Hello,
I am currently a sophomore studying petroleum engineering. However, I don’t do anything other than study when I’m in school. It was the last school I wanted to go to, and my heart as never felt that I belonged here. I have a few extracurricular activities, but I spend the majority of my time doing homework and preparing for tests, which is the exact same thing I did in high school.
I got accepted into a different school, but my major would be economics. Right now, I’m not sure if I should stick with my school right now and finish my degree in petroleum engineering or should I transfer and start over new. The biggest con right now is that I would graduate later and that I would essentially be starting all over again in terms of starting a new major. But the biggest pro would be that I would get the college experience that I always wanted, going to a new city away from my hometown where I currently study. Is it worth it, or should I just stay here, and later if I wanted, consider grad school and get an MBA? Thanks.
No way to tell with the brief info you’ve provided. Can you afford the other school? If not don’t even think about it. Why would an econ major make you start over? Econ majors usually have more play in their schedule than engineers. Why do you think you’ll be happier at the new school?
What did you go to college for, a social experience? Or to educate yourself further? Why did you think that the homework would decrease in college?
@Erin’s Dad I can, but because my brother is going out-of-state, it would be a greater burden on my parents to pay for both of us. I liked econ in high school, so that’s why I chose it. Right now at my school, it was the last school that I wanted to go to, but I was pressured by my parents to go here because it was the cheaper option.
@albert69, I expected college to be a great experience with making connections with people. Don’t get me wrong, grades are important, but I think connections are even more important. Here at my college, it’s a “commuter” college meaning that 80% of the people leave after classes and go home. The amount of work and sacrifices I made in high school (not going out with friends or partying) made me believe that if I worked hard enough, I would be able to get to go where I wanted to go. 2 years later, I’m still stuck doing the same thing I’ve been doing in high school, which is just study, sleep, and then hit the repeat button. I’ve been involved in clubs, but its just almost meaningless to me. We don’t do a whole lot, even though I hold officer positions, and I spend the majority of my time just doing homework all the time. I didn’t expect it would be easy, but I didn’t expect that it would be even more miserable than high school.
@“Erin’s Dad” I can, but because my brother is going out-of-state, it would be a greater burden on my parents to pay for both of us. I liked econ in high school, so that’s why I chose it. Right now at my school, it was the last school that I wanted to go to, but I was pressured by my parents to go here because it was the cheaper option.
@albert69 also, I don’t if this matters of not, but I no longer feel any excitement when I get a good grade in something. In high school, I remembered that I would really pumped if I got a 100 on some assignment or test. Now, in college, I don’t even get excited anymore. If I do get a 100, it’s more of a “eh okay” feeling rather than happiness that most would experience if they were to get a 100.
Maybe you should consider a gap semester or year. Get a job, take the time to think about what you really want to do. Working a full schedule has a tendency to show education in a better light. 
@Erin’s Dad, I don’t think my parents would agree with that, but I could try.
@Bonehead180 : How are you doing academically at your current University? Are you making new friends at this School? I would recommend sticking it out and keep your major (Petroleum Engineering). In the long run, you will be glad you did. I think once you start the actual Engineering Program and start making friends within the program, you will end up like the School and the program. Hang in there and remember, there are many thousands of College Students who wish they were in your shoes, had supportive parents and don’t have to worry about where the money will come from to pay next semester’s tuition. Make the best use of the opportunity before you. When the big bucks come rolling in in a few years as a Petroleum Engineer, you will look back and ask yourself what was I thinking! You can have a great “College Experience” (over rated in my book) no matter which University you attend…it is totally up to you. You would be surprised how the time goes by and you are preparing for graduation.
As you said, you could pursue an MBA after working as a PE for a few years.
Can you get an internship for the summer or part of next year? That would get you out of your current location, give you professional contacts, and provide a change of scene. You might even earn enough money to have more choice in where you continue your education.
