Major Change of Heart, What to Do??

College Confidential Community
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Hi guys. So I’m 21 years old, starting my semester number 2.5 out of 5 semesters required to attain a B.S. In Civil Engineering. I have this internship that has me working 15 hours a week during a 15 credit-hour school schedule, all in really conceptually difficult classes.

When I first came to college, I didn’t know who I was. I had an unfortunate family setting at home that made me incredibly insecure and my whole life, I thought I was going to use hockey to overcome this. I thought if I became a well-known hockey player, all of my problems at home would go away. Eventually, I came to realize that I value my relationships with people far more than I could ever value being held as a noble athlete in other peoples’ eyes.

So, I came to college and had a hell of a time emotionally, even with my newly-founded love of human connection. It was super hard to shake off all of the things that had been instilled in me since I came out of the womb, even though I knew what was important to me. As a result, I spent most of my energy worrying about this, instead of focusing my energy on what I wanted to major in and ultimately spend my life doing. I’ve always been naturally gifted in math, so I figured that engineering would be a great degree because I’d get a job no matter what and get paid a bunch.

Now, I’m sitting here wondering what in the hell I was thinking. There is absolutely nothing soul-pleasing about the work I do in this major, or in this internship I’m working in. Sure, sometimes it’s satisfying to solve a problem, and yeah, I can do it. But holy hell-I literally sit in the same place all day at work and I don’t interact with a soul unless I have a question about a stupid problem. I’m finding that I am much more interested in humans than I ever could be in scientific “things” or “phenomena” that allow me to solve societal engineering problems. I literally chose Civil Engineering out of all of the engineering disciplines because I wanted to directly help people… and now, through my job, I’m learning that it is about as indirect as it could possibly get.

It is bothering the absolute hell out of me. My family has paid all of this money for me to get just about half way through my 5 year bachelor’s program, and now if I switch, next to none of these technical classes will count towards any other degree. I’m just simply on here looking for ideas, and would love to hear people’s thoughts if they care.

I’d much rather put myself in someone else’s shoes and figure out how to solve humanity problems than problems based around physical needs and laws of science. It’s actually starting to drive me crazy, especially with my jam packed schedule that barely allows me to even go to the gym anymore… All to learn things that my heart couldn’t give a damn about. One time, when I was in high school, I was doing community-service at an inner-city school and gave a little boy a book-bag that he wouldn’t have been able to afford otherwise. That was one of the moments in my life that I see as the most rewarding type of experience that this crazily beautiful life has to offer. His face when I was able to help him like that… still makes me teary-eyed. Only saying this for the sake of suggestions.

I know this has been stupid long but I would really appreciate any type of input. Thank you for taking the time to help a brother out.

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It sounds as if you really desire to add more meaningful activity with people into your life, and to know that you will place yourself in a position to interact with and impact people in a way that is communicated to you. So now you have a place to start in terms of your long-range outlook.

You need to sit with an adviser and inquire about designing a major where you blend the practical aspects of the education and training you are being given with something else, more than likely taking on a focus in English or Sociology. If you are at a traditional college campus (not sure if you are), you may find that there are those who have already forged ahead on just such a path, and the advisers and department heads there will be more than ready to help you find your points of connection between the different parts of yourself which you now wish to have more equal footing.

If you are doing well in your classes, and if you are at a traditional college, it is possible that you may have discovered just in time that you want something other than what you seem to be headed toward. But even if you do stay in the program you are in and get your degree there, don’t think you are stuck doing only that in life. Your degree will be your freedom to look about you and decide which way to move forward, what to choose next.

Making an impact by doing something so simple as providing a backpack, or whatever else many of us take for granted but is missing from another’s life, will be made much more possible once you have a full-time job. That’s just a matter of practicality.

Go talk to an adviser, then get ready to talk to your parents.

Good luck.

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Could you become a teacher in a STEM subject? Only if you are interested, but you might be able to apply at least some of your coursework. Props to you for realizing this and wanting to help people.

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Could you be a field engineer…Working in the environment with people on the job?

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What about switching to environmental engineering with a Spanish minor… planning to join Teach for America in STEM?
TFA needs teachers willing to help urban or rural schools and is desperate for STEM teachers and especially some that can speak Spanish well. (Other languages would work also if you speak any other language).
This way you get to do both.
OR with your engineering degree join the Peace Corps?

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Don’t despair. There are many parts of civil engineering that can be put to use helping people. Not in the sense of sitting down and talking out a problem like a therapist, but in terms of solving problems directly related to health, shelter, and environmental issues. It is huge direct benefit to provide shelter, clean water, or sanitary sewer to those without it. Check into Engineers without Borders or even Peace Corps to see how engineering can “help”.

It is even a direct benefit to design homes, roads, and infrastructure that allow people to live their lives. Or working for the government in oversight and review. As others have said, you may also want to focus on the environmental engineering elements of civil.

I know what you mean as I work in a similar field and yet am drawn to working more directly with people. I like my work in terms of solving problems, finding solutions that work, navigating regulatory issues etc. But in my spare time I tend to do volunteer work in areas that are more directly “people oriented” - tutoring, ESL, a woman’s shelter and stuff with kids.