Confused in College, just looking for help

College Life
1

I immediately went off to community college shortly after I graduated from high school. My path to high school graduation especially during my senior year was highly achievable (I had a 3.00 GPA) and tumultuous due to personal struggles.

Fast forward four years, and I’m now a senior undergraduate in college looking to move forward and having no ways to. Keep in mind I’ve never had many friends and now I have none (I had a friend who drank a lot and gambled, but that’s not me. I’ve never been drunk. Gambled once, that’s it).

I’m majoring in anthropology, which I have only two classes to complete to get an associates, but it isn’t a degree I want. In fact, I would say I wanted something on the opposite end of the social sciences. Not group studies, but more one-on-one, like psychology.

The last year has moved by incredibly fast in terms of independent growth. Three years ago I started reading more books. Last year I decided to start reading through philosophy (for fun… crazy, I know, but I have no friends, remember?). Here’s the list of who I’ve read so far…

  1. John Dewey (mindblowingly obvious statements on habits and action. Like, you'll wonder why you never thought that way)
  2. Albert Camus
  3. Friederich Nietzsche (confusing, but understandable once comprehended)
  4. Aurelius (a stoic)
  5. Tao Te Ching
  6. John Stuart Mill
  7. Descartes (currently reading)

So now I’m stuck between psychology and philosophy. Another two things I like to do and am working on are writing and music (been playing guitar for ten years).

Here’s my issue… I never started playing guitar or writing because of school. I never felt encouraged by it. I did it of my own will, and the more classes I take the less inspired I feel to do anything. I feel caught in a web of connect the dots and I can’t find out what to do.

Now I feel stuck choosing between different degrees taking classes that feel uninteresting. I mean, I’m not one of those “gotta open a business I don’t have an idea for” type people, but at the same time I’m stuck between English, music, philosophy, and psychology. I feel overwhelmed to choose and I’m still stuck in an anthropology degree I would at least like to attain an associates in.

I’ve dropped three classes along the way. All three have been over the last year. I did end up passing two of those dropped courses eventually.

Do you guys have any tips? By the way sorry this is long. As I said, I’m just looking for tips/advice.

2

Congratulations on nearly having your associates degree! First goal: get that done. Stick with your major there so you can complete the degree as easily as possible.

Next, I would advise you rather than to think about college majors, think about jobs. What jobs can you get with your potential Bachelors degree with the majors you are considering? It might be a good idea to make an appointment with your community college’s career advising office to explore your options. Yes, you want to be interested in what you are studying, but at the end of the day, you really want to yield a job.

Your writing and music are wonderful endeavors. Maybe you need to sort out if these are hobbies or if these can be part of your studies and future employment? At any rate, the career office and a counselor might be able to help you focus and help you determine some “next steps.”

Good luck!