- #1
obstinatus
- 12
- 0
I'm a physics undergrad with a year's worth of credit remaining to complete my degree, all 300 and 400 level courses as I've already done gen eds/ humanities. After graduating high school, I attended a noncompetitive state school for a year and was very alienated, the school lacking support for undergrads (advisers disinterested/unavailable, no orientation or study skills courses) and student organizations failing to turn into significant connections. For the four years since, I've taken community college classes and in the last year returned to the same school (in the mentality of "get it over with, your attitude was the problem") and have had the same experience. For mental health reasons, my academic performance is heavily impacted by a lack of regular social interaction, and my GPA disturbingly low, so despite the local research opportunities, I'm tempted to transfer to a liberal arts college where advisers will be more accessible and campus life easier to get involved with. Or even just another state school, to get out from under my GPA and start over with a different community.
So my question is: 1) Was social life important to you as a physics major, or did it hurt rather than help? Am I overrating the importance of community and faculty support? (i.e. could the problem still be me and not the school?) 2) Is attending a school with fewer research opportunities/graduate programs likely to be a bad idea, especially as a senior? 3) With my low level of achievement thus far, should I consider changing my major? Would a high GPA in economics or history be more employable than a low GPA in physics or chemistry? My ambition was always to be an academic but I suspect that's no longer possible.
I come to the forum with this because I think my situation is the result of poor advice (or good advice ignored) throughout HS & college, and so am seeking people who know what they're talking about, and aren't just trying to get me out of their office in time for their next appointment.
So my question is: 1) Was social life important to you as a physics major, or did it hurt rather than help? Am I overrating the importance of community and faculty support? (i.e. could the problem still be me and not the school?) 2) Is attending a school with fewer research opportunities/graduate programs likely to be a bad idea, especially as a senior? 3) With my low level of achievement thus far, should I consider changing my major? Would a high GPA in economics or history be more employable than a low GPA in physics or chemistry? My ambition was always to be an academic but I suspect that's no longer possible.
I come to the forum with this because I think my situation is the result of poor advice (or good advice ignored) throughout HS & college, and so am seeking people who know what they're talking about, and aren't just trying to get me out of their office in time for their next appointment.