I regret my school choice and I regret my major... Need advice from all faculties (Long post)

Student Lounge College Life
1

So when it came to choosing my university, I decided to pursue the pre-med route and to stay at home: pursue a typical life sciences degree at my local university and stay at home to save money. Coincidentally, my local college is a commuter school, famous for the ugly campus, and the lack of school spirit. I thought it wouldn’t be that big of a deal and I would be fine.

It has been a disaster, to say the least. I am not happy with my university experience, I do not feel any school pride, and my grades did not excel in the first year. I feel terrible because these are supposed to be the most fun years of my life (as in socially) and I feel like I am spending them looking forward to leaving my hometown for good. In terms of professional development, I am progressing well and advancing my agenda, but I just feel like I could have had a better experience (albeit more expensive) in a college town, where rent was less expensive (I am trying to move out), parties were better, and people were proud of their school.

Furthermore, I am not sure whether or not this was the right major for me. I know, through extracurriculars and clinical work, that I love medicine. It is my calling, it is where I feel natural. But, as a science major, I cannot help but regret my faculty’s seeming lack of glamour: no networking events, no money (students looking for research, you know what I mean), and an overwhelming sense of sacrificing everything for our goal of getting to professional school. Some are happy with this, but I am truly not, especially when comparing it to the business kids who seem to have all the money, glamour, and fun/social networking oriented undergrad experience.

I am already a junior this fall of 2018. I am considering forgoing my dream of medicine and transferring to another school, to major in my initial passion for medical tech/computing. I am aware I could have done that on the way to medicine, but in high school, I thought there was only one good path. I have tailored my program to include more computational biology, physiology, and statistics via a specialization, but I am aware that the undergrad, especially in science, is but a stepping stone. It just sucks that mine won’t be accompanied with a lot of fond memories (although I have made friends for life).

Any insight? Is it just that the grass is greener on the other side? Or am I just being lazy with regards to hard work? Is it too late to start over again? I would like insight from students of all backgrounds, as I want to understand if my perception of other faculties is skewed by my perception of perhaps only the bright side.

2

Since you’ve made it this far, I am not sure that transferring is the right path or even possible at this point. There is a lot to consider:

1a) Most schools have the equivalent of 2 years residency requirement. So if you transferred after your junior year, you would have at least two more years to go.
1b) That is even if all your classes transfer and you do not need to repeat any courses. Transferring may not be a smooth transition in that respect. 2 years could become 2.5 and then 3, etc. Financially, this could cause some issues especially if you meet the limit for federal aid, etc.

  1. What about study abroad? What about a student exchange at a different university? Many universities have agreements with other schools that allow students to spend a semester or year at their institution. That can satisfy the college experience that you are craving.

  2. Yes the grass could always be greener, but really every single adult that I know preferred their time in graduate school (yes, even med school) to their time in undergrad no matter where they went—Yale, Harvard, UC Berkeley, random state u with no school spirit. Doesn’t matter. The rest of their lives seemed to get better with each year, too.

  3. In terms of major & passions, meet with your academic advisor and see if there’s any way to meet your goals at your current school better—maybe a minor in computer science? That’s not my field, so I don’t know specifics but might as well see what you can do to prepare yourself best for desired grad school. Maybe not med school but something else. Again, not STEM at all so no ideas for you here.

  4. You’ve made lifelong friends, you have strong ECs you are passionate about, sure your freshman GPA wasn’t the best but it’s time to step it up and go in full force. Make the best of it. You have your whole life ahead of you to move to cheaper cities and be surrounded by passionate people.

  5. if none of my other suggestions seem reasonable, talk to your advisor and see what you need to do to graduate as early as possible.

But really, work hard, create your own good memories. You are where you are, and you could be having a lackluster experience at Harvard right now. Excel in your field to open up as many doors as possible. I guarantee you things won’t be so bad looking back.

Also, if you think you might be experiencing some depression or other mental health issues (not an armchair diagnoses, more of an aside) a visit to the counseling office might be worthwhile. Get the best experience possible.

3

First, nobody every knows what years are “the best of their life.” I happen to believe, “the best is always yet to come.” It’s all in your attitude. You never know what is ahead. It is true, you didn’t get the undergraduate experience of your dreams but honestly it’s a little late for that now. You can’t go back and be a freshman out of high school leaving home and saying goodbye to your parents at the dorm.

