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comment by OftenBen
OftenBen  ·  3065 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Frustrations with School

I started undergrad as a pre-med, like probably 40% of the kids I ended up graduating with.

Then I changed to Anthropology.

Then I had an existential crisis.

Then I started taking classes I found kinda interesting and forced the University to find a degree that fit my credits.

Now I work in a field that's maybe tangentially related to what I ended up studying.

Your Mileage May Vary, but contrary to the messages our generation has been receiving since pre-k, college is not everything. You are not your degree, you are far far more than that. You are not what your parents want you to be.

KB gives good advice. Enjoy whatever remains of your undergrad if you can, while simultaneously trying to milk it for every professional advantage possible.





user-inactivated  ·  3065 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Thanks for your input, OB. It's nice to know on some level I'm not an isolated incident.

    Then I started taking classes I found kinda interesting and forced the University to find a degree that fit my credits.

Right after posting, I went back for another round of looking at alternative degrees. I like the sound of this approach much more, and probably going to tackle the problem from this angle. I really appreciate it.

OftenBen  ·  3065 days ago  ·  link  ·  

If you're really strapped for options (Or interested), check and see if you school/program has an Interdisciplinary Studies option. Lets you formalize the process, and find out what departments your department plays nice with.

user-inactivated  ·  3062 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Funny you mention that as well. We do have one, and that's an option I had considered and put out of my mind due to parental advice. I'm planning an appointment with the office tomorrow.

OftenBen  ·  3061 days ago  ·  link  ·  

There is a knee-jerk reaction among some people to dismiss IDS outright because it can feel fluffy and non-valuable.

The research center I work for started an Office of Interdisciplinary Programs the year before I started, and it's growing rapidly.

user-inactivated  ·  3060 days ago  ·  link  ·  

After going in for an appointment, it sounds as though I may well be able to graduate faster as an IDS (meaning I'm nearly done, with credits that I care about which actually count in the major like my 4 physics classes) and I'll be able to peacefully transition into Physical Sciences/Computational Sciences Areas of Study (similar to a slash from New College, my brothers' alma mater - see Joint AoC at bottom of page) with a built in History minor. Thanks for bringing this back into my scope of awareness. Scheduling another appointment to make a formal switch. Hawt-diggity-dog!