<p>You have offered me great advice so thank you. I don’t think I’d be comfortable with taking time off, studying abroad or seeking counseling but now I get that I don’t have to stick with whatever interests/academic field I’ve been into since HS and that having questions is normal so thanks. I’ll also try to do things beyond the classes-lab-study-bed routine. I doubt I can get any better at making friends though but that’s fine.</p>
<p>Here’s another thought that totally changed my son’s experience at school: clubs. My son wasn’t thrilled about his college that he had so hard strived for. He didn’t realize it was a big drinking and frat school. He struggled to make friends, but then he joined a few clubs that made a huge difference. He went to school thinking he’d major in one area, but over time, this changed. It was also incredibly easy, unlike having to take new courses that last all semester, joining clubs wasn’t a big deal and it didn’t fit, he’d try something else.</p>
<p>The nice thing about being at a school like HYP is there are tons of clubs to explore. If you thought you wanted science, but now want to consider working/performing at a radio station, for example, go for it. Most people have several varied interests, even though you may not see that. I rmember a few years ago when some very successful Wall Streeters got together and sang in a band on the weekends in NYC. Have fun and don’t limit yourself!</p>
<p>Why don’t you try to register for, or even just audit–that might actually be the better option as it wouldn’t put more strain on you in terms of grades and expectations–a class that sounds interesting, but is completely unrelated to your field? Art, anthropology, metaphysics, whatever. Broaden your horizons a little, and take your mind off the narrow path you’ve put yourself on.</p>
<p>Also, surely there are more extracurricular opportunities available to you than you could ever explore. Take advantage of at least some of them, and try out something new–folk dancing, cooking, poetry, newspaper editing, juggling, etc. It’s a big world out there.</p>
<p>You’ll meet new people, and some of them might be completely different from you, and amazingly smart and interesting. They might be upperclassmen or grad students, or not students at all if you get involved in something off-campus, or they might just be studying something you’ve never even heard of. I think it sounds like you need that new perspective.</p>
<p>And if you still feel that the problem lies in the campus culture that surrounds you, then by all means, transfer out. But first break your vague sense of discontent down to the specific things that are preventing you from being happy at your school, so that you know what to look for in your search.</p>
<p>To the OP who doesn’t know what he wants to do – it’s a fallacy that we go into college knowing what we want to do for the rest of our life. I feel like, 30 years after graduation, I’m still figuring it out.</p>
<p>Sophomore year is tough. The newness of being at college has worn off; picking a major looms. If there is anything I have learned, it is this – don’t think that you have to choose one career/lifestyle to the exclusion of all others. In today’s uncertain job climate, and with men and women taking on greater equality in earning income and child care (I say that with a great deal of hope because I don’t think it has happened yet) I think the smart choice now is to plan for two careers – a structured one (which could be a corporate track with lots of hours and also benefits like health care) and a less structured one (which could be more creative, or involve consulting in the field you’ve gained some expertise in). Because there will be times in your life when you need a little slack. So if no single career path or major leaps out at you, see if you can find two companion career paths that you could pursue. You might be lukewarm about each one, but I think you would be well served to prepare for not one, but two potential career pathways. </p>
<p>Hang in there. Good luck.</p>
<p>I strongly encourage you to go to counseling. It is not a ‘weakness’ but a way to explore your past and future.</p>
<p>Frankly, I think you hit the wall. You may never meet the goals you have set for yourself. How did you get into HYP? Did you spend all four years of high school studying every waking hour and sleeping the other four? College is much more difficult than high school. When I recruited college grads we would try to determine the effort required to earn the perfect GPA. There are only 40 hours in a workweek so we couldn’t hire students that needed 60 hour to complete 40 hours of work.</p>
<p>I studied for a couple hours at night, 3-4 on weekends (both days). This is probably irrelevant though. I don’t mind working hard at all or studying a lot. What I mind is not knowing what I’m working for and feeling like my efforts won’t really matter or help anybody. I feel like ultimately no job is “fascinating” and there isn’t really a job for me to be completely passionate about as I had hoped there was.
Over the past 5-6 years or so, I used to frequently stay up late to read a lot about my major. I would travel to attend open conferences and fairs, participate in contests, make plans for grad school, do summer research. Now I feel like I can’t be bothered and look forward to being done with school stuff as soon as possible. I’m not sure how this happened. I feel like my school’s atmosphere has done this to me but, I know that this is obviously wrong and coming from myself. How can I come up with a clear career path, one that I won’t get tired of in a few years?</p>
<p>My writing is indeed rather poor but I’m good at other things.</p>
<p>Enlighten us Arrow. What are you majoring in (or concentrating in, if that’s how to say it)? That way, some of us here on cc might also share their experiences, thus inspire you. Or show you off shoots of that major, which might fascinate you. Science? Int’l Relations? Music? Language? History? And aside from studying, what else do you enjoy doing?</p>
<p>This is the beginning of your second year of college, and it sounds like you have been intensely involved in the area of your major for 5-6 years. Maybe you started and/or specialized too early and are a little burned out.</p>
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<p>Isn’t that the case with the most of us? When I tell other people that I have no idea yet what I want to do after college, I usually hear something similar in return. Very rarely do those who think they know what they want to do actually follow up with the plans. </p>
<p>The lesson from my family is that it’s unreasonable to expect to have the dream job that you’re going to be passionate about or love 100%, unless you’re just one of those very luck few. My parents didn’t get up each morning to head to their jobs because they felt that they were delving into a passion or saving the world, but because the rents need to be paid and the family fed. One learns to love what she gets.</p>
<p>Stay and finish. There are no guarantees that you would be happy if you left HYP and pursued something else; why, you might be even more miserable. No, I say stay, get that Ivy degree, and then “find yourself.” You are much better off with the Ivy degree. MUCH.</p>
<p>To the OP:</p>
<h1>1: You have to disassociate yourself from the idea that, in order to be the “best” later on, you need to get the maximum that you can possibly get out of a department over 4 years. You didn’t come right out and say it, but I think this is why you are afraid to leave your major after you have already entrenched yourself there, won a bunch of awards, and established your reputation. I remember having similar thoughts, and have also heard other top students talk about this.</h1>
<p>One of the advantages of a place like HYP is that it is easier to switch later and still get into the top grad school in your field or get the top job in your field, as long as your grades are good of course.</p>
<h1>2: I recommend taking time off, either now or after college. You sound burned out.</h1>
<p>I think my “problems” have been resolved for now. I decided to double major starting next Fall. I will specialize more in grad school.</p>
<p>For other students/future college students I think my main mistakes were:
Assuming that pursuing Junior HS/HS passion in college will automatically lead to an awesome job. I think this can happen but I should have been more open to other things too.
Thinking that my studies and later my job could be a sufficient source of happiness by themselves.
Spending every school breaks (including summer) on-campus to do research, study and work.
Not doing anything that won’t make my resume look better or in a way or another help me get into grad school.
Entering college with such a high opinion of myself and my work.</p>
<p>I remember now that my interviewer, a sucessful and very happy person had told me that if I were to be accepted, I should try taking 1 class/semester out of 5 just for fun/the sake of learning. I think he was right, though at the time it seemed like a waste of time.</p>
<p>Anyway, thanks a lot. I’m glad this happened now than later.</p>