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I could finish my bachelor of liberal arts in the fall of 10. Alternatively I could complete my bachelor of computer science degree in the Spring of 2013-it would take so long because I would have a year of taking prereq math courses just to get in a position to take comp scy 101. It may seem like the obvious thing to do with my math background would be to go liberal arts, but I'm scared-my transcript is ugly, riddled with W's, thus law schools are out of the question, as are top tier grad programs. Entering the world equipped with a piece of paper and no viable skills is a scary prospect. Liberal arts majors around here seem to be a dime a dozen-most can't even land interviews.
If you have a lot of W's already, what makes you think you will do any better switching to a major that will require a full year of pre-reqs? The problem may not be the liberal arts degree, but the underlying circumstances that have led to the ugly transcript.
It was a weird social anxiety thing. I couldn't really deal with being in a classroom for extended periods of time. That's all over now-I've had a 3.9 for the past 3 semesters.
I like that you are realistic but don't be so hard on yourself; you are a viable candidate to employers b/c of your degree.
I would not switch majors. You already have enough debt. Get your BA degree and think about grad school. These days, it really doesn't matter if it is a "top tier" grad school or not. Moreover, I think that you can still get into a good grad school b/c you have a high GPA.
When asked about the W's, be honest but say you got past it; there is no shame in it, and a reputable school--or one that you would want to go to--won't judge you too harshly, especially if your more current GPA is high. But accruing more W's or providing more evidence of inconsistency will not help you.
I think you need to go back and look at what you wrote about yourself and your degree and deal with that. I don't know who is telling you that you have "no viable skills" but that is ridiculous and an affront to your education. The first thing that you need to do is to think about what your assets are and present them to prospective employers and grad schools via your resume. "Skills" are not the end-all-be-all; a lot of employers value an employee who can think critically or who is a quick learner. And the reason that people are not landing interviews right now is b/c of the economy more than their major selection.
I think that getting a job or at least an internship (maybe non-paying?) is a good idea. You need to start paying off your debts or, at the very least, accruing some experience. I would look at book stores--they value people with general knowledge--or an admin assistant position. I would also start looking into grad schools--ANY grad school. Just b/c you think that you can't get in doesn't mean that you actually can't get in; you have to try.
I'm 23 now. I'm considering just finding some retail job and trying to work my way up that ladder. I don't see many other options.
Any major life decision justified with "I don't see many other options" always ends badly. Have an honest discussion with yourself or with TRUSTED loved ones and figure your life out. Don't crawl into a shell and tell yourself you don't deserve better.
Finish your degree. Think about what classes you took that inspired you. Think about the skills you showed in class that make you different from other people. Then, get to work on what you've decided to do.
If, after having this discussion with yourself, you feel you need more education to accomplish your goals, then apply to grad school. Believe me, SOMEONE will take your money.
I received a "W" for one of my Masters courses. My brother died and had to stop ASAP. Professor didn't care so I wrote a note to the school admin. stating that he was heartless as I was 3 weeks away from the course end.......Glad it is over because it was a statistics course....
My question is why do you want to switch to computer science? My opinion is that there are some careers that people either have a real passion for, or they are gifted in that area, so it takes less effort than others to accomplish whatever it is they want.
I work in the IT industry so I'm partial to recommending computer science; however, unless you truly have a passion for computer science, I would say stay away from that field. You don't want to get into more debt and then work in a field that you really don't like.
Here's my advice: go ahead and finish what you've started. Your immediate goal is completing your degree next year. Goal number two is to start paying down the debt before you take on any more. Start utilizing the services at your college placement office now. Good luck!
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Why do you want to switch?
