How to
When I initially went to college I majored in film production. I enjoyed it, but the university was very religious/sheltered and some friend drama made me want to transfer. I decide, pretty impulsively, to go to some technical college and study nuclear engineering. I'm kind of a nature hippie so that seemed like an alright choice. I knew my parents didn't care much for my film interests so I chose something more "useful". They were very hyped for this big change in my life.
This is about my second semester in that major and it's just starting to sink in how screwed I am. I really dislike both nuclear engineering as both a major and as a career. I understand it can make tons of money and has good opportunities (especially considering I live in Tennessee), but honestly I don't really have any interest in a "rich worker bee" lifestyle. I've never really had any interest in consumerism nor do I really have any financial obligations (I'm 21 from an upper middle class family with no plans in starting a family). I guess what really makes me happy is creating things. I'm just that kind of person I guess.
Now that I think about making those movies back in film class, those moments were probably one of the only times in my life when I was really happy. I had friends. the professors saw potential in me. I could have really had a career in something I enjoy and I just gave it up because I was a coward. Now I have pretty much nothing. (I hope this doesn't break the "no sob stories" rule)
Unfortunately my scholarship money will expire if I change my major again (unless it's anything close like any other engineering discipline, physics, chemistry, math etc...). I feel like I have dug myself a hole that I can't escape from. Anytime I tell the few people I can talk to about it, they just assume that I dislike the course work when I really hate everything about it. Most people older than me just give that "you sweet summer child" bs that doesn't help at all.
The worst part is, nuclear engineering is a difficult major. I have to do all this work for something I absolutely hate. Anytime I hear anyone talk about how passionate they are about their major I have to suppress the urge to cry, as I have locked myself in a career path I couldn't ever see myself happy in. I can't see any possible future in which I am even mildly happy. But I guess that's just my life. I was considering getting my teaching license and moving to China and teaching English just to give me time to think about everything (I hear they're paid well enough to be self sufficient) but that would be a big commitment. I guess I just need some reason to do all this work as it's hard to stay motivated to study when you feel like you've doomed yourself to mediocrity. I need something concrete to work towards. Most of the advice I’ve been getting is just “sit down, shut up, make money” but nobody seems to get it. I don’t want to even associate with engineering for the rest of my life. If I get a degree in engineering it will be proof that I am a mentally weak coward that chose the safe option and now is stuck in an office just to make money that he can use to pretend like he’s fulfilled by drowning in consumerism.