As an ordinary genius

Ethan sat in the back of the lecture hall, staring blankly at the professor's equations scrawled across the whiteboard. Advanced Robotics Theory. The class was packed, yet the air felt suffocating.

As the professor droned on, Ethan tried to focus, but his mind wandered. The concepts flew over his head, each term feeling heavier than the last. His internship had given him practical experience, but the academic rigor required here was on a completely different level.

When the lecture ended, Ethan packed his things and trudged out of the hall. The chatter of students around him felt like background noise, a constant reminder of how far behind he felt.

"Man, you look like you've been hit by a truck," Raj said as Ethan slumped into a seat at their usual cafeteria table.

"Rough day?" Liam asked, pushing a cup of coffee toward him.

Ethan sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I just... I don't think I can keep up anymore."

"What do you mean?" Mike asked, frowning.

"These classes," Ethan said, gesturing vaguely. "Robotics, machine learning, advanced algorithms. It's like everyone's speaking a language I don't understand. I'm drowning, guys."

"You've been pulling crazy hours for years, man," Raj said. "Maybe you're just burned out."

"It's not that," Ethan said, shaking his head. "Even before the internship, I was barely scraping by. Now it feels impossible."

After days of internal debate, Ethan finally made an appointment with his academic advisor, Dr. Claire Morgan. Her office was small but welcoming, filled with books and motivational posters.

"So, Ethan," Dr. Morgan said, folding her hands on the desk. "What's on your mind?"

"I don't think I can continue with robotics," Ethan admitted. "It's... too much. I feel like I'm out of my depth."

Dr. Morgan nodded thoughtfully. "You're not the first student to feel this way. Robotics is a demanding field, and it's not uncommon for students to pivot."

"I don't want to quit," Ethan said quickly. "But I think I need to change my major."

"Have you thought about where you want to go?" she asked.

"Computer Science," Ethan said. "I've always been interested in programming, and I think it's a better fit for me."

Dr. Morgan smiled. "That's a great choice. Computer Science has a lot of overlap with robotics, and it'll give you a strong foundation for any tech career."

That evening, Ethan broke the news to his roommates.

"Wait, you're switching to Computer Science?" Raj said, his mouth full of pizza.

"Yeah," Ethan said, bracing for their reactions.

"Honestly, it makes sense," Liam said. "You've always been more into the coding side of things anyway."

"And you won't have to deal with all those impossible robotics labs," Mike added. "Sounds like a win to me."

"I just hope I'm not making a mistake," Ethan said, staring at his plate.

"Dude, you're doing what's right for you," Raj said. "That's all that matters."

The next week, Ethan attended his first Computer Science lecture. The room was smaller, the class less intimidating.

The professor, a sharp-eyed woman named Dr. Emily Carter, introduced herself with a warm smile. "Welcome to Introduction to Software Design. If you're here, it's because you're ready to solve problems, break things, and put them back together in better ways."

Ethan felt a flicker of hope. Maybe this was where he belonged.

Over the next few weeks, Ethan immersed himself in his new courses. The coding assignments felt challenging but manageable. For the first time in a long time, he didn't feel like he was struggling to keep up.

One evening, as he worked on a simple chatbot project, Ethan found himself smiling. It wasn't groundbreaking, but it was his.

"This feels right," he thought, typing away.