Did you change your mind?

Did you change of the focus of your education in college? Did you start out thinking you wanted to study a certain programme but changed to another?

I had an absolute way I wanted to go with my education. However life happens. I eventually went a totally different way with education. Then life happened again and now I do something totally different from college.

College really doesn't determine your future. I can't tell you how many people I know that do something completely unrelated to what they studied. I am only now 10 years later actually working in the industry I studied in. Don't put so much pressure on yourself. People change careers something like 7 times in their life (on average). Just having a degree makes you employable, unless you're trying to be a doctor or something specialized like that.

Like others have said. I went to college with a specific degree in mind. However while attending college I discovered another passion, just by "chance". Anyway, when I graduated I landed a job relevant to what I went to school for. Then some years later, I switched careers which focused on my discovery while in school.

Hope this helps and good luck with your search.

It is not about myself. It is for my son. He wants to change what he is studying. I was done university 24 years ago. But I agree I never worked in what I took either. We did tell him many many many people change their mind. He is still really young. He entered college at 17 and is only 19 now. He has TONS of time.

I just want him to read on here he is very typical of a young person.

Yes, I changed my mind within a month of going to college!

And several times after that, actually. Then, six years later, went to graduate school for something completely different.

And he may not use any of this education at all ever but I believe he has a right to it .

When I first started going at 19, I was a History major. Really didn't want to go to school and that was the only topic I figured I could tolerate. Dropped out, did some vagabonding all across the country, working from place to place. Went back at 26 as a Biochem major. The labs were the only thing that kept me going. Definitely my favorite part of all my university experiences. Still, ended up dropping out after my Junior year. Got bored. I've got a 3.9+ GPA and might go back to finish what's probably less than a year before credits start expiring, but maybe not. I'd be more likely to go into a trade school. I've hated formal education since I was a kid and they tried pushing me into gifted and honors programs. Was hoping I'd change my mind in adulthood but nope. Academia as an environment actually repulses me... and, strangely enough, it's where I find about 80% of my contracting work now. Go figure.

That said, nothing but love to your son for not only going, and respect to his flexible mind. I've never understood the stigma behind students reflecting on their ongoing education and adjusting their interests accordingly, especially earlier on when you're not really doing too much damage to your track by switching it up.

ETA: On the flip side, my girlfriend knew what she wanted to do since she was like 4, blasted through undergrad and med school without doubts or hesitation, now about to finish her residency. Some people just know from the beginning and are fortunate and dedicated enough to be content staying the course.

No, I didn't change my mind. I knew what I was going to study going in and I stuck to it. I knew early on what I wanted to do. However, I think I'm the exception. Most of my friends did change majors or find they really didn't like certain classes or were better at other things. That's quite common. Some wound up with degrees in field A but now have jobs in field B. In general, I think the farther out college is, the less employers care about what degree you have and they care instead about what your practical experience is.

I wish I had....I had my doubts throughout nursing school whether or not it was what I wanted to do. I learned quickly it was not what I thought it was, but it was atleast job security. I'm 3.5 years into my career now and I hate it. Absolutely hate it.

I think some degrees make it harder to change. Things like music, engineering, pre-professional (law, medical, etc) are a bit rigid and a LOT more time can be lost changing majors.

I never changed my mind, but I'm a control freak and only declared something I was sure of. Helped that I had high school internships too.

gah i was all over the place. i was fortunate and smart, but weak and inconsistent and irritable. knew i wanted two specific uni degrees. couldn't imagine otherwise. then fell physically and mentally ill. became disgusted with the second uni because it was a lot "dirtier" than i expected as i was focused on humanitarian aspects. was low functioning at the time so left uni two and only finished uni one because i was talented. ended up working in toxicology and loving it for many years but then suddenly decided i wanted back to my old passions, had differential exams and landed in clinical social work, which is close to what i wanted to do in the first place.

one was a "waste" -i am an academically trained musician and never made a dime off it, but am grateful for the education. in europe, until a certain age and unless you don't finish a year twice in a row, it's free. so i milked that and worked to cover the costs of living away from home.

this time around, i'm paying for half and the other half is payed through work.

i have maybe-sorta-not really regrets. i wonder why i couldn't just stick to something but was so all over the place instead. it is a privilege to get to explore. i felt entitled to it though. in retrospect, i feel spoiled and self-centered. 32, single, childless, scattering most my money and energy towards another degree...it's an old story with me and i worry it's a way of preventing myself a next step. i could have settled down, but nope, this. it's like i refuse to grow up.

in my defense, i did it because i could pull it off without being a burden. but i don't know what would've been had i been less preoccupied with my passions, completed even a "meh" course, settled for a "meh" job ( i did do all kinds of jobs to support myself, but i think i wanted my carrer to necessarily match something i feel strongly about, and i think i was egoistically rigid in that want) and worked on family and a solid relationship...

it's been "educational" in more than one way. and i loved all of it. but if i were speaking to my child, i would mostly wish for them to be flexible. not only in deciding to do something new. but also sometimes when they find themselves having to endure something gracefully despite feeling it's not their preferred terrain. the ablity to start things anew is a wonderful one. the dedication for long-term goals and high frustration tolerance likewise. if i could go back, i would try to balance these out.

that's very long and scattered, which is exactly how my education has been.

he's early into it. best time to change.

The only thing I wanted to study as a kid was finance. Or nothing. Well, due to family pressure and the rigid educational system in Greece I ended up in Computer Science and this is what I am doing as a job. But If I could go back in time I would choose finance.