<p>Anyone else sometimes have regrets? As a junior, I feel like I made the BIGGEST mistake of attending college right after high school. I feel like I should have taken at least a year or two off and discover myself.</p>
<p>Why? Because I feel like I'm in a MAJOR DILEMMA, pun intended. I never found the right major. I came in thinking that I would love English, then during second semester of Freshman year I decided I hated it after I got a C+ in my freshman writing class. An English major getting a C+ in writing?! How embarrassing!</p>
<p>But all of the other majors I experimented with (linguistics, journalism, psychology, sociology) I just HATED all of them. EXTREMELY HATED THEM. I returned to English and realized that I hate it too. I never found my niche. I made the mistake thinking because I loved to read and write that English was for me, but in all honesty, I DESPISE analyzing novels. I just love reading them as they are. I hate class participating and offering my thoughts and feelings on the books. I really don't care for sharing. And I can't stand the intellectual blowhards in class because they make me feel inferior. Thus I remain silent.</p>
<p>I think I'm mad at myself because I didn't pursue what really interested me: Biology. I seriously saw myself being a biology major but my math skills were just AVERAGE in high school. But I did so well in chemistry and biology in high school and loved it so much. I didn't have the confidence to pursue it; I didn't have faith in myself.</p>
<p>My dream isn't to sit behind a desk and do data entry and take phone calls. Or to write online blogs for a magazine or newspaper. I wanted to get into medicine or anything related to the health care industry. I want to work at a hospital. That's why I want to go to graduate school to become a Speech Therapist at a hospital -- to work with children, veterans, people who suffered with strokes. But I screwed up so much with different majors that I don't even see that becoming a dream-come-true. My university doesn't even offer such a major, which makes me think I just made a huge mistake entirely -- wrong school, wrong major, etc.</p>
<p>There really isn't any point to this post, but I just felt like I needed to vent my frustration because I'm going through a difficult past two days. I feel like I need someone to talk to, but find it so hard to reach out. I'm so screwed up right now that I seriously contemplated taking the train back home after my last class at 6 this evening so I can be with my parents. I feel like I might do something stupid if I stay here.</p>
<p>Does anyone have any major regrets? Whether it be the school you went to, the major you chose (that you hate and is now stuck in or else you might have to graduate later)? Anything?</p>
<p>I don’t have any “major” regrets, per se [punches self in balls for using per se], but there are aspects of Midwestern culture I find contemptible compared to things I’m familiar with in New York.</p>
<p>Mushaboom- Sorry to hear of your frustration and difficulty. You may have chosen the wrong major, but that really is a solvable problem. You are still young and have the flexibility to start a new curriculum. At most, you might need an extra year or two of classes, which may sound horrendous now, but if you look at the scope of the next 40 years of your working life, it is a drop in the bucket. many of your credits are probably requirements or core classes, so you might be able to just focus on the sciences from now on.</p>
<p>Can you make an appointment with a college dean or counselor to discuss the logistics of your dilemma? Would your parents support your idea for a change, or be angry?</p>
<p>Do not think you are stuck for life with your current major. You might have to pay or take loans for your desired new path, or do summer school, but in the long run it is worth it.</p>
<p>Start now by looking at what kind of bio-related job you would like. Bio-tech companies like Genentech, Genzyme, etc., are huge and growing and will always need well-trained workers. Some parents would be delighted to see their D or S move to a more employable major! Good luck.</p>
<p>Wow. I think you just described my life in the next 2 years before it will actually happen. I don’t have any regrets currently, but I’m confident I will in the coming years exactly as you describe.</p>
<p>Yeah, I regret not working harder in 7th grade math and science courses. If someone had told me that **** actually mattered (and had some sort of proof that it does), I’d probably be in engineering right now.</p>
<p>My major regret is getting in trouble with the school and getting kicked off the soccer team because of it and having a disciplinary record. </p>
<p>I love my majors, always did. Although I am a bit tired of all the reading associated with my majors. I am also interested in religion though, and wish I took more of those classes so I could triple major.</p>
<p>At my school, for an arts and science major, you only need 30 credits. Meaning it is possible to switch junior year and take 2 or 3 summer courses to catch up. If you know what you want to do for grad school, see what the program requires and go from there. Some grad programs don’t have requirements for majors. For instance, law school does not require a specific major, just a B.A. If you only need 30 credits for a major, I wouldn’t get so worried about it. College is about finding what you want to do. If you’re stressed, take a semester or two off, maybe study abroad, do a semester at another school (U of Hawaii offers guest semesters). If you take time off, think about taking intro courses at a CC, or intern. </p>
<p>There are plenty of people in the same predicament. If all else fails, pick something you have the most credits in, major in it, and apply to grad school programs you are interested in.</p>
<p>I completely agree with you about analyzing stuff. I don’t mind analyzing the significance of Elie Wiesel’s Nobel Prize speech and its possible effect on its listeners. But when it gets down to symbolism or how the author used the word “suffering” as a parallelism. It’s there because he WANTED there for christ’s sake.</p>
<p>Anyway, I don’t think it’s too late for you. I assume you’re still around my age. Are you going to let your average math skills prevent you from doing what you want? I want to attend a prestigious grad school doing research in renewable energy. I have to admit, I hate the road that I have to take to get there. For example, I hate thermo. I got a 58% on the first test. (average was 49. but still, my friend got an 84) But I find that if I work hard enough at it, I find it not so bad. you can’t expect a road with 0 obstacles. Bottomline: following your passion > being steered by your weaknesses.</p>
<p>Lastly, you’re not the only one. I know a guy who did his undergrad in construction engineering. He suddenly realized that he not only hated his major, he was also wracking up loans. Now, he’s back in college doing pre-med. Yea I bet he can’t wait to see the bills for med school. I guess the best suggestion I can give you is man up girl, see the problem and do something about it.</p>
<p>awww, Mushroomblue, I remember you from the Rutgers forum when I thought I was going there. Ended up at Rowan instead to save money.
