I'm a second term sophomore and I am having a hard time figuring out what I want to do.

Hi. I am currently a second term sophomore who is majoring in Biology. However, I initially came into the school undecided. I’ve always wanted to work in the healthcare field (doctor, PA, or Nurse), but since thats the only thing I knew about growing up, I decided to look into other majors coming into college. So i came in undecided and took many core classes and computer science classes for all of my freshmen year. Then, by the end of sophomore year, I realized computer science was’t for me and I decided to be a Bio major on the pre-health track. I took Bio I and Chem I last semester and got Bs in both. However, after starting the second semester of sophomore year, I realized that I do not enjoy bio at all. My biggest problem now is that i can’t seem to think of any other major that I might enjoy. I want to stay on the pre-health track, but at the same time, I hate all the labs that come with the science classes. If I decided to change my major to a completely different one, other than a science, I cannot fit in all the classes required for the major into my next two years. My school has an intense core requirement that everyone needs to fit in with their major classes. I want to graduate in two years because my parents are already paying a lot right now. I’m having so much anxiety and I can’t seem to focus on anything because I keep thinking about not being able to pass college with good grades and with a major I dont like.

Right now, a lot of people are telling me to major in general sciences because I have a lot of the major classes completed for that major; however, other people are telling me that I can’t get a job with that, especially if I don’t end up in a healthcare program like accelerated nursing after graduation.

Someone please help me because I feel dumb, useless, and extremely unhappy. I’m having so much anxiety that I cannot focus on anything or enjoy myself anywhere.

I’m also considering transferring out, but not knowing what i want to major in is making it very hard for me.

Since I started biology my sophomore year, I am also a little behind compared to my friends who are in the pre-health track. Right now, I just can’t seem to figure out what I want to do. Economics stands out to me since it can land me a decent job after I graduate, but I’ve never taken any econ classes here to decide if i really like it or not.

Hi–I feel for you. Really I do. It’s very hard to weigh all of these considerations.

First: congratulations for getting this far. You’ve done so much already.

Second, let me see if I can consolidate some of what you said–

  • You're not officially prehealt
  • You've taken a lot of bio, but have grown to hate it because of labs
  • It's too late, you feel, to change majors because you'll have to take another year of school because of costs.
  • You feel that you need to choose something that will guarantee you a career immediately upon graduation.
  • You're considering econ because you heard you can get a job in that, but you're unsure that you'll like it.
  • you're behind your peers in prehealth

Whew! That’s a lot of pressure! I think it’s best to simplify some of these issues.

A little background about me: I also got caught in a major because I couldn’t afford to change majors. In many ways, though it was somewhat rewarding, I feel that my career has stagnated because I can’t put my heart into what I do. I don’t really like it. In other words: pay attention to the fact that you don’t like bio – or at least you don’t like bio the way it is being taught to you now. I think that you may want to do the general sciences major, because of this. But that doesn’t mean you are at a disadvantage in terms of careers,I don’t think.

That leads me to ask you–

  • Do you basically like bio/ science aside from the labs? If so , this could be a good career direction. There's so much more to this area than labs and/or prehealth.
  • Is it possible to put aside for now trying to predict your career future? The job market is very tight now, 3-4% unemployment about, meaning there are more jobs than workers currently. (4% unemployment is barely enough workers to ensure that people can change jobs.) The country is a full employment. Knowing that may reduce your anxiety somewhat. You will find a job doing something. If you can put aside the anxiety of employment, that might help you make better decisions about finding if not your passion in college, at least something you don't hate. In other words, within 6 months of graduating you will probably have a decent job, one that pays your school loans, probably. On average first jobs rarely are a person's dream job anyway. They are starter jobs, entry level, the beginnings of long roads of discovery and development ahead. Bottom line: relax about the job issue and look at what REALLY ACTUALLY INTERESTS YOU. Not the oh-my-goodness I can't afford the luxury of doing THAT! It DOESN'T PAY! See if you can put those anxious thoughts aside. You will be fine. I guarantee it.
  • Can you then take the core courses and electives left in your schedule as ways to explore and finding other passions? Sometimes the craziest course in college can lead to the coolest of things, for work. Maybe you find out in your art history class about fungus that grows on oil paintings -- and you go into art restoration/ conservation with your science background. (maybe apply for a summer internship at the Metropolitan Museum of Art--why not? People do "make a living" in these fields . . . ) Or maybe a nutrition class will lead you to explore the role of fiber in the gut. Or perhaps your music appreciation class will lead you to wonder about the structure of the inner ear. Who knows? Yo have time ahead to figure out things that make your heart race with excitement. Science can be applied to all fields.
  • Do you want to go into a nursing program? That's a great field to be in if you enjoy it. It's more varied than just patient care. There're administrative positions, computer science positions, and a whole array of other things, including teaching and policy work, or law. (You can become a lawyer regardless of your field, BTW--high grades, LSAT of 172 = top 10 law school = law career)
  • Prehealth: do not worry about the pace of your peers. They are running their race and you're running yours. There is no deadline or finish line ahead. If you decide to go into medicine or the like, you can always get a post-bac to fill in the remaining prerequisites. Some local colleges / community colleges have relatively cheap postbac programs.
  • Econ: you can take some courses in econ without majoring in it. Understanding micro and macro econ will only help you in your future regardless of what you do. But you don't need to major in it.

Positives for looking for a career for yourself: 1) you have science background combined with 2) computer skills and 3) econ if you choose to take it. You’re pretty much good to go to find a decent entry-level job in higher education or a research organization that doesn’t involve lab work or in an environmental organization or in a corporation that has a science arm or interest, or marketing or a start up of some sort–a wide variety of things. You also can get a position as a paralegal if you begin to consider the legal profession. Or nursing . . . the world is rather huge for you right now.

I think you’re just fine. Best of luck to you. You have a bright future.

Thank you for your response, it definitely made me feel better.

When it comes to Bio, the subject is very interesting, but the intro bio I and II in my school are weed out courses, so the exams are harder than usual. I think that is where I started to hate the subject. I felt like instead of learning, I was just memorizing information just so I can pass the bio lecture and bio lab exams.

I’ve taken many core classes so far, including Art History, and none of them really stood out to me. I think that is why I’m having a hard time too, because I feel like I’m just not interested in anything.

As for the nursing program, I have always wanted to work in a hospital and being a nurse is what stood out to me the most. I think my problem is that I overthink a lot and am afraid I won’t be able to get into any nursing program after I graduate.

After reading your response, I realized how much I have been overthinking everything. Thank you very much!