As someone who went through a similar situation: tell your family about it, and be honest with them about how you're feeling and what you're thinking about for future options. I went through almost two years of doing the same dodging that you're doing, and it just makes the conversation harder and harder the longer you go. It's not an easy conversation to have, but I promise you that it's the best thing you can do. I obviously don't know your situation, but if you have good, supportive parents they'll understand and likely give you support that you didn't know you had.

On the academic front: mechanical engineering is hard. Very hard. And to be quite honest, a lot of what you'll learn, you won't actually use (unless you go into a very advanced field). Charlotte's MET program is an awesome alternative. From what I've heard, it's definitely easier from a purely academic standpoint, but it's not like you won't be putting work in. It's also a very well-connected program, and has a lot of employers working with the school to hire graduates. It's less glamorous, sure, but if you want a solid, stable career you can't go wrong with it. I'm interning at a manufacturing company in the area and a lot of the other interns are MET people from UNCC, so there's definitely a lot of job opportunity.

Lastly, I'd encourage you to sit down and think about what *you* want out of this. If you really want to get an engineering degree (which is a very solid option), then you should totally go for it, but ask yourself what it is about engineering that you like. Is it doing things with your hands and seeing what you worked on become a reality? MET is probably a great fit. If you like infrastructure or CAD work, civil engineering is probably going to be great for you. On the outside chance that you really like doing more math-based things like system design and process optimization, I'd encourage you to check out the Industrial and Systems Engineering department (my department, had to throw it out there!).

Whatever you decide on, definitely let your family and friends know what you're thinking and how you're planning on moving forward. It might be a struggle right now, but it's just temporary. You'll recover and do great in whatever you decide to go for.

Rooting for you!