p>

<p>Separately, I’d question the rigor of a program that let you get this far without a solid base in networking and related technologies. It seems to me that to work in this field, you’d need stronger tech skills than 99% of the working population of certified network engineers. Are you sure a degree from this institution will be respected by employers?</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

<p>Maybe today was just overwhelming…it happens to all of us. Sounds like you need to go to some of your professors office hours. Every week! It really will make a difference. There may also be peer tutoring available to you!
You can finish this! You never know where this training will lead you…and believe me, many people (me included) have jobs that have nothing to do with their college major.</p>

<p>But showing you started something and finished it is an accomplishment future employers will look for!</p>

<p>First off…ask for help! We all hit a wall sometime! Good luck!</p>