I need advice and opinions on a life- and career-changing decision, please.

You said you’re a senior… will this other opportunity still be available if you just stick it out and get your degree at WVU?

It sounds like the benefits of going back to the west coast outweigh the benefits of staying. It’s so much easier to get ahead in life if you have a support group around you, and if you move back you’ll be near your family. If you get this liberal arts degree and find a professional job later, you’ll be in a better position to get more education later, like applying the credits you have now to a biology degree. Or you could be a biology teacher. :) Once you finish this degree, if you decide you want to do biology, you can go for a master’s degree in it, right?

I’m in a position right now where I’m working crappy jobs and going to school, too. I’ve been trying to live on my own and do this, but I’m going to move in with my family soon so I can focus more on school. It’s hard enough to support yourself without a degree, but it’s even harder to do this and pay for college. And I’ve been to Roanoke and the Bay area… California wins x10.

Why do you have to change your major if you move?

Can you credits transfer to a school near your family? Do you only have 1 semester left? If you wait to graduate, will you not be able to take this opportunity to move back?

The idea is that I would move at the end of this semester, while my mom is living in CA (she’ll go back to Italy in June of next year). My older cousin (in his 60’s) will let me stay with him for a year in exchange for cleaning, so rent-free, and my mom says he’s often not home. Also, my little sister’s teacher offered to let me intern with her so I could get class hours.

@augustlan – I’m technically a senior, but I still have at least another year to go after this semester, including an internship next summer. But, that is taking 18+ credits a semester and not working. With working enough to support myself, though, I find myself able to take about 12–14 credits a semester, which puts me at at least another year and a half. The thought of staying here for that long or longer fills me with dread and dismay. Also, it is affecting my GPA and my mental health. So the idea is to get me in a place where I’m happier, more productive, and have a support system.

@Haleth – Ha, yeah it does win x10 for sure. Thanks for your input.. I really have no idea what would happen if I choose to do this or what my options will be. I’m a bit uninformed about how it all works and I just worry having a vaguer, less prestigious major might hurt me later on. But I think you have a good point in that I’ll be in a better position to continue schooling if I want, at least financially.

@gemiwing and @jackm – My living opportunity is in the Bay Area, which limits the schools I can choose. Further narrowing it down, it needs to be a state school, so I can afford it. Looking at the possibilities (UC Berkeley and Cal State), there is no major even close to mine. Studying general biology puts me way behind, as the curricula are so different, and we’re talking years. I’m soon to be 33 and I would like to finish school and get on with my adult life, make reasonable money, that sort of thing. So, in terms of current credits applied and what else I’d have to take, Liberal Studies is the quickest route to graduation.

A transfer will likely wipe out a lot of your credits.

I’ve faced the same sort of “pick up stakes and then heart breaks” move. It is really tough.

This is what I see….

You have been unhappy. You asked for some relief from the Universe. An answer came in the form of free (almost) housing in one of the most expensive places to live in the world and on the Coast that you have been yearning for.

Your heart needs to go where it feels happy and comfortable and from that you can begin to manifest everything else.

Yes, you may lose credits, you may have to take a different major, but you will ultimately probably be less stressed and joyful.

Of course, you will have to make your own decision. But my vote is for following your heart.

(Did you check out UC Santa Cruz?)

Well first of all, as a a senior attending WVU, I can understand how you can be miserable here. First of all if you are from California, this winter is going to be harsh. I am also loosing motivation to be here. I am from the DC area and recently decided my major may not be what I want to pursue after I graduate. It is difficult but I am just going to suck it up since I only have one semester left.
As for your situation, I would take a step back and decide what is important to you. What truly makes you happy regardless of how hard it maybe to get it. You have some hard stuff to think about. Frankly it seems to me you have already made up your mind. But if you need a bigger friend pool or just someone to talk to I can PM you my info. :)

Really tough choices there, MissA. Whatever you do, don’t make a rash decision… mull it over a bit. Isn’t there any way at all for you to pursue your original degree from CA?

