If you REALLY don’t want to go, your parents are on board, you can get a deferral, and you have some plan for what you will do instead…defer.
Or you can go with the idea you will make a success out of this first year, and either take a leave of absence or apply for a transfer if it doesn’t work out.
What is your major? Did you chose Lowell or Amherst for your college? Past threads indicate engineering is your intended major.
It’s fine if college isn’t for you . . . not everyone needs to go to college. At the same time, you will need a plan which will allow you to have a decent quality of life without a degree – military, a trade, associates degree in some technical area (med tech etc). Two of my family members didn’t finish college (each attended only one year) and they have struggled to make ends meet as adults (neither went into the trades nor do they have any special skills). One is just now finishing college as a 30 year old and says he wishes he’d stuck it out. If you really aren’t feeling ready, I’d defer as your parents suggested and really explore what is right for YOU. It’s your life. The worst thing to do is incur debt and/or spend $$ on college if you aren’t going to finish.
OP- there are lots of other majors in the world that have more flexibility than 4 electives in 4 years! So if that’s what’s bumming you out- change majors!!!
I’m curious to hear the major too. I think there may be a misunderstanding about electives. Even engineering majors with tons of requirements typically have time for 1 elective/semester.
This surprises me. My son is looking at engineering majors, and most of the schools we have looked at only allow for about four (or fewer!) true electives in the four years. Sometimes you get engineering electives, and there are some outside the major classes that are required, but most only have 4 or fewer spots of truly whatever you want to take.
ETA: here is the degree pathway for mechanical engineering at UMass Lowell, which I think is what the OP is doing.
As you can see, there are only four true electives listed, the perspectives classes, and even those are somewhat restricted in what counts.
Wow! That doesn’t offer a lot of flexibility unless a student is coming in with a lot of accepted AP credit.
I’ll PM you so I don’t derail the thread.
It’s kind of a religion on CC that a kid who is strong in math “needs” to start in engineering-- and then switch if s/he doesn’t like it.
But in the real world- a kid who is unenthusiastic about engineering, dreads not having time to study anything else, can’t bear the “restricted” nature of the academic path- it is honestly and truly OK NOT to major in engineering!!!
There are millions of happy educated people in the world who earn a good living and love what they do who never went near engineering in college. It’s really OK. And someone who is reluctantly trudging off to college- and is not excited about their academic choices-- it’s really OK to decide that engineering is not the right path.
Interesting thread but I think the OP already solved their own problem. Take the deferral and do one of the trades for a year. See if you enjoy that. If not, this is your “gap” year working and go to school at that point. I didn’t add in military since I don’t know if you can "try it out for just a year. Maybe National Guard but not my forte.
See my post but another thing both my kids worked first semester freshman and one was taking 18 credits and starting a very time consuming student tech org. Some students are just built to stay busy and yes just wanted their own money. One was in engineering (doesn’t make a difference just saying). It’s all about time management. It was just 10-20 hours a week depending on their study /class schedule. My son was an umpire /ref for sports and his school paid extremely well and my daughter was at a small school and found jobs she could study at like the mail package room pick up that wasn’t busy. She liked getting paid to study and part of her plan. She went on to work as a barista at school and an outside coffee shop. She loved meeting people and since like all students actually found some friends. My son freshman year started a tech org with another person and his friend group came out of that. Mostly the student board members.
My daughter started a club on something important to her and her school about Indian mounds with Anthropology and developed a school trip to different states with students one year around the Midwest. It was awesome.
The reason I am telling you this is that it sounds more to be that you need a purpose. If electives won’t interest you then develop your own interests and trust me people will help and follow you. School doesn’t have to be linear. That’s the point.
I also do not agree college is the best part of your life. It’s not that way for lots of people. But doesn’t mean you can’t make it interesting and enjoyable.
You seem talented and think you might need to look inside yourself for what will truly make you happy.
I told both of my kids to get out of their comfort zone and “Bet on yourself”. Try new things and explore.
OP - one other thought - and I think taking a year or two or forever off school is fine - to try new things, to make your way as you see fit - as long as you can afford to live.
But if you do come back to school - a few things to think about - some schools have engineering technology - which I believe puts more a focus on the actual vs. theoretical - so it might be a better fit for you if you decide to stay in the engineering realm. There’s some low cost publics that offer this major.
