[Kasolyna]

Ugh, college is so stressful, especially when you're a Mechanical Engineering Major. I'm currently in my second semester of college and maybe figuring out that this isn't the right major for me. I love math and science but either the program is moving too fast or my brain just isn't meant to handle that much science at once.

Main 2 reasons I chose the major. 1. I love writing, but I want something that will give me a good paycheck on the side. 2. Engineering is like mathematical/sciencey creating and I love making things, I also love math and science CONCEPTS. Not so sure if the math always works in my head when it comes to physics, but I love the concepts behind science.

I was thinking of maybe switching to chemistry, but I'm not sure...

Any suggestions on majors? I'm also talking to a counselor atm to help deal with stress and maybe switching so don't worry, I'm not going to make any rash decisions.

[Tiva]

Chemistry is hard, Organic chem which is required drops a lot of chem minors and majors and requires a huge amount of studying. Are you a creative writer or are you good at writing academic papers also? I may be suggesting something your school doesn't have but I am a Physical Anthropology major with a biology and physics minors to better understand how damage is inflicted on the bone.
Maybe doing a writing minor with a science concentration major? I have a friend that is doing Environmental science with a writing minor to hopefully write for national geographic. Or do that with Cultural Anthropology to stuff culture and maybe get a job traveling the world writing about places and the culture in it?

[Tiva]

Argh double post, bad Trisphee!

[Kali_Namir]

Since you're still a Freshman, if you wanted to switch, now would be the time to do it.

I went into college as a Chemistry Major with a concentration in Biotechnology and a Biology Minor. After two full years of that I realized it wasn't what I really wanted and that college had made me Hate something I loved.

So as a junior, I switched to History (which I hated in High School). Now I'm about to be a super senior (a second year as a senior). But I've finally found the one subject that makes me really happy.

So if you are thinking of switching majors and don't want to add an extra year to it, I recommend switching soon.

[Fey]

As someone that went through a LOT of chemistry, and is best friends to a ME graduate let me say this: Both will eat you alive if you let them. Unless you are insanely good at all forms of chemistry you will probably be caught, as mentioned, by organic chemistry. I was great in all my classes up until that point(3.8gpa), then it bombed my GPA and I couldn't get through it in three semesters. My best friend fought her way through her ME degree in seven years(yeah, takes a while) because some classes ARE too hard to get in the first attempt. Have you talked with TAs and Profs about study groups, additional help and other things like that? Sometimes it's not that it's too fast/hard for you, it's that it's being presented in a way that you cannot grasp. Working with others will give you the opportunity to get different approaches to the same problems.

I know it's not terribly helpful, but I figured I'd toss my two bits of experience in there.

[Kasolyna]

I'm really appreciated the advice here. Chemistry does seem interesting to me, so I might switch to it, but I am trying to look at a lot of different options first. And there aren't really TA's at my school, least, not useful ones. I'm talking to a counselor atm and I'm bringing it up, and hopefully she'll help me figure out something that'll be right for me.

[TurtleSensei]

ah mechanical engineering. sounds fun. but did you have an inteest in that particular field before starting college? if not what made you choose it? i myself was going to school for Forensic Anthropology but I had to drop out when i got sick with Crohn'Disease. i missed a month of school. and it waas just so stressful tha I couldn't take the classes anymore. I'm now paying off my student loans and then i plan to go back and get my teaching degree with a focus on history and anthropology. so if you enjoy writing why not try to be a teacher or ajournbalist? i chose teaching as a change in pace since it wuld bve less stressful and I adore history.

[Tiva]

*makes Grabby hands at Turtle* Where did you go for Anthro? There is only like 10 schools in the US the have a forensic Anthropology undergrad program.

[Kasolyna]

I had an interest before college, though not much before. I originally was planning to do math since, like 3rd grade (more because that's what both my parents majored in and I've always loved the logic of math), but then around 11th grade I started looking at fields with actual applications and found engineering. Chose mechanical because it seemed pretty broad, but I also wanted the most specific major I could so that a college would be more likely to accept me. I'm not much into journalism, just writing stories for myself and the like, and at the moment I don't have the skill/drive to get published since that would require finishing one of my many works. Which is why I want a job that I'll at least not be completely bored with and I can do my love on the side.