@DarlingRhadamanthus – Wow, thank you. It’s funny you should talk about the universe, because for the past 5 years or so, I’ve felt like I’m off my path. It’s been confusing because it was obvious to me I was meant to take this step to go to WVU and boy, did the universe help me out to make it happen. It’s just that once I got here, my life has been increasingly difficult and I’m not sure where I went wrong.

I believe that when you’re on the right path and following your heart, the universe speaks to you in small ways and also will provide to ensure your success. There’s been a real lack of things going my way, even when it seems like they should and it makes no sense. It’s been an uphill battle constantly for a long time and it’s exhausting.

So what you said and the points you make resonate with me, because this feels like the break I’ve needed for so long. I did look at UCSC, but it’s kind of the same story. Though I didn’t see anything on the website, I remember hearing you can create your own major at UCSC. I was born in SC and absolutely love it, and I always wanted to go to UCSC. Unfortunately, I think the distance from my cousin’s place is too great to make it a viable option.

@IBERnineD – I actually hadn’t made up my mind when I posted this, but reading everyone’s thoughts and talking through it made me realize that this is a golden opportunity to achieve something I want very badly. San Francisco doesn’t have the hot weather everyone imagines, so I’m not that bothered by snow or cold weather.. though I thought last winter was bitter and awful and was praying for sun and snow this year. :\

Like I said, I doubt I’ll even end up working bachelor-level work in my current field. It’s just not what I want to do, what I want requires further schooling. So, if I graduate from WVU, I’d likely go on to get a Master’s anyway. So it’s really difficult to tough it out, though I’m trying very hard.. it’s just without having a clear goal ahead of me, or a real passion for what they’re training me to do, it’s hard. Don’t get me wrong, I have a passion for wildlife and for biology, I just want something different in the end than what they’re teaching me to do right now.

@augustlan – I definitely will think more on it. I don’t really have much of an original degree in CA. I started out in community college taking general education and biology-oriented classes, so those will likely apply, but I didn’t leave a university program so there’s no program to go back to. :\

I would move, if I was you. Especially since it will place you nearer to your mom and your family—like @Haleth said, it’s easier to do anything if you have family and friends near you. A shoulder to cry on, as it were. (Also, as someone who recently moved, I miss the familiarity of my hometown almost as much as the people who live there.)

What is it, exactly, that you would be wanting to do if you did get your degree in Wildlife Biology? Is it something that you could be involved with on the weekends, say, volunteering at a wildlife conservatory? Lots of people do things they just “like” during the week to make money to do things they “love” on the weekends. It might be a viable option for you.

You know what? In thinking about this some more, I came to the realization that it would be easy enough to come back to WVU if CA doesn’t work out the way you hope. It certainly won’t be nearly as hard financially to come back here (I live in WV) as it has been to get back to CA. You’re unhappy, unattached, still young, and have had an opportunity fall into your lap. Take it. :D

@evegrimm – That’s the thing, I don’t have a clear idea! That’s definitely part of the frustration, you know, not having a clear goal. I’d probably end up doing research (Master’s level, coming up with the ideas, analyzing data, etc.) and some sort of policy work or public education. I definitely could volunteer, though.

@augustlan – I know you’ve told me a million times, but I keep forgetting you live here. I think it’s because I feel like I’m alone in the wilderness here. :P I think that if I can get to CA, I probably would have no desire to come back to school here.. like, as long as I’m there, I can work it out from that point. It’s just such a change from this road I’ve been on, that it’s a bit startling.

