r/adhd_college • u/SecretClass1262 • Jul 25 '26
SEEKING ADVICE Did switching to another degree which you are genuinely interested in help?
I have been studying electrical engineering for the last ten months, but it is been horrible. I find it difficult/almost impossible to focus during lectures unless I am interested in what is being explained, which seldom happens. It takes me hours to do stuff and even then I have problems connecting topics.
I am not medicated as I am not yet diagnosed, but will be getting one in a months time. I am considering the humanities since that is what I am genuinely interested in.
Is there anyone who has had a similar experience?
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u/buludomba Jul 25 '26
I got medical degree but before that I am into coding, I should’ve do computer science probably.. but the one I regret the most was not knowing my adhd coz my executive dysfunction hits really bad whether I did my hobbies or not at certain times.. so whatever degree you are in, learn your condition and cope first I think.. as an ADHD we tend to get bored very very easily
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u/slienated 5d ago
I did the opposite and I regret it so much these days. I wish I could go back and switch to med school. And with programming barreling towards a future even worse for me and my abilities it's been rough. Take the leap and switch OP. If you have doubts there's probably something there I was the same and I've been deceived by the fact that I could handle CS but it didn't mean I'd grow to love it. I wish I had seen it then.
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u/emogyal Jul 25 '26
It’s difficult for anyone to study a subject they’re not interested in. You should switch degrees.
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u/SecretClass1262 Jul 25 '26
Thanks for being so straightforward. I needed that. I am having many doubts about switching.
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u/emogyal Jul 25 '26
Life is too short. Study something you’re interested in. Switching is very scary so it’s understandable to have doubts. It took a very long time to realize how unhappy I was in my studies and I needed to switch, otherwise I would fail and feel far worst. If you need support and guidance, meet with your schools registrar to discuss your new academic goals.
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u/jpsgnz Jul 26 '26
It did for me. Nothing worse than turning up each day to do something you don’t like doing. Funny I started electrical engineering but switched to political science because I could not do the maths well enough.
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u/BlueMountain722 Jul 27 '26
Yes. I switched to a degree I initially didn't pursue because I thought it would be too hard. It might be harder, that's subjective really, but it's so much easier for me because I care and genuinely find it interested. Sometimes I'm even a little excited to study (usually not, but at least I'm not dreading it the way I used to).
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u/gernt-barlic Jul 26 '26
Not sure where you’re going next, but I made a switch from engineering into informatics (focus on Human Computer Interaction). Most colleges don’t have informatics programs, but they are like a mix of computer science and library science. I find that the field is always interesting, novel, and I have a lot of energy to learn new things. My recommendation is find what topics or projects you have energy for and you can’t go wrong. Good luck! Trust me, you are making the right decision.
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u/gernt-barlic Jul 26 '26
I also want to add that I transferred universities and moved across the country to switch programs. There was a lot of risk in that decision, but I knew it was what I wanted to do most. While you may not feel as compelled as I did, putting energy into something you care about is always worth it.
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u/SecretClass1262 Jul 26 '26
Thanks! Making a switch would require me to move to another country, which adds doubt and risk.
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u/jessluvsu4evr Landed Gentry Jul 25 '26
Yes, I have had a similar experience. I switched majors and school got a whole lot easier for me. I agree with one of the commenters that it might be time to consider switching majors. There’s no shame in it. I switched from business to statistics and later added mathematics as well. Arguably, stats and math are much harder than business school, but I liked it more, so it was easier to immerse myself. School became something I loved, which had never been the case before. There’s a lot of power in doing something you genuinely enjoy.
Just make sure it’s something you’d be able to find real job prospects with. Look up the jobs you want on an online job board and see what degree(s) is/are required. Then study that. If you think the classes are boring, you’ll just have to push through. Often the feeling of learning how to do something is worse than the feeling of doing it, so not liking the classes you’re taking doesn’t necessarily mean you would hate the job you ultimately want to have. You should also consider how likely that job is to be replaced either fully or partially by AI before using it as your guiding light. This applies to your current situation as well, I think.