Thanks for all the responses thus far, excellent advise all around.
If you don't mind, I'd like to hear a little more about what you are majoring in and why you went to Japan. What exactly do you not like about your current major?
After trying a couple majors I wasn't satisfied with, I'm currently studying philosophy. Not necessarily a practical field, I know, but it's something I'm passionate about, and I feel developing critical thinking skills is important for numerous areas in life. Lately, however, I have been disillusioned with the major; I've felt that the classes are taking something vital, subjecting it to over-analysis, and destroying it in the process. Otherwise, we've been studying things that seem irrelevant and superfluous. I realize, though, that these may be somewhat hasty judgments; maybe I haven't gone deep enough into the major. Also, though I'm not opposed to grad school, I've come to realize I'm probably not talented enough in the field to receive funding for continued education.
I studied in Japan with a Buddhist studies program for one semester. It was an awesome experience, and I'd love to go back to teach English, as akmoler suggested. Additionally, it made me decide to ordain as a monk after school. I never looked at being a monk as a lifelong pursuit, however, but merely an opportunity to strengthen my spirituality in the same way that I'm presumably strengthening my ability to think in college--so what I'd actually do for a living is still up in the air.
I think a degree will help no matter what you want to do.
Say what you want about job experience being king, but in my experience, that piece of paper lends heavy weight to your resume, no matter what you're doing.
If I were you, I'd look at two possible options.
1.) Stay in school but reduce course load between 20-40%. Use your free time to pursue other interests, or simply relax a little. If you end up staying an extra year, it's not the end of the world. Most people do a victory lap in college.
2.) Have the school perform a degree audit and see if you can graduate with a 3yr bachelors with your current credits, or top up a couple credits. You might have to switch to a double-minor, or switch your focus a little, but most universities have all sorts of degrees. Just because you didn't do your honours year, doesn't mean you can't get your bachelors.
Let me know if any of this applies.
All good advice, thanks. I think a large part of the reason I'm unhappy at school is that I don't really like the town I'm in, so I've been hurrying to graduate in four years and move on. Would it be advisable to transfer to another school just to finish up, and leave the faculty contacts I have made here? It seems like knowing people opens a lot of doors, but maybe that's a shallow reason for staying at a place I'm unhappy?
After my freshman year, I completely withdrew from university and moved to Spain to teach English. After I returned from Spain, I worked for the street department picking up roadkill and unclogging sewers. Needless to say, I was back to university after two semesters out. You really need a degree unless you are entrepreneurial or don't mind working menial/mid level jobs.
I know exactly where you are coming from, but you are almost done. I'm in my third year as well; I already have my plans set to get as far away from this country as possible once I graduate. But really, the real world is harsh. You need every advantage you can get. You should consider doing ESL. Your certification takes about a month; you can pretty much chose any country to travel to and do an ESL certification. From there, the world is really wide open; however, opportunities are minimal without a degree. A lot of countries, to cut down on immigration, require a degree for a work visa. You can get a job in just about any region of the world you want, teaching English; however, unless you want to work illegally, you need a degree.
I can definitely identify with this, and up until recently my rationale has been to finish school as quickly as possible. Lately, though, school has been soul-crushing to the degree that I am unsure if I can even make it through. However, it seems like finishing up might be the most sensible thing to do, because, as noted in this thread, the real world can be more soul-crushing.
Once again, one thousand thanks to everyone who has responded. It has given me a lot to think about.
