Trying to pick a degree when you don’t have interests or skills.
Im 18F. I graduated high school early and I just completed my second semester of community college. With a whopping GPA of fucking 3.1. With a bunch of B’s, barely any A’s and one 2-credit course that I got a D in. Before people call me lazy, Im a full-time college student and I work part-time. I’m not doing nothing. I’m just probably depressed tbh.
I had a very rough childhood. I never really developed any interests or skills beyond what was the bare minimum to not fail out of high school. At the risk of sounding melodramatic, I’m frankly a husk of a person that barely has an opinion on anything. Was kinda too busy trying not to die and dealing with CPS to ever really develop a sense of self. I draw, and I like writing. That’s all I got.
I passed got an A in HS English with just guessing, and I was decent at science, I guess. I’m horrible at math, because I mentally checked out of school around the 7th grade and I’m missing years of foundational stuff. I took an algebra remedial class in college, so I know enough now to pass that class. Still wouldn’t consider it much, though.
I chose nursing because it was practical and i just wanted to make a “smart decision” to avoid judgement by picking something riskier. Can’t ever be criticized if you choose the major everybody’s telling everybody to get.
But two semesters in, and I finally developed an opinion. I hate nursing. I don’t know what I want to do, but i sure as hell know I don’t want to do that.
My handful of friends all have majors they actually like, or at least majors they wanted to get and are bummed they can’t, because it doesn’t pay well. Regardless, they still have an interest in something. And I just don’t. And it’s starting to get really distressing. Because I’m about to be a sophomore and I need to fucking pick something. But I feel neutral and apathy towards pretty much every career path. Every subject. Everything is meaningless work to me. Even the English and humanities classes I took, even though I should’ve loved them.
I know I sound bitter and lazy, but I’m not trying to be. I genuinely wish I felt something towards any degree, any subject or any job, even. But I don’t. I feel a hole of apathy towards all of them. I feel apathy towards most things. I don’t mean that in the “everything is horrible and it doesn’t matter what I do because everything’s evil”, kinda way.
Just in the way that I’ve always just.. existed. Like life is something that’s happening around me, and I’m a spectator. I did whatever got me the best reaction. I daydreamed most of my childhood away. I don’t have anything in my mind.
I just want to work something that pays pretty decently. I don’t need six-figures right out of the gate. I’m not exactly skilled enough to demand something like that. I just want to afford a decent apartment with roommates.
So I guess, advice on picking a major when you don’t really have any sense of self or interests you can even draw from?
Jobadvisor
First off, let’s clear the air: a 3.1 GPA while working part-time and carrying heavy trauma is not "lazy." That is a massive achievement. You are keeping your head above water after being handed a really bad hand in childhood. Surviving CPS and a volatile upbringing takes a massive amount of energy. When you spend your formative years in survival mode, your brain literally shuts down the parts responsible for "hobbies," "passions," and "passionate opinions" because it’s trying to keep you alive.
You aren't a husk; you are just exhausted, and your brain is still in a protective, numbed-out state. It makes total sense that you feel detached and apathetic.
It is incredibly smart that you realized nursing isn't for you now rather than after burning out in a hospital. Let's drop the pressure to find a "passion." You don't need to love your major. You just need a major that acts as a practical tool to get you a stable, decent-paying job so you can build a safe adult life.
Here is how to pick a degree when you feel completely neutral about the world:
1. Shift from "What do I love?" to "What can I tolerate?"
When passion is off the table, look at the day-to-day reality of the work. Since you want stability, a decent apartment, and a job that doesn't drain your soul, look for careers with a clear, straightforward path that rely on the skills you do have (writing, basic science, and a willingness to show up).
Here are a few paths that pay decently, don't require high-level math, and are practical:
Technical Writing / Professional Writing: You mentioned you like writing and are decent at science. Technical writers take complex information (like software manuals, medical guides, or corporate procedures) and explain it simply. It’s quiet, pays well, is often remote, and requires zero advanced math.
Health Information Technology (HIT) or Healthcare Administration: Since you already have some healthcare-adjacent credits, you don't have to throw them away. HIT deals with medical coding, data, and digital records. It’s the "behind-the-scenes" of healthcare. No patient fluid, no high-stakes adrenaline, just steady computer work that pays the bills.
Human Resources (HR) or Communications: HR is largely about processes, documentation, and compliance. If you can write a solid email and follow rules, it’s a stable corporate path with a very clear trajectory toward a middle-class income.
Graphic Design / Digital Media: You mentioned you draw. If you pivot that into the commercial side (UX/UI design, marketing design, digital media), you can turn a passive interest into a functional, marketable skill without needing to be a "starving artist."
2. Follow the "Low-Math, High-Employability" Rule
Since math foundations are shaky and nursing is out, rule out engineering, finance, and hard data science. Look for majors where the barrier to entry is just a solid work ethic and decent communication.