As a fellow WVU senior, I can feel your pain. Sometimes this place sucks. Everyone around me, including myself, is beginning the process of applying to grad school and deciding what to do with their lives post-graduation. I interned this past summer and while there, everyone told me I won’t be able to get a good position with just a B.A., so I have to consider a Master’s program even though it wasn’t part of my plan. It’s a terrifying thought, but it warrants serious thought and consideration. If you are truly that unhappy with your chosen field, go back to what (and where) you love. Sure, some employers may see it as a weakness, but others will see it as an advantage. That goes with any degree. Just keep in mind that even with a vague degree, you’re still in an elite percentage of the nation’s population who actually HAS a degree.

@MissAnthrope Being a liberal arts major won’t be all bad… you’ll have lots of jobs to choose from. If you were a biology major, you’d probably have to move around to follow jobs in your field. Do you have an academic advisor? It’s so hard to track down people who can help you at big state schools, but maybe they can help you with the transfer process.
@SheWasAll_ all my friends are starting jobs and deciding on grad school. I changed from a studio art major to a business major two years in and almost nothing transferred. So I’m basically two years behind everyone. It’s freaking me out! It seems like being a new college grad is even more stressful, though.

WVU participates in the National Student Exchange Program which allows students to attend colleges in other states at in-state rates. Since it sounds like you have WV residency, you could live in CA, take classes in CA, and have them apply to the WV degree. There may be some restrictions about graduating; you may have to return to WV to take a final class there in order to meet degree requirements, but perhaps you could satisfy that by returning and taking one class in the summer. That way, you wouldn’t lose your credits and finish, but still get to make the move back. It would be worth checking into. Don’t take no for an answer. Sometimes you have to spend time working the situation.

usually it is difficult to return to California after you left for that long, but because of the economy, it shouldn’t be too hard.
Come home.

In my experience, it is the degree that is important to employers, not what the degree is in. Employers are much more influenced by your activities and your enthusiasm than any particular major. If specific education is wanted by the employer, then it’s usually at the Masters Degree level. So I wouldn’t let concerns about what kind of degree you get stop you from changing schools.

It sounds like there is not a good cultural fit for you in WV. So should you force yourself to finish the degree there?

Education is extremely important to future income, but there is more to life than income, as you have discovered. You want to be on the West Coast, and it seems to me that you may gain enough happiness being there to make it worth postponing your graduation by another year. You’re 33. You’ve been working at this a long time. I know you’re anxious to be done with it, but you aren’t

Life is a process, and if it takes you longer to get a degree, you can still be happy doing it. Education is fun. Enjoy it. Borrow money to get your degree faster. You’ll be able to pay it off later, when you’re working. And don’t worry about what career you are preparing for. It is practically guaranteed that you will end up doing something much different from what you thought you would be doing.

@PandoraBoxx – That would be awesome, but WVU has denied me in-state residency. I was a WV resident for 4 years before moving to Roanoke (had in-state status at WVUP and WVU), I realized my mistake and came back, and quickly did everything I needed to establish residency here. It seems I was supposed to wait a year before resuming school. I appealed it, they asked good, pertinent questions, yet still denied me. I already dislike the university’s money-grubbing ways, how they seem gleeful to take the students’ money, yet never actually want to help us out, and this just reeeeeally chapped my hide.

The difference between in-state and out-of-state is significant and really means the difference between my feeling overwhelmed and stressed and my feeling okay and everything under control. This denial of my appeal makes me not want to give the university any more of my money. The upside to going to school in CA is that I probably will qualify for in-state status, as I attended high school there (that is one of the waiver rules). So, potentially, it could save me some money in loans and such.

@Haleth – Thanks for the up-side.. I actually do have so many interests that a Liberal Studies major may capture my range of knowledge and skills a lot better than biology.

@daloon – Thanks. That’s kind of how I’m looking at it. I’ve done 2 years at WVU now, two separate stretches of a year. The frustration and unhappiness, both times, just makes me want to quit, flee, give up, etc. This played a huge factor in why I was so willing to move to Roanoke in the first place and it definitely affects my mood, motivation, and academic performance. Morgantown is better than Roanoke, but it’s still not that good of a cultural fit, as you said.

