The largest problem that has contributed to my academic difficulties over the past four years here at the University of Maryland, College Park were the majors that I had chosen. Over the years I've switched from biochemistry, to physiology/neurobiology, cell and molecular biology, and nutrition majors. I did this all in the hopes of finding interest in that one particular subject area and choosing a major that would prepare me for medical school. However at the end of my seventh semester I had come to grips with the fact that I really did not want to be a medical doctor down the future. That I had been studying courses to get into medical school just because my parents wanted me to. Becoming a doctor was something my parents wanted more than I did. Even after I had switched majors I still took pre-medical courses just to see if I wasn't making such a drastic switch. I wanted to see if I could still do biology because I still didn't want to disappoint my parents. However I had absolutely no interest in the material and thus failed one course and dropped another course beforehand. This just reinforced my decision to stop taking biology related courses altogether.
Another difficulty that has hindered my performance is time management. Over the semester I've had to manage my time between a part-time job, my chores at home and spending time with my friends. This had obviously affected my studies greatly. Steps I have taken to resolve my academic problem are: reevaluating my academic interests and prospective career paths; talking to my parents about these issues; and looking for a summer job so financial burdens are lessened during the school year. The winter after my seventh semester when I had decided a career as a medical doctor was not for me, I started thinking. I had asked myself what my real interests in life were, how I could incorporate these interests into a career field and if the University of Maryland could offer me an outlet to get involved in this interest and prepare me for my chosen prospective careers.
