I totally dislike my major, what should i do?

Hi Jane!

Sorry that you are having such a hard time.

I have been where you are. I went to my academic adviser and he suggested that I take interest and aptitude tests at the counseling office to determine which careers matched my interests, aptitude, and personality,and he helped me to change majors. I think that might work for you. I did not have to change schools, I just changed majors.

Completing these exercises will be a good first step to getting to know yourself:
https://www.themuse.com/advice/14-free-personality-tests-thatll-help-you-figure-yourself-out

Best of luck! Be true to yourself. The feeling and concept of success is yours - and is very personal. Let me know if this is of help.

If you decide to change your major you may not have to add a whole term, depending on its requirements. I think 5 terms is a lot to be miserable. There may be ways to reduce the financial burden on your parents while studying: a loan or a part-time job. The career center, academic advising office for your new major, and the financial aid office are good places to go to help you make a plan you can then present to your parents.

Jane,
So sorry to hear that you are suffering...Why would you want to continue on a path that provides no joy in your life, but rather headaches, etc.? Thus, I think you already know what you must do.

It is very noble that you want to save your parents some heartache, given the tuition they have already paid. For what it's worth, about 70-80 percent of college freshman change their major after the first year, as they learn what they thought would be a "good fit" is not. Either they dislike the course content and/or they fail to assimilate the core concepts of the coursework and do not pass OR barely pass. Not getting good grades can be very demoralizing for a student who excelled in high school.

I too would recommend going to the Career Counseling Office at your school before switching majors again to Industrial Design. There are a number of very good career counseling assessments that can help identify a discipline that would be a "good fit" for you.

Also, it's important that you have a conversation with your parents. Tell them that you are miserable in a Business Management program. Just be honest. They might already recognize that you're not your "old self." That should take a weight off of your shoulders.

Another option would just be to take a one or two semester hiatus from school. Find a job, save some money, and regroup. It sounds like you desperately need a change of scenery, so to speak.

Hang in there. You will find something that is a good fit; just be patient and explore. It is when you are young that you can afford to explore the many possibilities that life offers to you. It's significantly harder when you are at mid-life have a spouse, a mortgage, car payments, children, etc.