I am almost done with my first semester of my sophomore year at a 4 year university. I’m just gonna be 100% honest, like probably a lot of other college kids I have no freakin clue what I’m doing. Or better yet, I’ve had a clue, rather several that just fizzle out due to sudden disinterest or research surrounding each field. I came into college with a bright-eyed perspective that I was going to work with special needs kids through special education, but I suddenly realized oh wait I don’t actually want to be a teacher, especially not with the burnout rate that special ed teachers in specific have… Continuing with my idea of special needs I thought okay, lets think of another career that has a better career outlook and possibly pays better. Okay how about speech pathology, except for the slight problem that I have absolutely no interest in that career, just the slight possibility I could work with special needs. I’ve contemplated so many things in such a short amount of time and as much as I want to be set in stone on something, I can never get to that point. I thought about going home and getting a degree in a technical program but honestly that is such a bad idea for someone who can’t possibly stick to one thing. I’ve been thinking about nursing and I really like the idea of it, but I also understand there will be a lot of sacrifice made by me while in school and out of school as well. I don’t mind the in school sacrifice, as it is for a good cause, but it makes me sad to think that one day I might not be able to watch my kids grow up because of the 12 hour shifts. I want a career where I can help other human beings on a personal level, without sacrificing my well being in the process. Is there even a career that fits the description?! Please don’t be mean, I know I may sound like a whiny 19 year old but these are legitimate concerns. Any adults on here, just try to remember how it felt for you at this time in your life. Thank you you guys.
My cousin and sister are nurses. They see their kids. Any job you get is going to probably mean time away from your kids. There are nursing jobs that have more routine hours, like at doctor’s offices.
Speech paths see their kids too.
Those 12 hour shifts aren’t every day. I know so many nurses who love their work. As their careers grew, some were able to have more control over hours or use their experience to move into different roles. But you need to learn more about the work, the opportunities, the settings, etc. And other ways to help people. Use your school’s career services.
It sounds like you are describing a trade school more than a 4 year college. Most people change their minds about majors and careers as they learn more in college and that is a good thing to enjoy.
Nursing would be a good career with your stated interests. There is a shortage of nurses and nurses can work in a wide variety of settings, many that you would never imagine at your level of training in that they are not stereotypical nursing jobs. And few nurses work so much that they cannot raise their kids. But nursing has a fairly rigid curriculum that has little in common with education majors so the sooner you decide the better.
You might want to take advantage of career counseling at your university, shadowing opportunities, internships, etc. so that you can get more of a first hand viewpoint.
You don’t have to be a nurse on 12 hour shifts.
You could be a school nurse, with teacher’s hours.
You could be a nurse in any of a huge variety of settings, from home care to hospitals.
It sounds as though something within you is calling out to work with and for people. Don’t let go of that without a fight.
Agree on the nursing being a good choice. I have a friend who went back to school and got her nursing degree when her kids started school. She’s now a pediatric nurse in a NICU at a great hospital, and she does the 12-hour shifts, possibly even more hours, but she works, like, six days a month, a couple of times compressed together, and then the rest of the time, she’s off. Some weird rotation, I forget exactly. My point is, the shifts are variable depending on your specialty. (And sometimes you don’t mind being away from your kids at all, haha)
Wow, thank you everyone! All of these answers were extremely helpful. 
Parents are faced with tough choices on how to juggle work and family. There are multiple ways to raise a family.
You can utilize in-house daycare at your workplace, employ family to watch your children, etc. I remember a family that had both parents working, but they alternated work schedules so a parent was always with them. The mom was a nurse who worked weekend 12 hour shifts. It worked for their family. Nursing is also great because you can drop to PRN (as needed) status for a while, then jump back in to part or full time later.
Look for flexibility in a future career. Not that it has to be the top factor, but you should consider stress levels and flexibility.
BTW, I know a lawyer friend who managed to negotiate a part-time job as counsel for a small company. Not a law firm, but a small company that needed its own lawyer. Once she had a child, she wanted to work from home one day a week, and have one day off each week. She was a hard worker and proved she could handle the workload.
Good luck discovering your options.