So I've been an education major for awhile now but...I'm not really that fond of it. I never really wanted to be a teacher to begin with. I think I am a great tutor but I am an introvert and have yet to feel comfortable in front of a classroom. Regardless, the whole reason I am able to go back to school is because I am an education major; I get an extra $5,000 scholarship a year through the state. So I've been trudging onward but . . . it feels like more and more happen to make me hate it even more. There are so many hidden costs involved in getting that teaching certificate, and there are so many classes and credits needed to graduate that it's overwhelming.

I had some recent stress because I managed to pull together the money to pay for the state application and my fingerprinting/background check. I had to ask a friend to drive me to the office to get it done and a few weeks later I got a rejection notification (Which we later found out because I play piano I don't have fingerprints which I find hilarious but that's beside the point). So there was all sorts of unneeded stress with getting all of my information to the department on time. I also had stress with finding classes to take over the summer because in order to graduate on time I needed two summer courses; I am not allowed to take classes my last semester as I'm supposed to be student teaching. I finally found one but I still need another and at this point I know I'm not going to get it. So there's one issue.

But just today I found out that a night class I was going to be taking got removed from the schedule. It was a half-semester course and I am supposed to take a test as soon as the class is over to get that information to the department. The only class they offer now is a day course that is at the same time as another class I need to take. I can't take this class because I would only have around two weeks to get the money for, register for, and take this test, and then get it back to the department before J-Term starts. This is an impossibility because it takes a few weeks for the results to send out to the institutions.

I just have no idea what to do. I hate being a music ed major, I want to go back to being a performance major, but I'm not sure where to get the money to pay for it. I am already 24 and the college I go to is 4 hours away; I can't commute and after I turn 25 I'm not allowed to stay on campus so taking a year off isn't an option. I'm no longer allowed to transfer because I am 30 hours away from my degree which /really/ bites because I'm so close but I can't make that final step. I'm tired of having to jump through all of these issues and I've got a huge debt already piling up. I need to have a degree and a job and I just don't know how to get there anymore.

Basically I'm screwed and don't know what to do. I want to switch my major back to performance and honestly I think my professors would prefer it as well but I have no idea where I'm going to get that money.

I was a music ed major as well. At first I enjoyed it but later realized it was a horrible fit for me, for many of the same reasons you said. I considered performance, but with my instrument work probably would have been hard to come by. I decided to completely change my major after my sophomore year and spent 2 years taking 19 hour semesters and summer classes to graduate on time. I think it was the right move, though it was very hard both academically and emotionally. In the end everything worked out and I graduated on time and have a decent job.

Your situation sounds pretty tough. Does your school offer an elementary music program? Maybe you would feel different teaching younger kids. They definitely make music ed ridiculously difficult and time consuming.

I was in your position as well. Take loans, there are loads of them out there, and take your teaching. You will have it done. And you'll always have it will never lose it, you can teach and perform and be immersed in music. The last year is tough but do it now because I learned time goes by and then you just regret everything.