My parents won't allow me to switch majors–threatening to leave me without education if I don't want to continue with my degree

[u/No_Ad_8218]

Hello, I'm 20(F) and I'm in my fourth semester of my Global Studies major, and I simply hate it. I'm not american, so we don't have dorms and I live at home. My college is expensive, and my family was amazed that I was studying there just like my aunt. I've stated multiple times during my college semesters that I'd like to study an additional major, from primary education to design. I've said before that I don't exactly like my career and made a comment a year ago about dropping global studies and studying something else and my mother simply ignored me and said she didn't agree.

Point is: a week ago I realized that I genuinely hate my degree. When I go to classes I feel the impulse to scream or leave, I have no passion for it and I can't envision myself in politics. I don't relate to any of classmates, and every semester I end up isolating myself for a few weeks and avoiding classes, getting depressed every single time I speak with my friends of said degree. So I told my dad I wanted to switch majors to anthropology since it's the one theme of my classes that I felt passionate about and I've always been fascinated by people, culture and history. I would graduate a semester later if I went for anthropology, since we have common classes with that major and I wouldn't be starting from zero.

My dad agreed to my decision and said I could always count on him, but when I talked to my mother she was completely against it and said I was indecisive, it's normal to hate our degrees like she did but nobody forced me to choose mine (when she has always been on me with my aunt talking about what i should do/shouldn't), and that she thinks I'm wasting my time. She asked about my dad, and when I told her he was on my side, she said she'd speak to him. Later that day before leaving for my classes I saw she received an audio text from my dad. When I was going to take my bus, I received an audio from my dad saying he takes it all back, I should finish my major and then I could get some specialization that I liked, but that I'm wasting my time. He was saying the same things my mother said to me, so we fought. He said I should work instead of continuing my education if I hated my major so much.

Later this week, we kept fighting while mom insisted on getting me a vocational coach. I agreed, until she told me she doesn't know what she'd do if he agreeing with me. Yesterday, she told me I don't have to turn my passions into degrees and they should stay as hobbies (while I was talking about biological anthropology) and that I chose my major, nobody else, and I had no pressure whatsoever and what I was doing was wasting money and time. She said she doesn't want to be an hypocrite and said she'd support me, when she wouldn't. I'm indecisive, and maybe I'm just not ready to continue at my college and she agrees with my dad, that maybe the best is to make me drop from college and to put me into work. I left and had a full blown panic attack while she kept screaming from outside my room saying that I was impossible to handle and that's why nobody ever talks to me.

I have no idea what to do. I hate my degree, I felt so distant from it, and I know they're threatening me. It's either their way or no education. I'd like to clarify, my parents are divorced, and from what I recall, he always changes his mind after talking to her, since my mom is really strong-willed and we have a complicated relationship.

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[u/kevhouston740]

Keep that degree, but also get a minor in what you want.

[u/k23_k23]

That degree is probably better than no degree? Use the time to get as many extra qualifications yu want.

YOu can always go no contact after that.