My mom seemed to think I just don’t like school, but that’s not it. I was very happy going to school in CA, and actually I did enjoy my classes at WVUP (community college-like satellite school a couple hours away). I think I just need to be somewhere where my emotional and intellectual needs are being met, for me to be productive like I used to be. It’s been a really, really long time since I’ve had that.

Hey—I haven’t read through all the answers so apologies if this has already been said…

I think your best option at this point is to graduate quickly with the liberal arts major. You said yourself you don’t want to do bachelor’s-level work in biology so getting a BS in biology accomplishes nothing for you. Get out, go home, be happy again, and work out the career stuff then. Which I would do by taking classes as a non-matriculating student at Berkeley if they’ll let you to boost your GPA, then applying for a Masters to do what you really want to do.

Lots of luck…keep us posted.

I changed schools and majors (though both in CA) with 6 classes left toward a degree in Philosophy. When I transferred, I added another 2 years to school. Transfer credits might be a problem, especially if you plan to transfer to a higher level university than the one you currently attend.

Sometimes location makes all the difference. Other times, it’s what’s going on inside of you that is the problem, not your location. If you’re problems are internal, no amount of moving and changing is going to help you. Be sure of what you are seeking before making a huge decision.

Sounds to me like your quality of life will take a major lift if you jump on this opportunity. You have a year of rent-free living where you know you want to be. You hate your school and where you live now – not much good may come of that. Being in an environment where you truly want to be, and without the stresses of rent for a while may open up more doors than you can imagine. Once you get out of there I bet things will start falling in to place :)

Plus, you already pretty much know the “what ifs” of staying where you are. You may regret the “what ifs” of not going the carpe diem route..

Call both schools that you have the possibility of attending in California. Speak with an Academic Counselor. Fax your transcripts over. Call back and ask what they suggest you do. They may be able to find a route for you that doesn’t require you to completely switch majors. They are very good at doing these things.

When it comes to majors have a Liberal Arts degree doesn’t mean you have to become a teacher. It is just a Bachelor’s level degree. You aren’t going to get a good teaching job with a Bachelor’s degree same as you aren’t going to get a good job as a Biologist with a Bachelor’s degree. You can likely get a Master’s Degree in Biology with a Liberal Art’s BS/BA. So my second piece of advice would be to make sure this is true. Go to a few websites and see what the Master’s in Biology accepts as far as prerequisites. Many programs are quite flexible with what degree you have especially since you’ll likely have all of the necessary biology courses anyway.

Another option is to get a Minor in general biology. That would likely not set you back very far.

Look life is not about our careers. It is about our happiness. Your have many options you probably haven’t explored yet in terms of your major, your education, and your career. Do what is going to make you happy and force the rest to fit. Use your resources to do so, don’t do that part alone.

@RedPowerLady Good advice! Though instead of “Do what is going to make you happy and force the rest to fit,” I’d say that the rest will…just fit :)

@inkvisitor Ya, I didn’t like the way I worded that sentence either. I like yours much better :)

So.. thank you guys so much for putting up with all the reading on this thread, bearing with me, and giving some really good thoughts and opinions. I’ve been mulling it over for a couple of days and it’s kind of scary, but I think the best decision is to grab this opportunity while it’s available. There are just so many things here (WVU, roommates, my job, etc.) that I am ready to move on from.. I definitely, definitely need a big change and I think this is it!

First, why would you HAVE to get a degree in Liberal Arts and become a teacher? Other than that I see no reason why getting a degree in liberal arts would hurt you in getting a job instead of biology unless your getting a technical job where math and thinking like a biologist is asked of you (even if you do you can reflect on the bio classes you already took)

That being said, if you really want to go back to Cali and you have no probs being a teacher, than go for it b/c it seems like you’d have a more comfortable life and if anything can get another degree while teaching in a place you love :D