<p>As a father of one at college now, I would say you have to be true to yourself. Ultimately, it should be your happiness in your career choice that is the most important, not necessarily the name of the major or the course of study or even the length of time it takes to get to the goal. But it needs to be YOUR goal that you acheive.</p>
<p>I agree totally with blossom.</p>
<p>Also, remember that:
(1) if your academic advisor is not helpful, you may change or seek out another professor or departmnet head who might be helpful (either formally changing advisors or informally consulting another professional).
(2) many schools will have an academic success center or vocational assessment center that can assess your strengths and weaknesses and advise accordingly.
(3) remember that right now your GPA is more important that what class it is. Is it too late to “drop” the “F” class without the garde affecting your GPA?
(4) if cost is a major issue in additional semesters (you said you don’t mind the extra time but your parents might) … then consider taking the extra classes you need during a summer session, perhaps at a community college close to home to “make up” some of teh hours … just make sure the credits will transfer to your “Mother Institution.” You may not have lost two full years, as some of your previous (passed) classes may count as electives in teh new curriculum and some of your basic core classes (English, math, humanities) might overlap or be required for BOTH.</p>
<p>And finaly, I would say as a parent who is paying, I WOULD NOT CONSIDER MY MONEY wasted, not if in the end my child discovered his true passion and excelled in his field and was HAPPY. But please do talk with advisors and vocational advisors about job opportunities within your new major or field of study to make sure there is a practical career path with marketable skills, demand, reasonable pay, etc. Leaving enginerring to pursue art, for example, may not work out.</p>