- #1
zsyed94
- 9
- 0
Hi all,
I've posted about switching majors before; as of today, that decision has come to a head.
I love physics, but struggled in my courses quite a bit just to end up with a 3.0 major GPA (I am in my third year). Last week, I started treatment for severe clinical depression/ADD, a week before finals began. Had I been of sound mental health or started treatment earlier, I would not be in the position I am now.
Physics thus far has been adverse to my physical and mental health, but has taught me things I think are invaluable, that I wouldn't have learned anywhere else, but I do not think I am cut out for studying it in an academic setting. If I stay in, I am looking at an additional year of school (I am not going to pass two of my three finals, taking a medical withdrawal instead), another two to pursue a master's (to make up for a mediocre undergrad GPA), and then 5-7 for a PhD, which I don't think my mental health will survive.
I have two options: stay in astrophysics with this quarter being a significant setback and hope that with treatment, I will excel, or switch to econ/math as a combined major, and take care of my mental health with a lot less pressure, even if that major is much less interesting. I have considering coming back to study physics later in life, and self-studying in the meantime, but I don't know how realistic that is.
What should I do?
I've posted about switching majors before; as of today, that decision has come to a head.
I love physics, but struggled in my courses quite a bit just to end up with a 3.0 major GPA (I am in my third year). Last week, I started treatment for severe clinical depression/ADD, a week before finals began. Had I been of sound mental health or started treatment earlier, I would not be in the position I am now.
Physics thus far has been adverse to my physical and mental health, but has taught me things I think are invaluable, that I wouldn't have learned anywhere else, but I do not think I am cut out for studying it in an academic setting. If I stay in, I am looking at an additional year of school (I am not going to pass two of my three finals, taking a medical withdrawal instead), another two to pursue a master's (to make up for a mediocre undergrad GPA), and then 5-7 for a PhD, which I don't think my mental health will survive.
I have two options: stay in astrophysics with this quarter being a significant setback and hope that with treatment, I will excel, or switch to econ/math as a combined major, and take care of my mental health with a lot less pressure, even if that major is much less interesting. I have considering coming back to study physics later in life, and self-studying in the meantime, but I don't know how realistic that is.
What should I do?