Help Any other college students hate their majors?

[ThatStateOfMind]

I think I hate my major. Maybe it's just because I'm struggling in an assembly and computer architecture class, but I'm beginning to worry that I hate programming in general but maybe it's because I've barely explored it.

Either way, I've considered the thought that I may hate my major and I don't know, I wanna feel like maybe I'm not alone. I'm obviously considering switching majors but that is a HEAVY decision, especially since I initially took a gap year before college and am already starting late, plus I'm almost 4 semesters in which is a pretty late switch.

There's also the final option of CTB which I've considered as well of course, which seems like a viable option.

Anyways, can anyone relate here?

 

[EternalShore]

I'm in my final year and am starting to dislike mine a fair bit too~ :/ I'm thinking of getting a master's in some other field to avoid it.
I wouldn't say you should CTB just because you don't like your major tho~ not without other concerns~ and yes, college is absolutely awful (if that's why you came here originally) unfortunately~ :( I'm sure one or 2 of those semesters involved taking all your pre-requisite classes, so you'd only be a year late in fact~ which is still bad ofc! College is a drain on money, time, and mental health~ but well, without other factors, I wouldn't do that yet~

 

[ThatStateOfMind]

I'm in my final year and am starting to dislike mine a fair bit too~ :/ I'm thinking of getting a master's in some other field to avoid it.
I wouldn't say you should CTB just because you don't like your major tho~ not without other concerns~ and yes, college is absolutely awful (if that's why you came here originally) unfortunately~ :( I'm sure one or 2 of those semesters involved taking all your pre-requisite classes, so you'd only be a year late in fact~ which is still bad ofc! College is a drain on money, time, and mental health~ but well, without other factors, I wouldn't do that yet~

Almost everything I've taken has been gen ed for my comp sci degree. Now, the issue is I don't know what degree I would want besides comp sci, as well.

I feel so lost and my advisor has been unreachable for some reason. Makes me want to get through community college, transfer, and major switch once I'm in university if that's what I want to do.

Not entirely certain. I was talking to my girlfriend and inadvertently said I was considering dropping out (which I have considered but I am uncertain if that's what I'll do), and she got a little upset with me saying I've gotten so far and I shouldn't stress myself out like this.

 

[-nobodyknows-]

Hah, yeah.

 

[alienfreak]

You need to make your decisions based what it really leads to in the future. College is a few years, not much in the big picture. The career it leads to may be something you do for decades or a lifetime. Whether you enjoy the coursework has little relevance to whether the career would be what you want. For me i found whether i enjoyed coursework depending almost entirely on the professor and their teaching methods. Contact people who work in the field already and get insight from them about whether it seems right for you and whether the degree is even the right path. There's nothing wrong with taking gap years or never getting any degrees, it's better than wasting energy and money studying something that is a mistake. I have multiple degrees in technical fields and wish i did none of it; i wish i had just stayed home and learned from the internet independently, and done my own projects that would have been more educational and demonstrated even more than a piece of paper

 

[James Sunderland]

I think I hate my major. Maybe it's just because I'm struggling in an assembly and computer architecture class, but I'm beginning to worry that I hate programming in general but maybe it's because I've barely explored it.

Either way, I've considered the thought that I may hate my major and I don't know, I wanna feel like maybe I'm not alone. I'm obviously considering switching majors but that is a HEAVY decision, especially since I initially took a gap year before college and am already starting late, plus I'm almost 4 semesters in which is a pretty late switch.

There's also the final option of CTB which I've considered as well of course, which seems like a viable option.

Anyways, can anyone relate here?

It's tough to feel like when your giving time and effort into something that might not be right for you.
That pressure of being a few semesters in makes it even harder to consider switching things up. You're definitely not alone in feeling this way, so many people second-guess their majors at some point.

It makes sense to be worried about such a big decision. Maybe it's less about jumping into a decision right away and more about giving yourself permission to explore other interests while you figure things out.

 

[Lady Laudanum]

I'm doing a major in applied math and I'm turning it into a dual degree with business and applied math. I love and hate math at the same time. Sometimes math fucks me hard in the ass, and sometimes I love math so much that I want to fuck it. I know it's what I want to do though. I'm back in school after dropping out and working full time for years.

 

[alienfreak]

I'm doing a major in applied math and I'm turning it into a dual degree with business and applied math. I love and hate math at the same time. Sometimes math fucks me hard in the ass, and sometimes I love math so much that I want to fuck it. I know it's what I want to do though. I'm back in school after dropping out and working full time for years.