People make a big mistake when they think that they will have a lot of fun in college - especially students who are headed into engineering. That program is famous for keeping students in the lab and library because of the demands of the courses.
@Psata82 I’m doing okay right now. By the end of this semester my GPA would hopefully be between 3.55-3.60. Not the best stuff by any means. The problem with my college is that it is a commuter school, where 80% of the people leave and go home after classes are done. It’s hard to build any meaningful connections when so many people leave after the end of the day. I only have 4 classmates with me right now who I study with on a regular basis. But outside of studying, I don’t have a social life. But I guess that doesn’t really matter. I do get what you are saying though. Even though my heart will never be at this school and that I had 4 other schools I could have gone to, I may have to just suck it up and stick with what I have now. The only thing that I can take comfort in is that my brother did not make the same mistake that I did and he gets to go where he wants to go.
@happymomof1 I tried, but the market is not looking good right now. All I can do is do unpaid research at my school right now.
Why can’t you do an Econ major at your current school? And if you don’t want to stay, why couldn’t you transfer your credits and start an econ major? You should be able to finish it within the remaining 4 semesters. As for the financial impact of attending other schools, that’s something that you and your parents will have to resolve. No one here can tell you how much money is available for your education - just don’t go heavily into debt. And talk to them about taking time off or doing a semester of study abroad where ever you end up - there may not be time for an engineering student to do it, but an Econ major usually can.
What college are you attending now, @bonehead180? I think what I’d do is add up what your parents can afford/year, + the federal student loan ($7500/year as a jr and senior) + any state or federal grants you qualify for + whatever work earnings you can get over the summer and see if you can find any affordable options. What state do you live in?
@N’s Mom I can transfer credits over, but it would still take me a while to graduate.
Do you live in a dorm? Can you transfer to a state flagship university and continue your engineering degree? If you have saved money for two years, your parents might be amenable to your transferring to the flagship school. Your grades are pretty good for engineering.
^^^ If you like your current major, this could be the best plan.
Contact the affordable state Us that have residential facilities, and find out if they are still accepting transfers for the fall. Some take transfer applications through the summer.
@austinmshauri I go to the University of Houston in Houston, TX.
@txstella I do live in a dorm. The school I got into was UT Austin, and their requirements for getting into their program are a lot tougher than here at my school.
@txstella, although I do live in a dorm, no one talks to each other. I rarely see my neighbors and its pretty quiet here most of the time. I’m the one who goes out and introduces myself to others, but they don’t seem to interested.
@happymomof1 I don’t particularly like my major. I only do it because of the money, but if i do stay here, then I’ll keep doing what I have been doing since high school
Try to transfer - perhaps indeed to UT. Since it’s another public university, it should be affordable. Nothing’s worth being that miserable (some of the things you describe indicate you’re getting depressed and mental health is a big deal.) After all, by going to this college, you saved your parents a lot of money, some of that money should be available to you now. Try to transfer to UT for econ, it’s a very good program. Hurry though as deadlines must be soon.
As for PE vs. Econ, the job market for petroleum engineering right now (and in the upcoming years) isn’t that good. There’s still demand, but it’s no longer the money-maker it used to be; demand for oil is dropping (in part fueled by China’s economic problems, which aren’t going away for a while) and the switch to more sustainable energy sources, causing a lot of countries’ oil-based economies to flinch or flag. CleanTech or BioTech have more potential if you’re looking at engineering, and UT is very strong for CleanTech, LOTS of internships and companies in Austin.
Personally, I find Econ a “safer” major. If you happen to attend a university where one of the only “strong” programs is PE, then all the more reason to switch colleges.
As for majors: Econ isn’t as prescriptive and sequential as engineering. If you transfer to a college with gen ed requirements, you’d have done the 1 or 2 course “natural science” requirement, the math requirement, the English requirement, and probably one or two more gen eds. Can you take Macroeconomics and Microeconomics at a local CC (or at your current University, if it’s covered by your scholarship)? Then you’d be in good shape to lose very little credit when you transfer.