Best college major?

Wasabi · Post by **Wasabi** » 18 Mar 2008 13:16

Don't take Creative Writing. Or english in general (unless it's linguistics or a certain language - translators get a pretty good pay roll). That's unless you want to be a teacher and/or professor in a certain field, and even then teachers/professors are underpaid due to being adjunks (sp?) most of the time (that is, if they haven't gone to graduate school or haven't completed their required programs, and have yet to submit their dissertations).

Accounting and economics can lead you to several financially stable work fields. Just throwing that out there.

I recommend any science except psychology and philosophy. There are way too many people taking those as majors, and it's not exactly anything that can lead you to a substantial job career (unless, I guess maybe a political analyst or ethics advisor). Cultural anthropology = winner. Emily hit the nail on the head. Traveling and learning about developments in society and culture are awesome!

Krafty · Post by **Krafty** » 18 Mar 2008 13:19

InfecedTofu wrote:
Krafty wrote:Yup, Joe has a good point about college.
Hey, it's ROY, not Joe read the sig!

Uh, I didn't quote you...I quoted the person who posted above my post saying that you'd be stuck in a single career...

Actually, psychology courses are pretty awesome. I've taken Psych100 at so far and it was a really fun class. I'm planning on taking another one next semester which involves the brain and discusses memory/amnesia, etc.

Also, I want to add that if you are thinking of medical school, it doesn't matter what major you choose at all. The only classes you need to take are the 1 yr of bio, physics, organic chem, etc. that are the requirements for the med school (and are topics on the MCAT).

PoisonTaffy · Post by **PoisonTaffy** » 18 Mar 2008 13:28

Sorry, you wrote something about gen-ed and I couldn't find anyone else who mentioned them.

Krafty · Post by **Krafty** » 18 Mar 2008 13:42

No worries. I was just saying Gen Eds expose you to other classes that you normally would not have taken.

bdams19 · Post by **bdams19** » 18 Mar 2008 17:21

I am a business and technology major and you can basically do anything related to business so it is good if you have no idea what you want to do (anything from finance to consulting to managing to analyst blah blah blah).

Moxie · Post by **Moxie** » 18 Mar 2008 18:00

I think you missed one of my points, Roy. You can use an Anthropology degree (like any other degree) at different types of jobs. Many places of work require or desire a degree in something, even if it's not in the area of that business. You still learn skills that are transferable to many different types of work.

Really, I don't know more than a few people who ended up working in the field they got their degree in. When deciding what kinds of classes to take, everyone has always told me to take classes that interest me. That is how you figure out what degree you want to go for.

People are right; you don't have to know what you want to study before taking college classes. God, it took me years to figure out what I actually like and am good at. Go to school and take some interesting and fun sounding classes, Ben, and you will find something you enjoy learning about. That's what college is about.

Drew · Post by **Drew** » 18 Mar 2008 22:08

Moxie wrote:everyone has always told me to take classes that interest me. That is how you figure out what degree you want to go for.

true dat.

I'm a sophomore in college and as of this semester I switched to mechanical engineering. I was originally accepted to enter the school of business, but that's too dry and boring for me, so I changed to undeclared and started taking classes in psychology, sociology, anthropology, physics, kinesiology, and religion.

I chose engineering because I like math and working with my hands, I'm good at fixing things and understanding how they work pretty quickly, and I like helping people. Like Tom said, every tool you used was engineered by someone.

My engineering professor gave my class a list of people that graduated from various schools with engineering degrees, and what they had accomplished, it included a few presidents, CEO's of american corporations (:(), astronauts, tv show hosts, inventors, lawyers, doctors, etc.

Choose something you know you'll enjoy.

Bringerofpie · Post by **Bringerofpie** » 19 Mar 2008 11:54

Why the sad face for CEO's of American corporations. That seems like a pretty solid job. If a given degree helps get that kind of profession, I'd go for it.

slapdash21 · Post by **slapdash21** » 19 Mar 2008 12:44

Bringerofpie wrote:Yeah, but then you're stuck with a single career. Plus, you don't get to hang out with college kids for the next 4+ years of your life. But what do I know? I'm in 11th grade.

no, then you're "stuck" with a good job you can ALWAYS fall back on for the rest of your life, meaning you can take more risks with other types of jobs you might want to try, or if you had a computer/tech related job and slow-downs in the economy led to lay-offs, you wouldnt have to worry. with experience in the right trade, you have a gurantee that you will always have a decently paying job if you need it.

and as far as hanging out with other college kids, 90% of my friends are college students, because duh, i went to high school with a good majority of them, and thats just the age most of us happen to be at. im also lucky enough to live in a city with like the greatest number of colleges in a concentrated place anywhere in america (im pretty sure), so that means not only do i get to hang out with college students just because most of my friends are, but i get to hang out AT colleges as much as i'd like to. which isnt very much. which is because to me college is like high school with less rules and more pretentiousness. either way the long and short of it is of all the people im friends with that go to college, the vast majority have told me at least once that they would MUCH rather be doing what im doing, instead of paying college bills, having to take some classes they arent interested in, and not knowing what they want to do in the long run anyway.

im not saying college isnt for anyone. but it DEFINITELY isnt for everyone, and very few people examine all the options with an open mind.