What are you going to do afterwards, though? I studied math and then found that it has very limited relevance to any careers except teaching and other things that i dislike such as insurance and banks

 

[Lady Laudanum]

What are you going to do afterwards, though? I studied math and then found that it has very limited relevance to any careers except teaching and other things that i dislike such as insurance and banks

won't elaborate too much for the sake of privacy but I plan to pursue a financial career and if all else fails I have someone who can 100% hook me up with a 9-5 job that pays ok

 

[ThatStateOfMind]

You need to make your decisions based what it really leads to in the future. College is a few years, not much in the big picture. The career it leads to may be something you do for decades or a lifetime. Whether you enjoy the coursework has little relevance to whether the career would be what you want. For me i found whether i enjoyed coursework depending almost entirely on the professor and their teaching methods. Contact people who work in the field already and get insight from them about whether it seems right for you and whether the degree is even the right path. There's nothing wrong with taking gap years or never getting any degrees, it's better than wasting energy and money studying something that is a mistake. I have multiple degrees in technical fields and wish i did none of it; i wish i had just stayed home and learned from the internet independently, and done my own projects that would have been more educational and demonstrated even more than a piece of paper

I'm aware the education is diffeeent from the field but when I'm beginning to dislike programming, there's a pretty big issue with pursuing CS imo. As I said though, it could be being exacerbated by this current class and me struggling so much. I also can't take another gap year simply because my financial aid, which is the only way I can afford college, has continuous enrollment as a requirement.

It's tough to feel like when your giving time and effort into something that might not be right for you.
That pressure of being a few semesters in makes it even harder to consider switching things up. You're definitely not alone in feeling this way, so many people second-guess their majors at some point.

It makes sense to be worried about such a big decision. Maybe it's less about jumping into a decision right away and more about giving yourself permission to explore other interests while you figure things out.

Yeah, tell me about it lol. Nearly 2 years into a degree and only now am I having doubts.

I'm confused by the last paragraph though, what do you mean?

I'm doing a major in applied math and I'm turning it into a dual degree with business and applied math. I love and hate math at the same time. Sometimes math fucks me hard in the ass, and sometimes I love math so much that I want to fuck it. I know it's what I want to do though. I'm back in school after dropping out and working full time for years.

I'm glad you've found a major you enjoy, and that you have connections. I can only imagine how nice it feels to have a job essentially already lined up if the finance path doesn't work.

 

[James Sunderland]

I'm aware the education is diffeeent from the field but when I'm beginning to dislike programming, there's a pretty big issue with pursuing CS imo. As I said though, it could be being exacerbated by this current class and me struggling so much. I also can't take another gap year simply because my financial aid, which is the only way I can afford college, has continuous enrollment as a requirement.


Yeah, tell me about it lol. Nearly 2 years into a degree and only now am I having doubts.

I'm confused by the last paragraph though, what do you mean?

Sorry. What I meant was, instead of feeling like you need to make a big decision about your major right now, maybe it's okay to give yourself some room to explore other interests or fields that catch your eye.

That way, you're not jumping into a switch right away, but you're still opening up possibilities and seeing what feels right for you

 

[alienfreak]

'm aware the education is diffeeent from the field but when I'm beginning to dislike programming, there's a pretty big issue with pursuing CS imo.

Programming varies a lot depending on many factors. There are also many career situations in which you would not need to program much if at all. CS education is very different from most jobs in the industry

 

[natthebrat]

i didnt care for my (first) major. it was history, which i studied merely bc it was easy for me in hs (not even bc i liked it, literally just bc i thought i could just breeze through it. worst reason ever to pick a major, i know). to make a long story short, i didnt really want to go to college at all, but my very educated parents kind of forced me to, so the unspoken compromise was that id go, but for history. such a fucking waste of time, i couldve spent the time i put into that stupid degree studying…well about 5 other things just off the top of my head, which would have at the very least been more interesting and fulfilling to me, if not led to a job. especially given that its now nine years since i began my first degree and still not working full time

regarding your major (i assume cs or something similar?), i went back to study that for a brief time, the oop class is what led me to give up. but, ive taken udemy courses on the same subject since then and it made MUCH more sense there. i think mainly bc im a lot more relaxed in the familiar environment of being alone in my bedroom than i am in a classroom full of other students, idk if that would help you as well or not. if i was still a bit younger and/or not facing the possibility of needing to flee my state abruptly, id give it a second go, since id come into the class already knowing a good amount of the material

 

[ThatStateOfMind]

Sorry. What I meant was, instead of feeling like you need to make a big decision about your major right now, maybe it's okay to give yourself some room to explore other interests or fields that catch your eye.

That way, you're not jumping into a switch right away, but you're still opening up possibilities and seeing what feels right for you

Oh okay, that makes sense. Though, no clue what I would study besides CS so idek where I'd start to explore.