You are so close to the end and it sounds like you have carved out a successful academic path. Keep going. The best is ahead for you!

4

I attended a commuter college for my whole college career. I had fun outside of college, mainly with work friends. Get a part time job at a fun place like a restaurant. Meet some people, develop a social life outside of school. Finish your degree and get more training if needed. At this point, you are probably best off getting the degree.

5

If you have made friends for life you have fond memories. If it is that you aren’t living the frat boy party hearty movie-version of college, surprise: most people don’t.

I am not in the ‘college is the best years of your life’ camp. Those years can of course be fun and happy- which as @Lindagaf points out can happen in a lot of ways- but honestly imo it would awful if age 18-22 was as good as life ever got. The women in my family typically live to 100- to think that it was down hill for the next 80 years would be too depressing- and would fly in the face of their example. My grandmother did give up golf- at 90 (after winning a local tournament). My mother started her 2nd (and ultimately more glamorous) career after her youngest child had left for college. My in-laws drive their kids crazy by popping up in one amazing travel destination after another, traveling with the life-long group of friends they made back when they were your age.

If the hard graft of doing science looks like a drag beside the flash and sizzle of business, finish your degree and go into pharmaceutical sales.

6

I’m all in favor of introspection and a bit of self pity from time to time. The first can be healthy and keep you going in the right direction. For the second, get a pint of Ben and Jerry’s and put Springsteen’s Glory Days on a loop for about an hour.

For the introspection part: Think about some of the other wonderful ways you could work in the medical field. Nursing perhaps…still a ton of hard work but many people find it more rewarding than the physician route. There’s also a lot more freedom in the lifestyle and jobs everywhere. It can be hard to let go of the passion that we latch on to in high school but it’s important to recognize that as you mature and continue your studies, your interests are naturally going to change. Even if you stay on the med school route…at least you’ll be going in sure that this is what’s right for you.

I’ll add myself to the best years of my life were not in college camp. I went to a school that was a bad fit in many ways but there are memories that I cherish and it set me up for the great stuff that was to come.

7

Hey, @OhWhatsHerName thank you for the insight! I have no idea who you are but that really helped! I think you’re right, I will have to double down and make the most out of it! I just hope it is all worth it

8

Hi, @collegemom3717 thanks for the words! I supposed it isn’t the whole frat party ideology, but maybe rather school/academic events with a bit more flair and a more grandiose nature, but I guess that is the nature of my faculty. I’ll take your word up to it and I hope that it does get better!

9

@Lindagaf I think that I will finish my degree, you’re right to suggest that. I just don’t know where it will take me but I will work hard to see!

10

@Otterma I, fortunately, work in a clinical setting so I get to see nurses all the time! Sadly, I am fully aware I would be unhappy as a nurse, although I did think of switching. I believe I will stay on the medical school route, I think I just need to perhaps get over a rough mental patch! Thank you nevertheless!

11

@Empireapple I hope my time will come! I am not sure where this takes me, but I guess you’re right: I shouldn’t cry over spilt milk.

12

Remember that you can get to med school as a music major, or history major, or whatever. Not sure if it’s too late to change or if you have any alternative that you prefer.

It sounds like you have the GPA and work experience needed for medical school. Focus on keeping up the grades, prepping for the MCAT, and nailing down some solid recommendations. College will be done before you know it.

13

fv1998…of course your time will come! There are amazing things in your future! Hold onto that - just think…isn’t it really wonderful that your time and your best is still out there? What if the amazing time was your first two years in college? It would be over. For some, they may have already peaked. You have so much to look forward to! I promise you…the best is yet to come! You’ve done a great job and are on your path which is the perfect path for YOU!

14

^Love that post, @Empireapple. You don’t want to be like my FB friend whose profile photo is of herself wearing her HS cheerleading uniform - more than 30 years after we graduated! Yikes.

15

You make me laugh out loud MaineLonghorn! Love it!

16

You could always look at universities with a bioinformatics major (that’s what you’re interested in is called AFAIK) and see if they’d be affordable, send send a couple applications. Perhaps just going through the process will get the will out of your system.
Sounds like you like your friends, have clinical experience, are doing well academically: perhaps it’s not worth it but you might not realize it till you have a choice and you actively CHOOSE to stay (or choose to go, if that’s what you end up doing).