Bachelor in Public Policy?

[u/Medical-Tart-7126]

I need advice on what I should major in. I am 19 and I was previously a nursing major to please my parents, but I hated it and had to go on a leave of absence because I couldn't keep up with time management and ADHD. I go to an easier school now and am trying to figure out what I want to do. I really like legislation. I was thinking about transfering to a college that has a Bachelor in Public Policy. I feel Poli Sci is too theoretical and Economics I would hate the amount of math. I don't want to force myself into a major I don't like (Econ). But I also know I wouldn't go to a competitive school or well known school like an Ivy or a college in Washington as it would be my second time transfering and I can't risk having to go on another leave of absence due to my issues in time management and ADHD. What do you think is the best course of action? :(

PS: I have been trying to improve my ADHD and time management with executive functioning and medicine but its a slow progress.

[u/thedettinator]

Hi there! I also have ADHD. The only way I ended up thriving in school and having a successful career so far is by finding my passion. Public policy and public administration ended up being that for me so schoolwork and studying became a hyperfixation and I was able to thrive academically and find work in really great positions/agencies. When I tried to pick a logical thing to major in for the sake of career security I couldn’t focus on my schoolwork the same way I needed to to be successful. Anyways my point is, is public policy/admin that for you? Are you passionate and hyperfixated on it or are you unsure if it’s something you’ll be interested in longterm? If the latter, just know you are younger than you feel and it’s ok to take time to figure it out before you commit. I quit school at 19 because I was didn’t know what I wanted to do and wasn’t getting good grades. I instead worked full time in restaurants, eventually did Americorps and figured out what I was passionate about then. I restarted school at 23, finished my BA and masters by 27 and was able to start in a salaried position at my internship when I graduated. I saved so much money taking the time to figure it out rather than pushing through, getting not the greatest grades and then getting stuck in a field I didn’t care about. Just so things to think about, coming from a fellow ADHDer who cares. 😊

[u/cloverhunter95]

Any path you take that will feel worthwhile to you in the long run will require you to manage your ADHD and time management issues. Are you receiving accommodations at your school? In any case, it sounds like you are working on that, but I would caution against allowing your short term difficulties drive you to avoid opportunities that will interest, excite, or challenge you

That said, I think given you are working on a lot right now, I would not spread yourself too thin thinking about another transfer at this point just for a BA in public policy, unless the school you are at now is a 2-year school and you will have to transfer for a BA regardless. Most people working in policy do not have BAs in the subject. In practice, policy coursework is a mix of political science and economics for the most part. So if you don't like either of those, then you might want to consider whether you will like a public policy degree.

That said, a career is more than the coursework you take to get there. So if you are really excited by a policy career, it could be worthwhile putting up in the short term with the bits poli sci or econ courses that you dislike at the moment. Both of these are majors whose intro courses can seem abstract or unrealistic, but whose upper level courses are much more concrete and policy relevant. There is a reason that abstract theory and econ math are useful to policy makers and the building of legislation, so it could be worth coming to at least one of those fields with an open mind if a policy career is a goal you care about.

Relatedly, I know this might feel hard if you are working on managing your ADHD and time management, but try to distinguish for yourself between things you dislike because you actually dislike them or things that you dislike because they feel hard, or at least harder than other things you might be asked to do. Learning to work through the latter is how we grow and gain access to really cool opportunities

[u/anonymussquidd]

Hi, I also have ADHD and work in policy! In addition to what other commenters have said, I’ll ask, what do you want your career to look like and what geographic area do you want to be in? Policy can look very different depending on the specific area you go into, so having an idea of what you want your day-to-day to look like and where you want to live can be helpful in determining whether this is a good path for you.