Finding Direction: My Journey to Discover the Right Path for Me

[apples]

I never was sure what I wanted to do, possible because I didn't get ANY sort of career guidance or advice. My own passions motivated me and turned me towards different directions to where I stand.
I am good in studies, but always have the feeling that I never try my best.
MIT was my dream, but I got rejected, and am now a freshman at UCSD.
I plan to apply for transfer admission to MIT again for Fall 2010, if my GPA is good enough.

I am good in every subject, and can perform good in all of them if I want to, but I have started to run away from certain social sciences (philosophy oriented, arguing pointlessly like in political science) and chemistry.

Currently, my attitude blows away my grade, and I realize I need to get a grip. Fall quarter was terrible, 3B's and a C in a mandatory writing course.

I love Physics. I love Math. I hate Chemistry.

---
Now for the real part.

I have an idea what I want to do, but I don't know which major/path to choose, because I never got any guidance.

My dream was to be able to discover, innovate, design, revolutionize, and then physically create and construct.

Be it cars, robots, or machines. I want to be able to do everything.

I never really knew how to express this.
Now this may seem funny and pointless.
But when I saw Iron Man, I was like hey, this is what I want to do! (except, of course, for the part of creating weapons).
Now I never told this to anyone, because it seems really childish. As if I admire a superhero, like any kid fantasizes to be superman. But that is what I want to do.


So what is it?
What do you call what I want?
Is it possible to be one person and do a variety of so many different things?
Once I know what to focus on, I can do a double major.

I hope you get what I'm trying to express.


Thank you

 

[symbolipoint]

Mathematics, Physics, Engineering, Computer Science. Basically you seem interested in Engineering. Those other three in the list are very useful and important for succeeding.

 

[apples]

What type of engineering.
If I were to declare my major by fall quarter of my sophomore year, what would it be?

 

[symbolipoint]

What type of engineering.
If I were to declare my major by fall quarter of my sophomore year, what would it be?

Only you can answer that. You have not expressed a specific enough interest. Start as an Engineering major and you will have certain required courses to study in Mathematics, Physics, Computer Science, and Chemistry. You could narrow your interests as you proceed.

 

[Vanadium 50]

I plan to apply for transfer admission to MIT again for Fall 2010, if my GPA is good enough.

I think that ship has probably sailed. MIT rejected you before. What's changed since then? You have started college and gotten B's and C's. Do you think this makes you more appealing or less appealing to them? There is also the issue of the size of a school's transfer class is much, much smaller than the freshman class, so things are going to be very competitive. I would argue that the thing to do is to make the most of where you are at.

As far as which engineering goes, why not take a couple of classes and see which branch appeals to you the most.

 

[Topher925]

What interests do you have outside of academics? Do you build robots in your spare time?

 

[stewartcs]

What type of engineering.
If I were to declare my major by fall quarter of my sophomore year, what would it be?

Mechatronics.

CS

 

[turbo]

What type of engineering.
If I were to declare my major by fall quarter of my sophomore year, what would it be?

Check the policies of your college. If you are in a demanding engineering track, you may have nothing but required core courses for the first two years, with no need to declare until near the end of your Sophomore year, and very little time to fit in electives that might help you make your choice. Admittedly, my college years are well behind me, but that was the policy in my engineering department.

I declared early, anyway, so that I could be considered for one of the 5 five-year pulp-and-paper scholarships in chemical engineering. I got one of them, and then really ticked off my financial-aid advisor by telling him that I was going to switch to liberal arts. I loved sciences, but my time in a Freshman Honors program (with a Rhodes scholar as an advisor) rekindled my love of history, literature, and philosophy. I wouldn't make a very good Academic Guidance Counselor.

 

[apples]

Well, the reason I didn't apply for Freshman admission is 2009 was because of my bad grades.
My poor performances were due to other factors, such as moving in from another country, jet-lag + school simultaneously, adjusting, buying all the stuff needed to live etc.

I don't build robots in my spare time.

I'll see how stuff works.

Meanwhile, I'm just looking for my major.Till now, I've gotten two suggestions: Mechatronics and general engineering.

my current university doesn't have mechatronics as a major.

 

[TMFKAN64]

Well, then mechanical engineering with a few circuits courses thrown in.

Meanwhile, focus and try to pull your grades up! You might not be that interested in some of the courses, but all the more reason to put in the effort!