<p>Being distraught at a breakup may also be a sign of underlying depression. Likely OP’s son is upset about BOTH the breakup, and a “bad fit” regarding college and major. Engineers tend to have a distinct personality, and engineering majors are among hardest majors with highest “change major” rates. Perhaps your son realizes that he’s not “engineer material” - no shame in that discovery, and prudent that it happens before he graduates and hates the profession, or drops out of college w/o “plan B”. Sounds like he needs your resound emotional support, and the advice to put all these issues on-hold until finals and semester are over, and then spend summer addressing those issues in serious discussion w/both psychological counseling (to screen for depression) as well as some career assessment/research to decide where to go from here. Let him know that all these issues are relevant and IMPORTANT, but he needs to salvage the semester as best posssible, whether with incompletes or actual completion of his classes.</p>
<p>Can a parent go back with him, and even perhaps stay with him in a motel rather than returning him full-time to dorm to provide emotional support until semester is over or he calms down? I’m assuming this is another week or so. It’s time to provide a little “helicoptering” to get him through this rough patch. I think Seahorse is being a little harsh without knowning the parties personally.</p>