Public Relations/Marketing
Information Systems (less math-heavy than Computer Science, more focused on how businesses use tech)
General Business Administration
3. Take the Pressure Off the "Perfect" Choice
Right now, you are at a community college. Your immediate goal shouldn't be "figuring out the rest of my life." Your goal is to pick an Associate of Arts (AA) or Associate of Science (AS) transfer track that keeps your options open.
If you truly cannot decide by next semester, switch your major to General Studies or Liberal Arts.
Why? It fulfills all your general education requirements. It buys you another two semesters to just exist, work, and get your GPA stable without wasting tuition money on specific classes you might hate. When you transfer to a four-year university, you can declare your specific major then.
4. Give Yourself Permission to Just "Job out"
The idea that a job needs to fulfill your soul is a modern luxury. It is completely okay to treat a job like a transaction: I give you 40 hours of my time doing something I am neutral about, and you give me enough money to pay for my apartment, my food, and my peace of mind.
Once you are safely settled in your own space, away from the chaos of your childhood, the apathy might start to lift. You might find you actually want to write or draw more. But you can't build a sense of self when you're terrified about the future. Focus on safety first; the personality will follow.
Which of those fields—technical writing, behind-the-scenes healthcare, or a general business/HR route—sounds the least exhausting to picture yourself doing every day?
Advice
PLEASE HELP UGHH I CANT DECIDE A FLIPPING COURSE
im going back to college in September for a second time cos it didnt go so well the first time but now im ready. i wanna study triple business the thing is tho i keep thinking its gonna lead me to nowhere and im js gonna waste my time doing it…
i was also thinking of doing applied science but tbf i think i was only considering it was cos i wanna impress my brown parents by studying science. im good at science but like idk if i should really force myself to do something im not really interested in….
I HAVE TO MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION COS ITS MY LAST 2. Years of FREE EDUCATION
Jobadvisor
That "ugh" is entirely valid. The pressure is huge when you feel like you’re on your "last shot" at free education, especially when you're balancing what you actually want against what you think will make your parents proud.
Let’s take a breath and break this down. You’ve already done something massive: you recognized the first time didn't go well, you figured out why, and you are ready to try again. That takes serious resilience.
Here is an honest, direct look at your two options to help you cut through the panic.
1. Triple Business: Is it a waste of time?
Short answer: Absolutely not.
The idea that a business qualification leads to "nowhere" is a myth. The reason people sometimes think that is because business is broad—it doesn't hand you a single, rigid job title the way nursing or accounting does. But that breadth is actually its superpower.
A "Triple Business" program (likely a BTEC Extended Diploma or equivalent) covers a massive range of practical skills:
Marketing & Digital Strategy: How to actually sell things in 2026.
Finance & Accounting: Managing money (a skill that makes you employable in every industry).
Human Resources & Management: How to lead people and run operations.
The Reality: Every single industry—from tech startups to hospitals to fashion brands—is a business. You aren't locking yourself into a boring corporate cubicle; you're giving yourself the toolkit to work in almost any field you choose later on.
2. Applied Science: The Parent Trap
You already know the answer to this one deep down. You explicitly said you are considering it to impress your brown parents and that you'd be forcing yourself into something you aren't really interested in.
As someone from a community where science/medicine/engineering are often viewed as the only valid paths, I get it. The desire to make them proud is real. But here is the hard truth:
Science gets incredibly difficult, detailed, and grueling over a two-year period.
If you don't have the genuine curiosity to keep you studying at 11 PM on a Tuesday, talent alone won't carry you through.
Studying something just to make others happy usually leads right back to the burn-out or lack of focus that made the first attempt at college tough.
You can still make your parents incredibly proud by being an intensely successful, motivated business professional or entrepreneur. Success is the ultimate parent-pleaser.
How to Make the Choice Today
To take the pressure off, try using this decision matrix. Don't think about what you should do—think about how you actually want to spend your days.
| Factor | Triple Business | Applied Science |
| Your Genuine Interest | High (You wanna study it) | Low (Doing it for external approval) |
| Day-to-Day Work | Presentations, case studies, practical business plans, group work. | Lab experiments, intense data analysis, heavy scientific theory. |
| Where it leads | Marketing, finance, management, entrepreneurship, corporate schemes. | Lab tech roles, university science degrees, healthcare roots. |
| Risk of Burnout | Lower, because you actually like the subject matter. | High, because you are forcing it. |
The Verdict
Go with Business.
You are ready for round two because you've grown. Don't waste this fresh start and your last two years of free education playing defense and trying to live someone else's script. Go choose the course that matches the version of you that is ready to work hard.
You’ve got this. Go sign up for the business course and don't look back.