The other thing is - at many colleges today, you can co op - so you can interrupt your studies if you will - and get “placed” for several semesters - and there you go building up your resume.
Again, defer, don’t go at all, etc. and do what you need to do for you.
But there are alternatives to the regular majors and there’s also opportunity for quality work experience. Companies are starving for co-op students.
Whatever you decide - chin up, take advantage of your decision so that you accomplish great things, and best of luck.
A sample of major types.
If you’re looking for alternative gap year options, have you thought about AmeriCorps’ National Civilian Community Corps? It’s 10-11 months, your basic living expenses would be covered plus you’d get a small stipend, and at the end you’d get $6k toward future educational expenses which could be college, or a trade school, or something else. There are also other AmeriCorps options that could be a fit: Fit Finder | AmeriCorps.
What about apprenticing to an electrician?
Okay, there’s been a lot of comments since I last checked this so I’ll try and address a few things in one reply.
Yes, the link @MAmomto4 posted is my program. In the last two years, there are a good amount of “tech electives” ie upper level engineering courses, but when I say electives I’m talking about non-engineering-related classes (the “perspectives”). I was considering a minor in history or a language, but they don’t have great offerings (especially for world languages), and based on my previous conversations with my advisor, she’d probably tell me I don’t have time. I don’t have any AP or dual enrollment credits, so with the exception of having tested out of College Writing 1, and having Microeconomics instead of a social studies gen end (which they decided, not me), I’m taking exactly what’s on that page.
I’ve looked into engineering technology, but it’s only offered as a part-time program at my college, which would mean my financial aid disappearing, so not an option. I would be 100% on board with engineering were it not for the fact that it sounds like these days it’s all computer stuff- I want to be in the shop, not on a screen. Still, it seemed like the closest option to what I wanted (and from what I’ve heard, many of UML’s other programs aren’t great).
At this point, my plan is to give it a shot. Like @Lindagaf said, I don’t have another real plan at the moment. If I’m miserable, or lose my scholarship and need to leave, then I’ll have options. It’s just frustrating knowing I’m supposed to be excited and all that.
Also, I’m leaving soon to go out of town for a couple nights, and I’m not bringing my laptop, so when I stop replying, that’s why. BTW
It’s YOUR life. You get to decide.
I’m not sure of your interests, but UMass Lowell’s page on Geotechnical engineering says they have a hands-on approach:
Geotechnical Engineering | UMass Lowell (uml.edu)
Industrial Engineering says the same thing
Industrial Engineering Major | Programs of Study | Mechanical & Industrial Engineering | Francis College of Engineering | UMass Lowell (uml.edu)
It appears there is a process to switch between Engineering majors, which is listed at the bottom of the above page.
Don’t go to college. You are not ready for it and you seem miserable with the thought.
Work, in whatever your interests lie. Save money for whatever your future holds: college, cars, homes, family.
If you decide the time is right, to further your training anywhere, you make your decision based on what you want to do and what feels right.
After your first post, I was inclined to advise you to try college. I have a son who is a generic, straight A without too much effort, kid who told me almost every day in elementary & middle school how stupid school was. High school was slightly better, because he knew doing well was his ticket to college and a better future. He completely changed in college. He loved his major and was sending ME papers - not for help, but because he was proud of them. And, he had a blast his 4 years there. His experience was everything I could have hoped for.
However, upon further reading, this really doesn’t sound like your situation. I am an engineer who was steered into the profession because I was good at math & science. I didn’t know anything else. It’s been OK, but now I wonder if something else would have been better.
Anyhow… reading how you want to be in the shop… And since your parents are on board with a deferral… I would defer and look for other options. Have you looked at advanced manufacturing programs through your area community colleges. We push them heavily for students here. They are all but guaranteed a well-paying job after 2 years, albeit not like an investment banker in NYC, but in our poor rural area, they do really well. And it sounds like it might be up your alley.
While you would have to do college “their way”, I know many electrical engineers who preferred the hands on stuff and are happily employed and well paid as applications engineers.
They solder, solve problems, build stuff --for pay. Every one of them chose this because they loved the lab stuff where they could work with their hands.
Just saying that you may want to find some of the more “practical” careers out, develop the skills for them, get internships to explore them, etc. It might make academics more tolerable.