What should I major in? Completely lost and stressing out

College Majors
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I’m lost on what to major in and I’m stressing out. I tried college once and didn’t do so well, and now I’m going back. I want to do an associate’s because I’m 22 and really need to um, be adulting and want to be at my local college for the same reasons, but I can’t decide! Here’s a list of the associate’s at my local school.

Business Administration
Computer Information Systems
Dental Assisting
Dental Hygiene
Information and Library Science
Justice Studies
Liberal Studies
Medical Laboratory Technology
Mental Health and Human Services
Music: Contemporary and Popular
Public Administration

I am leaning liberal studies as it might help with my indecision and a lot of the classes seem interesting, but I’ve heard that it might be “useless”(I’m sure not entirely, but yeah). I thought about library science, but I’m really annoyed because it’s entirely online and I would much rather learn in person. If I’m being really honest, I can’t picture myself in any job in the future, not at least anything realistic(I can see myself as a zoologist or something, but yeah). I have interests, but am trying to figure out to translate them into a job. So, random facts!

-I’m really good at learning languages, but am not fluent in any yet
-I love reading about history and anything pertaining the worlds’ cities and cultures
-Weather fascinates me as well!
-My holland code is AIR, MBTI INFP, and my top 3 learning styles are intrapersonal, natural, and verbal
-I enjoy arts and crafts in my spare time, like collages, drawing and decorating
-When I previously did college, I did cooking and I did well in it(I did poorly in other classes), but it’s not really a passion of mine anymore. I liked mixing flavors together, but grew weary of the hands on work. I switched to graphic design for a little bit, and despite liking art I did not do so hot
-I enjoy learning about psychology, but am not a people person

Also, they do have some certificates but I hear they’re more a boost for a major you’ve already done. They have domestic service, French, a library certificate(still online ughh), and international service which did seem interesting.

Please give a girl some advice!!

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Some of these will get you a job like Dental Hygiene, but some like Liberal Studies are a stepping stone to a 4 year college. Do you want to get your Bachelor’s from a 4 year college? If so, then Liberal Studies would be great. Do you want to be a Dental Hygienist? Then Dental Hygiene would be great.

Typically to be a librarian you need to go to grad school and get a Masters of Library Science. I guess one of these Associates or Certificates might help you get a job as a page in a library.

There’s no reason you can’t be a zoologist if that is something you are interested in. If you wanted to do that from the Associates you list I’d do Liberal Studies, but do they not offer an Associates in Science? That would be the most appropriate. Then you would go on to a 4 year school.

My oldest has been taking classes at Community College also and right now is working on an Associates in Fine Arts possibly with the idea to transfer to a 4 year school afterward, but is also working pretty much full time (30ish hours a week) at Starbucks. Do you have a job? If not get one. You will probably find it motivating.

Contact your local college and talk to an advisor and they can help you figure out your path forward. In our area the community colleges have articulation agreements with the 4 year public schools so that you can transfer from Community College after getting your Associates and enter 4 yr college as a junior and you don’t lose any of your credits. The advisor will know all the pathways for you to do that.

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Thank you! I’m a bit undecided about the bachelors, honestly. I wanna move out of my parents out at some point, so it’s like I want quick results. But I know logically, an associate’s is going to take two years anyway. I think I’m a bit afraid of a bachelors tbh because it feels like in 4 years I’m going to be 26 and I’ll just now have gotten that degree. I already feel so behind at my age, and I hate it. It would help me get into a job I like though. I’m thinking I could possibly get the liberal studies degree while getting a job that pays just enough to get me out of my house, then work my way up to a bachelors. Yes, I do have a job, I work at Domino’s. I wanna look for something else, though. Talking to an advisor is a good idea, thank you!

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You may have no interest in this field, but have you thought about going into education to be a teacher? With your interests, I could see it pairing very well with an upper elementary teacher (but there’s obviously lots of flexibility in terms of what ages you might be inclined towards). Elementary teachers tend to teach most subjects, so you can delve into history and weather. Cooking seems as though you’d be inclined towards science experiments in the classroom (and cooking does happen occasionally as well in elementary school). Elementary teachers tend to have very arts & crafts-y classrooms, but it doesn’t need to be professional-artist quality. Lots of school districts have increasing amounts of international families, so even learning things like hello and thank you in multiple languages is apt to happen. Psychology is important in terms of figuring out why kids are doing what they’re doing, and also about how to interact with families. Not being much of a people person is an obstacle, but what is it about dealing with people that you don’t like?

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That’s actually a really interesting idea! And I’m just very shy and socially anxious, but I mean I am a nice person and I can pull off the charm at work when it comes to customers. I’ve kinda scoffed at the idea of being teacher in the past cause like if I can’t interact with people my age how am I going to act with little kids who speak a different language then me? But now you’re making me fantasize about having my own classroom! It would be fun to do all the experiments, take them on field trips, have a class pet. They do have an elementary teacher certificate and elementary education certificates at that school, do you think they’d be useful?

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Quick results… maybe try trade school? I’m serious. There are a lot of well paid jobs that you can do after trade school. If your goal is to move out quickly, you need to consider that option.

What’s wrong with your age? There is no age limit on getting an education. You’re 22 right now and worried about being 26 in four years. That’s not logical. What happens when you are 26?

