A life changing decision
Jan. 24th, 2005 05:03 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
greybetaFor my new friends, let me preface this by saying that I'm currently a dual major in electrical engineering and history.
I'm about to make one of those life changing decisions. I sit here with two slips of paper, one a form to drop classes and the other a form to change majors. I've thought about it and there's a good chance that I will be dropping my engineering major this week.
It's hard to pinpoint it exactly, but I've lost a lot of my motivation to do engineering. I sit there in electronics and I don't see how those circuits going to help me when I'm a history professor. I'm simply too lazy right now to try to hold onto both, to hold onto all of my options. It's like driving down the middle of a three lane highway, where it splits into two different directions. If you keep driving down the middle you are going to get ripped apart. And so I now choose the left side (you know, the sinister one).
Everybody told me the same thing. My history advisor told me that I should do what makes he happy. My electronics professor told me to do something which I have a passion for. My history research advisor told me that I should do something that I will enjoy. The message is pretty clear.
The examples that my history professors used happened to be lawyers. One of them went so far as to say that "the practice of law does not get more interesting with time". While that may be so, they come with golden handcuffs, that is the money. But I have a shot at being a professor, perhaps at the fifty thousand dollar range. That's not fancy living, but it's pretty good money. Plus, if I enjoy teaching and the research, I won't mind too much.
Of course, the biggest drawback is that if I don't make it, I won't have the comfy fallback of engineering. It's a lot easier to find a job with an engineering degree than it is with history. Also, there is the chance that I will prefer to do something other than teaching. Politics and foreign policy could be my future as well.
There's a scene from one of my favorite animes, Princess Nine (you wouldn't think a show about girls playing baseball would be any good, but it has infinite replayability) I'm thinking of right now. One of the main characters plays tennis, but then she decides to give up her star career to play baseball. As a sign of her will, she burns all of her rackets and tennis balls. I don't think I could afford to do something so symbolic, but I do know that once I get all the required signatures on those slips, I've burned a bridge. All that's left to do is to convince the parents.
I'm beginning to see what people see in me.
I'm about to make one of those life changing decisions. I sit here with two slips of paper, one a form to drop classes and the other a form to change majors. I've thought about it and there's a good chance that I will be dropping my engineering major this week.
It's hard to pinpoint it exactly, but I've lost a lot of my motivation to do engineering. I sit there in electronics and I don't see how those circuits going to help me when I'm a history professor. I'm simply too lazy right now to try to hold onto both, to hold onto all of my options. It's like driving down the middle of a three lane highway, where it splits into two different directions. If you keep driving down the middle you are going to get ripped apart. And so I now choose the left side (you know, the sinister one).
Everybody told me the same thing. My history advisor told me that I should do what makes he happy. My electronics professor told me to do something which I have a passion for. My history research advisor told me that I should do something that I will enjoy. The message is pretty clear.
The examples that my history professors used happened to be lawyers. One of them went so far as to say that "the practice of law does not get more interesting with time". While that may be so, they come with golden handcuffs, that is the money. But I have a shot at being a professor, perhaps at the fifty thousand dollar range. That's not fancy living, but it's pretty good money. Plus, if I enjoy teaching and the research, I won't mind too much.
Of course, the biggest drawback is that if I don't make it, I won't have the comfy fallback of engineering. It's a lot easier to find a job with an engineering degree than it is with history. Also, there is the chance that I will prefer to do something other than teaching. Politics and foreign policy could be my future as well.
There's a scene from one of my favorite animes, Princess Nine (you wouldn't think a show about girls playing baseball would be any good, but it has infinite replayability) I'm thinking of right now. One of the main characters plays tennis, but then she decides to give up her star career to play baseball. As a sign of her will, she burns all of her rackets and tennis balls. I don't think I could afford to do something so symbolic, but I do know that once I get all the required signatures on those slips, I've burned a bridge. All that's left to do is to convince the parents.
I'm beginning to see what people see in me.
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no subject
Date: 2005-01-25 12:03 am (UTC)I think this is a good decision for you though, because it's been a bit obvious from what you write that electrical engineering is not holding your attention as much as history does.
no subject
Date: 2005-01-25 06:13 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-01-25 07:22 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-01-25 12:54 am (UTC)But you are NOT happy.
The thing to keep in mind is that as long as you have SOME degree, you are ahead of a lot of people. I have been up for numerous jobs, not careers, but jobs, where people with a degree win out over me. You won't starve...but you won't have a career either.
Obviously, you need to do what is right for you. I'll be interested to see how you choose.
no subject
Date: 2005-01-25 06:15 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-01-25 04:16 am (UTC)Is EE really a viable fallback if you hate your job every day you are there? It is hard enough to go to work every day if you love the subject matter.
Given what I have read, the troubles you've had with circuits were not due to lack of intellectual capacity, but simply due to lack of interest. This would only get worse later on. Concentrate on you core competence, excel at what you love. The size of the eventual paycheck is of miniscule importance compared to your satisfaction with your craft/art.
Good luck!
no subject
Date: 2005-01-25 06:17 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-01-25 07:09 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-01-25 08:10 pm (UTC)That having been said, I'm sure I will get involved into politics and foreign relations in the future.