School's going badly. I really wish I had chosen a different major.
The seeker was kind and reasonably thankful
Hi, how are you today?
user
null
I am okay. What is going on with you?
assistant
Question
School's going badly. I really wish I had chosen a different major.
user
null
It sounds like it must be overwhelming to keep up with all of your school work.
assistant
Restatement or Paraphrasing
I’m majoring in computer engineering. It’s really #%$& hard! Everyone else is way smarter than I am.
user
null
That does sound very difficult, but I think you can do it! Just getting into a program like that shows how smart you are!
assistant
Affirmation and Reassurance
It's kinda late to switch. I'm at the end of my third year. My parents keep bugging me about getting a job.
user
null
To be honest with you, I switched majors a lot in college. I eventually let go of what my family thought and pursued a career I would truly enjoy for myself.
assistant
Self-disclosure
I wish I were in your shoes! If I change majors now, I have to redo at least a year of school, maybe more. I don't think my parents want to pay for that.
user
null
Personally I took three years longer than it should to get my degree and accrued some debt because of it. Although I feel it is worth it now.
assistant
Self-disclosure
That's good to know. Maybe I can convince my parents to let me borrow some money. I don't want to be a computer engineer.
user
null
I'm hearing its difficult for you knowing that you are on a path that you don't really want to be on.
assistant
Reflection of feelings
That's a good way to put it. I've thought a lot about my options. I've thought about take a leave of absence, switching majors, going to trade school, traveling abroad...
user
null,null,null
A lot of people I know benefited from talking to an advisor or counselor for some direction. Have you done that recently?
assistant
Providing Suggestions
I talked to the school counselor. They laid out some options. It's really about money and time. If those weren't concerns, I would switch in a heartbeat.
user
null
What about meeting with the counselor with your parents, since it seems they would need to support you financially over any extra time it might take?
assistant
Providing Suggestions
That's a good point. Maybe we could have a Zoom meeting, even for just 15 minutes. I need to get my parents to understand my feelings. The counselor might help me with that.
user
null,null
It's been shown that healthy communication can help people listen and respond more considerately when things seem difficult at first.
assistant
Information
I hadn't thought of it that way. I'm so worried about schoolwork that I hadn't stepped back from the whole situation of school itself.
user
null
I definitely can understand that, but it is important to think about your future happiness and security too!
assistant
Others