As the title states, I want to change my college major (again, 3rd time) based on my interests. The first time it was marine biology education/oceanography, but I didn't have enough money to transfer so I went ahead and changed my major to respiratory therapy (1st time). Then I found out on respiratory therapy that I have to stick people with needles (the hell you stick needles into people for if you want to help them breathe? Isn't it supposed to be relaxing/stress relief since it's "THERAPY"?), so I changed it again because I was good at drawing and wanted to become an animator (2nd time). Well, animating is being a huge pain in the ass with the programs we're using (Toon Boom and Maya, but Toon Boom is fun and a major pain in the ass) and I just like to draw...oh well. Now I'm wanting to change my major a third time, so what should it be?

Based upon my interests, I work at a daycare with infants to 5th graders as a floater and also at an autism group as a mentor, so I wanted to see if I could become a mentor for children with special needs (either autism or just be a mentor for regular children/middle schoolers).

I'm also interested in massage therapy because while working at the daycare and during the naptime hours, I massage the children into sleep while I play my 150+ Solitudes ( www.solitudes.com ), Avalon ( www.avalonmusic.com ), Reflections ( www.reflectionsmusic.com ), and LifeScapes ( www.lifescapesmusic.com ) during naptime to induce the sleep (I have more of the Solitudes CDs, though, because I love nature) then massage the children to sleep on their backs or stomachs.

So, should I go for being a mentor for youth or massage therapy? I'd probably make more money doing massage therapy.

You only live life once man, do whatever you enjoy more. The money is a secondary thing, if you are doing something you enjoy it's not a job.

Why do you keep backing out of college majors? It would seem that if you change to something else, when it gets difficult, your going to back out of it too.

1. The whole massaging children thing sounded really weird to me. I dunno.

2. Why not just pick one thing and stick with it? If you keep backing out of things so much, you'll eventually find that you're not satisfied with anything.

Anyway, I would have said go for it this time last year. But working in the same office as university lecturers, one story I've heard many times is of students who are perpetually in education (constantly switching courses, repeating years, etc) because they don't know what to do and when they pick something they just become disinterested again.

Your switch to animation is typical of what they talk about. A frequent complaint is students take on courses when they haven't met anyone to talk about it or even read about it in some cases. These people rarely get good a degree, or even pass because they lose interest quickly.

My advice is you take time to seriously re-evaluate what you want to do. Read around subjects, look at a wide variety of courses and speak to people to find out if the course is for you. You will not regret it.

And no offense, your alternative with massaging children (which I thought was a joke at first) sounds as though you will go down the same path again.

Drop out. Work for a few years. Come back when you actually know what you want to do.

Massaging children... so that's what you call it..

Anyway.. if you like drawing but not animation.. I know that animation is a pain.. why not study graphic design... or keep massaging children..

Can I just say. Of course animation is a pain in the ass!

If you'd have spoken to just one animator you'd have known that.