<p>I am a civil engineering major at Lafayette College, and quite frankly, I hate it. My parents decided my major and college for me, and I figured if I work hard enough I won’t have time to think about how much I hate it. Well, that isn’t the case. I do hate it. For putting in very little effort, my grades are B’s and C’s. My dad wants to pull me because I’m wasting his money if I’m not trying my hardest (despite my full tuition scholarship), but my options are very limited. I’m not allowed to pursue my other interests because getting a job in them is hard enough, let alone a well-paying one. Lafayette is not known for anything other than engineering, so I’d be selling myself short in a different major. What should I do?</p>
<p>I know a guy who was told by his Dad to go to Emory for accounting.</p>
<p>He told him he was an accounting major while he paid the bills, and didn’t tell him until graduation that he was a women’s studies major.</p>
<p>This is your life man, don’t stick with the major you hate. Your Dad will forgive you.</p>
<p>Sack up, transfer schools. Do something you like. Sorry if this comes off as rude, but like the above said, it’s your life.</p>
<p>Defying your parents is rough, but you’re an adult now, and if you hate engineering you won’t be a good engineer even if you do stick with it. Do some serious thinking about your next step in life, but don’t stay in a field you have no love for.</p>
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<p>Academically or socially? :)</p>
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<p>Who cares what its ‘known for’ if you are already grossly selling yourself short by underperforming because you hate your major? AS IF you can’t move onto graduate school or a career by majoring in something different at Lafayette where you have tuition covered! Where does this come from? Stop listening to your dad.</p>
<p>What about computer science? I look at their website, they talk about how their graduates have gone onto jobs in corporations such as MS, Google, World bank, and graduate school at Cornell or Illinois. Or what about their math department- they have some great advice about going into the actuarial profession. And yes, believe it or not, people end up with careers with degrees in economics, international policy and so on (I have no idea your interests or aptitude, but get over the assumption you either have to be an engineer, a computer scientist, or go to law or med school…this isn’t a developing country and the vast majority of successful adults are in a myriad of occupations and came from a wide range of majors).</p>
<p>My dad is also forcung a major upon me, but I don’t have a full ride tuition, putting me in a tighter situation.</p>
<p>If you have a very very strong adoration for a major, see if you could transfer, or major in something that could easily tie in. Not all majors pay well, and lots of parents fear kids with obscure degrees, but think of it as this- if you suck in college, you’ll suck even more in the job world. Try to sway away towards something you like, and it might come at the cost of your parents tempers, but it’ll pay off, literally, in the end.</p>
<p>Lafayette is a liberal arts college that has a strong engineering program so if engineering is not for you they have other majors. It is an expensive school so perhaps transferring to a state school while you re examine your path is best. But before you do figure out what that path is. </p>
<p>Meet with a counselor and have them help you evaluate other majors. Obviously you are strong in Math and science but civil engineering is about building structures, big structures. Do you like biomed or aerospace? Or if it is design you are interested, Lehigh has some Arch/product design majors. </p>
<p>I have a friend who started with engineering then switched to finance. </p>
<p>A friend’s son started with business and switched to lighting design for performances.</p>
<p>It is not uncommon for students to change majors but really meet with someone to determine your next plan then present that to your dad.</p>
<p>You have a full tuition scholarship. If you have to, you can probably cover living expenses by working. I’m not sure what power your parents have in this scenario.</p>