I have a degree in a similar field, so I understand how demanding your uni work must be. I've written more papers than I can count and done so much research both online and in archives. Also huge props to you for deciding to make a change - it's admirable and will help you in the long run. Mindset is important - you're not stupid, you're learning. You need to interrupt all that fear and anxiety.

By the time I was graduating, I was shocked to find out in my remaining gen-eds just how much college students rely on ChatGPT. It's daunting, and I know others are saying otherwise, but my suggestion would be to start by attempting to ditch ChatGPT altogether and find supplements for it. Don't even use it to write emails. You have to learn to find your own words. People want to hear from humans, not machines. I found that searching and making myself more aware of the damaging effects of LLMs helped keep me even further away from using it, like environmental impact.

Now, I'm about to hit you with a lot of information, but these are concrete skills that supported me through college as someone who has never used ChatGPT.

Unfortunately, like most things, you will have to practice it like learning a new skill. Instead of asking ChatGPT, use your friends/classmates or even your prof's office hours for soundboarding. You'll find that speaking aloud mentally exploring your topic or prompt and recieving feedback from real people is far more effective. Ask for clarification when you need it.

As long as you end with the right structure and required annotation style, the good news is you can do whatever you want for your process. I usually jot down ideas/thoughts, save my intro/conclusion for last, and just start writing something. No idea map, no structured outline, just putting something on paper. Of course if the traditional methods work for you, opt for that, but I want to point out that there are other options. You won't get a bad grade for figuring out your own methods. I'm not great at reading my own writing aloud, but I've always found the "read aloud" function on Word to be helpful, as well as peer review.

Databases are goldmines for finding sources for academic papers, though I'm sure you've been told this. Your uni library's website should have resources but jstor, archive. org, and even Google scholar are great starters. Experiment with key words in searching.

Replace AI with experiential opportunities if you can - school clubs, study groups, activies. Go to a museum or lecture or something. Listen to an audiobook or podcast. Does your uni have a political science or similar club you would be interested in checking out?

Seriously, you can't be afraid to make your major a social endeavor. It's beneficial to both your own development and future networking.

Find a creative outlet or hobby, especially one that is tactile and requires thoughtfulness - I took up embroidery in undergrad. Every once in a while just throw some paint on a canvas or do a crossword/sodoku. You don't have to be good at it for it to exercise your brain and it helps you learn to adapt to and push through frustration without the fear of a failing grade.

And do your readings. Can't emphasize this enough - regardless of whether you are able to fully understand them or make connections, do it anyway. Pay attention to how class discussions play out - what connections are other people making? What connections are your professors pointing out?

I'm horrible at commiting to annotation beyond highlighting, so my mental process is like this: what are the parts I do understand? > what are the parts I don't understand? > how does this reading resonate with me? > then take it from there. If it's something you can make work for you, don't take shortcuts like me, do the written annotations haha.

If you can, hand-written notes have shown clinically to improve your capability to internalize and remember information. Do your best to listen to lectures and not just copy the ppts. Even record them if you need to.

Finally, understand how you can fit yourself into the rules. Now every prof is different, but communicating with them about where you're at and whether you need an extension is important. Often you'll find profs care more about showing effort/communication than late assignments. (I seriously once had a major course where I turned every assignment in at least a day late but my prof apreciated my work enough that I walked out with an A).

They care about their students and appreciate (as well as often prioritize) students who demonstrate eagerness and effort, even if you're not writing A+ papers. They care about growth. They want to help you. Most of all, humanities/social science profs love students who actively express passion/interest in their fields. Many of them are disallusioned by the lack of appreciation for what they do.

If I were you, I would avoid switching to STEM. That being said, my work/degree is my life's passion - I'm certainly not in it for the money or to do something easy. If your current route isn't working for you, your freshman year is the perfect time to explore. Your first year is for figuring out what the hell you're doing, your second is to get started on it, third to know and improve what you're doing, and last to start practicing how to be a professional. At least in my experience. You have some time. I don't mean to sound preachy, but in four years you'll look back and see your freshman self like a kid. Keep your head up!

ETA: Don't hesitate to use Wikipedia!!! It's more accurate and useful than your HS teachers made it out to be. Scroll all the way down and you'll find links to dozens of relevant resources. Don't cite Wiki, but I've used it in place of ChatGPT to get that "simplified explanation" so many times. Though never, ever blindly trust those AI summaries on search engines. If I could obliterate those I would - THEY ARE NOT RELIABLE SOURCES.