Programming varies a lot depending on many factors. There are also many career situations in which you would not need to program much if at all. CS education is very different from most jobs in the industry

That's good to know. I've only programmed in low level stuff so far so maybe high level will be more enjoyable, though I'm not entirely sure at all. Even if I pursue this degree, essentially all classes will require programming, whether I can find a job after graduation that programs or not.

i didnt care for my (first) major. it was history, which i studied merely bc it was easy for me in hs (not even bc i liked it, literally just bc i thought i could just breeze through it. worst reason ever to pick a major, i know). to make a long story short, i didnt really want to go to college at all, but my very educated parents kind of forced me to, so the unspoken compromise was that id go, but for history. such a fucking waste of time, i couldve spent the time i put into that stupid degree studying…well about 5 other things just off the top of my head, which would have at the very least been more interesting and fulfilling to me, if not led to a job. especially given that its now nine years since i began my first degree and still not working full time

regarding your major (i assume cs or something similar?), i went back to study that for a brief time, the oop class is what led me to give up. but, ive taken udemy courses on the same subject since then and it made MUCH more sense there. i think mainly bc im a lot more relaxed in the familiar environment of being alone in my bedroom than i am in a classroom full of other students, idk if that would help you as well or not. if i was still a bit younger and/or not facing the possibility of needing to flee my state abruptly, id give it a second go, since id come into the class already knowing a good amount of the material

I think I would enjoy history but obviously, not really any jobs in that field so I need to balance something I'd enjoy and something with demand. I chose CS because it was lucrative and I thought it would be tolerable, but it's turning out to be not so tolerable.

I've heard of Udemy and it's courses and they seem decent tbh.


This is unrelated but Jesus Christ, I just wanna CTB. I don't wanna deal with college and life anymore. It sucks and the world is going to hell anyways. I practiced sticking my shotgun in my mouth but the barrel is too long for me to reach the trigger and pull it reliably. I'm gonna have to research other methods for fucks sake if I wanna ctb.

 

[Leiot]

College is nothing like the real world. Try to get some sort of internship and try it out before you make a decision. I did software development, which I enjoyed, but there are languages I love to work in and others I feel like I have to wash my hands when I walk away from the keyboard.

 

[Aergia]

I've often felt similarly but never seriously considered switching majors simply because I couldn't think of anything better to study. I thought I'd probably experience similar feelings even after switching, and figured CS was at least a somewhat interesting field with somewhat good job prospects.

but when I'm beginning to dislike programming, there's a pretty big issue with pursuing CS imo. As I said though, it could be being exacerbated by this current class and me struggling so much.

I think it's certainly a possibility that your experience of the class is influencing your feelings towards programming in general. I think that's happened to me . I've felt most positively towards CS at the times I was learning something mostly independently (even if it was ultimately for uni).

I chose CS because it was lucrative and I thought it would be tolerable, but it's turning out to be not so tolerable.

hard relate. I'm sorry.

 

[ThatStateOfMind]

I've often felt similarly but never seriously considered switching majors simply because I couldn't think of anything better to study. I thought I'd probably experience similar feelings even after switching, and figured CS was at least a somewhat interesting field with somewhat good job prospects.


I think it's certainly a possibility that your experience of the class is influencing your feelings towards programming in general. I think that's happened to me . I've felt most positively towards CS at the times I was learning something mostly independently (even if it was ultimately for uni).


hard relate. I'm sorry.

Yeah, I plan on giving it a shot this semester, and seeing how this semester goes, I think. And if it doesn't go good, I'm either swapping majors, dropping out, or CTB, not sure which yet, though.

 

[countdowntoecstasy]

I dislike the major I picked mainly because it is poorly paying and doesn't guarantee employment. I struggled a lot at the start, but I'm really starting to lose motivation again. Then again, I don't think I would graduate if I picked something harder but decently paying. I'm glad you're giving it another shot. Hope it goes well for you.

 

[ThatStateOfMind]

I dislike the major I picked mainly because it is poorly paying and doesn't guarantee employment. I struggled a lot at the start, but I'm really starting to lose motivation again. Then again, I don't think I would graduate if I picked something harder but decently paying. I'm glad you're giving it another shot. Hope it goes well for you.

Thank you. I actually am doing pretty good in a biology course, so it gives me confidence that I might be able to do nursing or something, tbh. I know it's not that simple but I do alright in programming and stuff, I just don't know if I enjoy it enough to do it for 40 years, and that's really what I have to give thought to; would I enjoy this 5, 10, 20 years down the line? I don't want an unchallenging major because then I would be bored out of my mind so I need to balance my strengths with something I'd find enjoyment in. The worst part about all of this is it just means more time in college, so that's another thing I'm giving thought to. May I ask what you're majoring in, just out of curiosity?

 

[supremelimbo]

yeah.. i changed a couple of times bc of family pressure. the things i enjoy are on the humanities side of things. i really don't want to work in the field i'm "studying." i never show up to class. but the thing is that i'm not really passionate about anything. i have 0 friends or networking opportunities so i'm fucked. i have the kind of autism that makes me weird and off-putting so no one wants to hire me. i hate my hobbies because im depressed and got no one to share things with. there's always a loud voice in my head telling me that CTB is always an option

 

[countdowntoecstasy]

Sorry for the late reply! I don't check this site super often. I'm majoring in History. I enjoy it more than any of the harder and more technical majors, but definitely not the best career wise.

 

[ThatStateOfMind]

Sorry for the late reply! I don't check this site super often. I'm majoring in History. I enjoy it more than any of the harder and more technical majors, but definitely not the best career wise.

Yeah, I think I would absolutely love history, but I ultimately am attending college for a career, not for what I enjoy, unfortunately.