Well, I’m going into my third year of engineering, and it will be a regret if I end up not being able to get my BS because it’s too hard. </p>
<p>But I think if you like biology, you should pursue it. Biology doesn’t require as much math as the other sciences, I think you might only have to take up to calculus I. I wasn’t very good at math before since I did not have the opportunity to take Algebra1 or 2 in highschool, but if you are decent with algebra, calculus is easy enough. </p>
<p>Rutgers is the biggest school is this state, so I would think you have the most options there. </p>
<p>fauve: I will go see someone in career services about my major in about a moment. My parents will probably support me, but at the same time be a bit frustrated that I keep switching majors.</p>
<p>tiff90: I plan to study abroad next Spring. I was already accepted. I think part of the reason why I’m so reluctant to go seek counseling on campus is that if my parents find out they will not want me to go abroad. My father didn’t like the idea of me being in Europe for half the year.</p>
<p>ISUClub: You’re right. I shouldn’t let my average math skills get in the way. But I do fear calculus. I fear the WHOLE math department here at my school. I think everyone does. The joke here is that it is the math department’s job to fail everyone.
**
Scorpioserpent:** I do LOVE biology. I will have to try and see how I can arrange my schedule so that I can switch. I don’t know if it will be possible, and I don’t think I like the idea of putting my parents to pay an extra 22,000 but I will see. Thanks for the “luck”! :)</p>
<p>Thank you everyone else that responded. I’m feeling a lot better this morning than I did yesterday!</p>
<p>Cheering for you and your journey, MushaboomBlue! It is good that you came here, spoke about your concerns, let others support and encourage you. You only have to put one foot in front of the other to get on down the road. Your pace may be slower, and you may have stopped to smell the flowers/look at the view along the way, but you will get there.</p>
<p>About your parents: mainly they want you to have a good life, to be successful doing something you enjoy, to be a good human being and citizen. If they see you being proactive, they will be reassured. You are taking concrete steps today, and that is excellent. Guaranteed.</p>
<p>There are good math tutors available, who can help you through those more difficult courses. You may be surprised to find that math is easier for you now than it was earlier…brains mature in how they learn different subjects at different rates. Regardless, you can find a way to do what has to be done.</p>
<p>I meant more meeting with an advisor/career counselor. I would guess you have a career center. The people at the CC can be helpful. Check out a career fair.</p>
<p>It’s pretty clear what you have to do. You know what you want to do, so start finding out what you need to do to get a Biology degree. If you don’t make the change now, you’re just wasting more time, and are going to regret not taking action now.</p>
<p>I know it doesn’t seem fair coming out of an engineering major, but calculus ain’t that bad. BTW I have recommended this website to all of my past tutees, as well as many friends.</p>
<p>I agree with you, i think a gap year would have done wonders for me, or even a postgrad year. I am stuck in a school that does not suite me and it sucks. I only looked at the name and prestige, i didn’t even visit and check it out</p>
<p>Before College, Not taking the SAT seriously. </p>
<p>For college
Not making arrangements for 3rd year housing until it was too late.
Not getting to know this girl better, shudda asked her to do stuff with me early soph year</p>
Mushabooooom, I’m going to tell you right now that when you study abroad, you’re going to find what you like and what kind of a person you are. It’s a great experience! Studying abroad will be one of the things you’ll never regret. You’ll probably come back from Europe with a better idea of what you want to do. Speaking of which…I have to stop by the study abroad office today. </p>
<p>I think for Biology you should only have to go up to Calc II. Besides, after you take Calc II, you can pretty much change between science majors other than Chemistry and Biomedical Engineering, etc. I was a really average student in high school and performed well in Calc II! You can do it too!!
(I really despise analyzing novels as well.)</p>
<p>I’m not sure if I have any regrets yet, but we’ll see.</p>
<p>Mushaboom – Could you take calculus at a community college over the summer? At most schools, you could take a full year that way, and with nothing else to concentrate on it might go better. (Side rant: I still don’t understand why biology requires calculus. The Brits manage to get kids through excellent biology degrees without calculus, and I don’t understand the US fascination with it for subjects where there isn’t much of any need for it.)</p>
<p>To try and avoid too much extra time in school with the major change, you might want to do some serious investigating of what courses applicable to the biology major requirements you can take while on study abroad, and sit down and plan out a schedule accordingly for this spring, summer (if you decide to go the summer school route) and next year. I would assume that you’ll also need to take General Chemistry and biochemistry.</p>
Studying abroad will be one of the things you’ll never regret. You’ll probably come back from Europe with a better idea of what you want to do. Speaking of which…I have to stop by the study abroad office today. </p>