Stuck in a Major I Hate and Feel Like I Have No Options – Seeking Advice

Hi everyone,

I'm 19 years old and currently living in a country where I wasn’t born. It's just me, my mom, my brother, and my sister. My dad has never really been a present figure in my life and isn’t a good father. The biggest issue is that he’s the sole provider for our family, and his financial support often comes with threats—like not paying for things, including medical bills. Because of this, my mom insists that we all get degrees to ensure we can eventually support ourselves.

I completely understand her perspective, but the issue is that this year, I started university and enrolled in a major I really don’t want to study(I had no say in choosing the major). Honestly, my mental and physical health has hit rock bottom because of it. The thing is, I can’t change my major for two reasons:

My father won’t pay for tuition fees – This is typical in my culture. He sends a set amount of money for us to live on, and we have to stretch it to cover both living expenses and tuition. So it’s not like he’s sending extra money for tuition; it’s the same amount that we barely manage to live on. My mom thinks I’m just being lazy – She’s really pushing for me to stick it out, believing that I don’t want to work hard. Which look is somewhat true i haven’t really worked hard before in my life, i barely passed high school. But knowing that they should have put me in an easier major it would be more logical. I know this sounds a bit extreme, but I’d rather take a chance and graduate with any degree, even if it doesn’t guarantee a job, than continue in this major that’s damaging my well-being. I feel like I have no other option at the moment.

I’d really appreciate any advice on what I can do. How do I manage this situation, especially when it feels like there’s no room for me to make a decision that benefits my mental health?

Thanks for reading and any suggestions you can offer.