Am I ready for college?

Question

So I started college on the 18th of August (so I've been here a little over a month). I go to a Catholic University in Pennsylvania, and for the first couple weeks I loved it, I was working hard to try and get good grades and I felt like I was adjusting well. However, the last week and a half has been terrible. I have a history of depression and anxiety, and I recently started having panic attacks and just feeling extremely sad and lonely and depressed. I've become so indecisive about what I want to do and the classes I want to take, and I'm having a hard time standing up for myself to my academic adviser when I told him I didn't want to take engineering next semester (I'm currently in the college of engineering, but I've realized I don't like engineering). Anyways, I call home at least two times a day because I'm really close to my mom and I need to talk to her at least once a day. 

In high school, I was so motivated to do my work and so passionate about learning. Here, I just feel really burned out. I have so much free time during the day, but I still just feel like I have no passion to learn and I just really want a break from school. It may be because I'm currently taking classes I absolutely hate, but I have to wait until next semester to change my classes, so I don't know what to do. 

Emotionally, I recognize that I'm really unstable right now. I cry randomly throughout the day for no apparent reason. It's not even that I'm homesick or that I'm feeling lonely. I just cry for no reason, randomly. Sometimes in the middle of class or when I'm at work or when I'm in the library or in my dorm. But then sometimes I feel invincible and I look back on why I was crying and don't understand it. My emotions are honestly so unpredictable and I don't know whats wrong with me. 

Also, I'm really young for my grade.. I'm only 17 and I turn 18 in November. 

Is this emotional roller coaster and lack of motivation a normal reaction to adjusting to college? Or am I just possibly not ready for college?

C7S · Accepted Answer

I also live in PA. Philadelphia specifically. And I went to Penn State Abington, then main campus in State College, PA studying engineering. I just graduated last year.

What you are going through is normal. Ever heard of Freshman 15? Freshman are known to gain 15 lbs because of depression, stress, and a poor diet. 

Also, most engineering students drop out in the first year or 2, before they even get to the major specific classes, because engineering is not as fun or interesting as they thought it would be. You are probably taking classes like General Ed credits, Calc, Chemistry, Intro to engineering, English, Economics, Statics and Physics, right? In Junior year you will take more specific major related classes. 

I recommend either staying in your major, or look through the university website at all the majors offered and read their descriptions to see if it is something you would like to do. If your schools website does not explain things enough, do a search on Yahoo looking more into the major, types of jobs you get, salaries, etc. If you find something you like that is not engineering, let your advisor know and talk to your parents about it as well. Good Luck Anna.

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Am I ready for college?

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