Get your degree, do the work, then get started with your career. Work different part time jobs in the meantime because everything you do in life helps you decide what does or does not interest you. Knowing what you don’t want is useful, but it shouldn’t be your focus.

You can interact with people your age. I think you are basing a lot of your ideas about yourself on teenage you. It would be helpful if you stopped thinking of yourself as being fresh out of high school, and start visualizing where you’d like to be in five years. Much of your post seems to be focusing on what you don’t like, yet you want to get out the house and get on with your life. So start thinking in terms of how to get where you want to be, and not focusing on what you don’t like and what you think you can’t do.

I sense that your previous experience in college makes you feel as though you can’t succeed. Make a commitment to something, and follow through. You will not get what you want quickly, though what seems quick to a 50+ year old (like me) seems slow to a 22 year old. Things do not happen without effort. Earn a degree, or a qualification. The word Earn is appropriate. You need to work towards something and not look for immediate results, but rather what you hope to achieve. Good luck.

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I would do dental assisting or tech., or medical lab tech. Because they are vocational and could lead directly to a job that pays enough to leave your parents’ house. Our local community college has more vocational programs than that.

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Do they have radiology tech., RN, EKG, EMT, or PT assistant? Just curious.

I know a young person doing radiology tech and the future salary is quite good.

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They don’t :frowning:

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I think you’re selling your prospects short by focusing so much on your age. I know a number of successful people who took detours early in life and didn’t start undergrad until their late 20’s. Finishing undergrad at 26 is no big deal if you’re on a well chosen path.

What state are you in? I’m not looking to pressure you to go for a bachelor’s if an AA/AS will work, but I don’t think you can make an informed decision without looking at some options. The range of majors at your local school seems quite limited. This is a public community college, right? Not a private/for-profit? I would look at a couple of attainable four-year schools in your state, investigate some majors that might interest you, and find out what the transfer pathway to those majors looks like. It may be that many/most students at your CC who intend to transfer just major in Liberal Studies and get their GE’s done, but it’s important to be informed about how the transfer pathways work.

When you describe your strengths, I picture you going into something like Urban Planning or Landscape Architecture, where you could combine your artistic and problem-solving abilities with your interest in how cities and societies function and evolve.

Since you like learning languages and exploring other cultures, you might also look at how studying abroad could fit into your plan. The international service certificate could be worth looking into; some colleges have specific programs to prepare students for the Peace Corps and similar programs.

No matter what you do, you’re going to have some core requirements to meet that are common to all associate and bachelor’s programs. These classes may not be what excites you most, but try to start with them - it will get them out of the way and also buy you time to explore your options.

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To become a certified teacher, most states will require a Bachelor’s degree. But an Associate’s degree might get you a position as a teacher’s assistant or paraeducator. You can also try substitute teaching, though I would not say that it’s an example of what regular teaching is like (unless you get a position as a long-term sub for someone who is out on leave). But it would give you an example of what it can be like.

Have you thought about job shadowing someone in a field that interests you? Have you looked through the Occupational Outlook Handbook to see what types of careers strike your fancy? You can also do an online search for your state’s department of labor and see what are the fastest growing jobs or the jobs with the biggest needs in your area, and can do a search by the amount of education needed. In particularly high-needs areas, employers may agree to pay for your education if you will work for them.

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I’m in Maine! And actually, it’s not a community college, it’s a university that has 2 year and 4 year programs so I could do either or there. I have thought about Peacecorps actually, but wasn’t sure about the certificate itself, like how valid it would be.

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Ah, okay, that makes sense. Hard to say about the certificate. There are actual partner programs that are recognized by the Peace Corps https://www.peacecorps.gov/volunteer/university-programs/peace-corps-prep-partner-schools/ but none of them are in Maine, so clearly the school you’re talking about isn’t one.

Dental Hygiene does not strike me as a career for someone who doesn’t consider herself a people person. Not only do you have to interact with people all day, but you also have to hold up more than your share of the conversation! Medical laboratory technology would be a better choice, in my opinion, if you want something health-oriented.

The business and public administration programs sound broadly applicable, and probably have the option to go on to a four year degree if you decide to. That might be the best choice if you want to finish something practical, quickly, but also want a growth path.

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Have you considered doing education programs through various employers?
Starbucks offers tuition payment for college through Arizona State University. It’s on-line courses but allows you to obtain a degree while you work full or part time.

Domino’s has management training opportunities.
Quite a few companies have training for those wanting to move up the corporate ladder. I know Publix (local to us) grocery has a great program (and the salaries are great too) for management.

There are quite a few companies with some good education opportunities as part of their benefits including Wal Mart, Target, Home Depot, Lowes. They vary in amounts and work requirements (length of employment etc) but are well worth exploring. Some partner with specific schools but not all do. With a program like this you could have school paid for, earn a degree and be in the work force.

Another way to get a degree is through Coursera. They do have bachelor and master degrees offered through various universities. These are all on-line though. They offer a very wide range of subjects. Most you can audit for free (you have to pay for credit though). It is a great way to “test the waters” of various fields and try studying various topics before deciding on a focus of study. I’ve taken several courses in the past and they are excellent.