I am a Freshman in college and majoring in criminal justice, but not sure if that is the right move for me. How should I find out if something else would be better? I am really stuck and getting frustrated.

If you are not sure then try the ride out program with a police department. Ask if you can volunteer your time at the police department see if that's what you want to do. As I always tell younger people, if you are looking to get rich then this is the wrong field , if you are looking to make a difference and willing to serve others then this a good field to be in.

Law enforcement is a commitment and if you are douting yourself maybe a break from criminal justice and concentrate on your required classes. You may comeback to it or find something that is more appealing. From what you wrote probation may be a job that would fit your personality, give you a sense of helping, and utilize your strong points. Good luck

Really great question and something everyone your age should be thinking about or already headed in that direction. I was the coordinator for a program that has helped to guide many a young adult in the direction they wanted. It was the Law Enforcement Explorers Program. This program is a division of the Boy Scouts of America and is designed for male and females between the ages of 14 -21 years old. It is a career based program. Of course ours was for law enforcement. But there are many other careers that also sponsor explorers. Check with the local BSA office in your area and see if they have an explorer post in your area or nearby. You will get to know exactly what law enforcement Officer deals with on a daily basis. Not only will you learn about your career choice you will be able to participate in leadership and team work. Give it a try and if law enforcement isn't what you thought was going to be, ask the advisor to get you in contact with one of the other posts with a career you would like to try.

Good luck!

The good news is that you're being honest with yourself about an important career. Here is what I would suggest. Continue to take classes, but ensure that they are the core classes that everyone has to take, like English 1 & 2, Government 1 & 2, Speech and the like.

Next, go out to your local police department or sheriff's office and do a "Ride A Long" most agencies have some program for people over 18 to ride out with an officer. If you are thinking more about state or federal jobs, then go visit them... in person.... develop your own opinions.

Lastly, you have questions, so write them down so you won't forget them when you are visiting with one of the LE professionals........... we like to answer honest questions and generally will give honest answers...sometimes direct answers so don't think it's personal ... it's just direct.

Hi Amanda - First - try not to be frustrated. MOST college Freshman don't know what career they want. You're just learning what the possibilities are! Try not to put too much pressure on yourself to make a decision right now. The first 2 years of college - or about that - are about taking "core courses" - courses that most students have to take regardless of what their eventual major will be. (This may not be the case if you took dual enrollment course in high school). Also - MOST adults these days change jobs and occupations during their lives. So even though a college sophomore decides to get a degree in accounting - and then works as an accountant for 12 years, there are many, many people who then go on to change careers or occupations. It happens a lot! I also don't really subscribe to the idea that everyone has a "dream job" or dream career and that's the only thing that will make them happy. That's certainly not the way it worked for me and many people I know. I teach college - graduate classes in Research....but I had NO IDEA that was even a possibility when I was a college freshman. I started out majoring in Speech Pathology! So - explore careers of interest to you. Seek out your college career office and do some job shadowing or ask to speak with alumni who do different jobs you're interested in so you can ask questions and get good, first-hand information. And do some volunteer work - or internships. See what it's like to be a a lawyer, a veterinary assistant, a police officer, a sports analysts, ...a teacher! etc. And also consider what you're good at! You mentioned you're not very good at math and science. Consider that... that's important. You probably don't want to get a degree in medicine or engineering if you're not very good at or don't like science and math. On the flip side - don't be afraid of those subjects either. You shouldn't let a few math classes prevent you from majoring in engineering if you really want to be an engineer. There will be challenging courses not matter what degree you choose. But dreaming if your career and being practice CAN work well together in making a career decision. Best of luck.... !