<p>Hello everyone. I am currently a Sophomore at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and an English major with a Secondary Education minor. However, I am not exactly happy with my current school and major. I was thinking about transferring and switching majors but one major concern I have is graduating in four years. I really want to be able to graduate in four years, so I don't have to spend more money on an extra semester or year at school. I'm not sure what I want to switch in to exactly but I have a few ideas.
1) Linguistics
2) Biology ( to become a Physician's Assistant)
3) Elementary Education
5) Economics</p>
<p>These are a few Majors/ career paths I had in mind (in no particular order) I'm worried that since I just took Gen Eds and a few English classes that I wont have many credits transfer over if I switch Schools, especially if I go in to a new program. My GPA is currently a 3.38. My ACT score is 27. I would like to think I am smart enough to complete any of the majors/programs I listed above, but I am worried that I will struggle. I chose to major in English because it is a subject that I am good at and I thought I enjoyed. I'm starting to realize that I do not enjoy it as much as I thought, and the job prospects for an English major are pretty abysmal. I was looking a UIUC and Marquette University, although I am open to other schools. I just really enjoyed those schools when I went and visited my senior year of high school. I am at SIUE because my high school GPA wasn't too hot (2.8) because I really didn't try very hard. I've worked much harder in college and I want another chance to get in to a better school. SIUE was really one of my last college choices. I really don't like it here and I feel like I would have a better time/ be challenged more academically at another school. However as I stated above, I am worried that I will not graduate in four years and rack up too much student debt, or not be cut out for any of the programs I listed above. I am also a triplet and my brother and sister go to UIUC and Marquette respectively. I haven't talked to my parents yet about transferring. I really want to transfer but I would feel guilty about the added tuition cost. SIUE is one of the cheapest colleges in Illinois so anywhere I transfer will be more expensive. My brother is currently a Physics major at UIUC and my sister is a Biological Science major at Marquette. I feel really guilty about wanting to transfer because the major I am currently studying isn't very highly paid, while the ones they are studying are more lucrative. I'm worried it wouldn't be a huge return on investment for my parents, since they are helping to pay for all of our tuition. I don't want to put my parents through financial burdens but I am really unhappy about where I'm at right now. Can anyone please give me some advice? I would love to hear what other people think about this. </p>
<p>I've always felt a sort of inferiority complex compared to my siblings. I'd consider than both extremely smart, while I've always been kind of the dumb, more social one. I really hate talking to people about school because I feel like such an idiot when I talk about my school and major compared to theirs. I want to transfer to a better school, but I hate the thought of putting that financial burden on my parents and myself. I'm worried I'll fail at a better school or a "harder" major. </p>
<p>I know I sound really whiny and complaining to strangers on the internet won't help, but I'm really just looking for any advice anyone could have. I'm not looking for sympathy and I don't want to come across as whiny or entitled or whatever you might think about this post. Any real and meaningful advice would be greatly appreciated. </p>
<p>Have a great day!</p>
<p>You need to talk to the target schools to find out. Also you need to narrow down your intended major to one or two otherwise it is too much to consider. </p>
<p>I just wish I could go back and start college at my local community college. I’m afraid that if I switch and/or transfer I will end up taking more than 4 years to graduate. But I’m not happy where I’m at and with what I’m majoring in. I just feel really lost and unsure about what to do. Can someone please give me some advice. I feel like I’m on the verge of a breakdown right now.</p>
<p>First, I would call your parents. Just be honest and tell them what your thoughts are. It might make this decision less overwhelming for you. I see from your past threads, you’ve been considering transferring now for close to a year. Or possibly, if you are going home for Thanksgiving break, you may want to do this face to face. Just say that you are investigating making a change in both major and possibly college and wanted to know their thoughts. Tell them why and what you are concerned about. Depending on what they say, you can determine how to proceed next. If they have limitations, (i.e they are willing or able to pay only same amount as SIU, or 4 years, etc) then at least you will know what you are dealing with and start can think of ways to deal with that. For example, possibly you can contribute more to your education, or if you are going to leave SIU, possibly you would be willing to live at home (save some money) and attend your CC while completing all prerequisites or get your AA THEN transfer to the new college. That sort of thing. Or, maybe your parents will be delighted to have you attend the same university as one of your siblings as then they’d be able to see both of you when they visit! Who knows. Point is, you won’t know their reaction until you actually discuss this with them. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, I would also spend some time in your career resources center at school and try to narrow down that list of possible majors to two. Determine if you will be happy with and interested in the types of jobs each might lead you to, and what the prospects of finding such jobs might be. Look into the required courses for each major. If you stay at SIU, when would you be able to graduate if you change to the major? Then look at your targeted schools. Do they offer that major? What are their required classes and their credit transfer policy? When would you be able to graduate there? Are you closer to obtaining one thing vs. another, and does that make a difference in your decision? </p>
<p>Deciding what to do with your life is admittedly a big decision, but if you seriously feel like you are on the verge of a breakdown, please go visit your Counseling center at school. That is what they are there for! But possibly talking all of this over with your parents who love you and want the best for you will be all it takes!</p>
<p>I am on the completely same boat! I have just changed my major to Elementary Education, but am really thinking on transferring too! I am thinking about transferring to a community college and then a state school, and I can still make it out four years (I am a freshman). I am currently at Upper Iowa University. If you like small town and a school that WILL get you out in four years check them out. (uiu.edu) It’s not necessarily working out for me, but maybe it is more your style. I am planning on transferring to the University of Northern Iowa, but state schools are not as flexible as private schools are so I would not suggest UNI.</p>
<p>Thank you @justlookingnow for the advice. I am going home tomorrow for Thanksgiving break and I plan to talk to my parents about it and see what they think. I’ve just felt so overwhelmed with these huge decisions and been too nervous to bring it up to my parents. I’ll talk to them about it this Thanksgiving break and try to come to a decision soon. I just want to be happy with what I’m doing and where I’m at but I also want my parents to support my decision. I think the reason I’ve been putting off talking to them about it is just the financial burden of transferring. Whatever I do end up deciding to do, I just want to make my parents happy. Again thank you for the advice, I really do appreciate it. </p>
<p>I’ve been kind of leaning towards Marquette and the whole physician’s assistant route but I have some concerns. My sister is currently studying Biology at Marquette and she plans on going to PA school. This is really dissuading me from PA school. I love my sister but I just want to do something different than my siblings. I’d feel it would turn into a competition in my head. She is also on better track to get into PA school because she is a Bio major and she is already at Marquette. I feel like if I transfer to Marquette and switch to Bio or some other science field I would be behind her to get into PA school. I know it isn’t a competition and I should just do what makes me happy but I can’t help from seeing it competitively. I feel as though my sister is much smarter than I am and I am afraid I would fail or not do as well as her. Am I crazy for thinking this way? </p>
<p>It sounds like you have some competition issues with your siblings and you are really uncertain about what you want to study. Frankly, CC sounds like a good choice for you while you figure that out. The cost will be minimal and you really shouldn’t get so hung up on the 4 year graduation if you have a clear goal in mind. Just because your siblings graduate in 4 years doesn’t mean you have to match them. Taking some time to reassess may help you go back to college and do even better than you have been so far.</p>
<p>It is useless to compare yourself to your siblings, you are the one who is responsible for what you study and what you want to do in life. What they do should not be a factor in your decisions.</p>