<p>Hi everyone, I got into UCLA as a sociology major, and although I'm thrilled, I'm also very stressed. I have 2 years and only 2 years to complete my degree. Although I love Sociology, everyone around me asks what on earth I'm planning to do with a humanities degree and I can't give them a straight answer because I do not know myself. I have been contemplating changing my major to Cognitive Science or something more tangible, but because I'm transferring that will be very difficult. How are all of you handling your situations & planning for job prospects after graduating with your degree? (Anthropology, Political Science, Philosophy, Psychology, etc). </p>
<p>I'm just wondering if anyone else is experiencing this as well.
I'm considering law school, but it just seems like a huge way to bring over 100k debt and I'm quite worried with all the struggling lawyers right now; even some T14 grads are suffering. </p>
<p>lol, sociology isn’t a part of the humanities.</p>
<p>I’m majoring in philosophy and I’ve no idea what I’ll do with my life. I’ll figure it out soon enough, though, rest assured. It’s worth noting that statistically, humanities majors are not much worse off than their STEM and business-major counterparts after graduation and that their salaries are comparable several years after graduation. According to payscale, philosophy actually does better than biology by mid-career and is comparable in average starting salary to that field!</p>
<p>And I would recommend against going to law school unless you’re very passionate about it and are willing to take on lots of debt for risky job prospects in a profession that many people have found to be highly unsatisfying. Same goes for graduate school. </p>
<p>@ivelosthope - In life sometimes you just need to trust that things can and will work in your favor.</p>
<p>Me personally, I’m going to law school and going to be the best attorney I can be. And if that costs me $100k + in debt so be it.</p>
<p>“Do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life” - Confucius </p>
<p>My advice, over the summer talk to a career counselor at your CC or UCLA and open up to them, take some career aptitude tests, and they will help you find careers you are suited for and that don’t look too gloomy at the moment.</p>
<p>@Cayton, ah yes I should have included the social sciences in the topic title. Very glad to see that you’re confident in your major, Philosophy, which is actually a very useful major because of all the critical thinking you’re forced to do! </p>
<p>You have no idea how much thinking I have to do about a variety of subjects on a daily basis. My brain is being honed into a mental weapon and this is only the result of lower-division philosophy at a community college. Just imagine what my brain will be capable of after UCLA has its way with me, lol.</p>
<p>But yeah, I think we’ll be fine. The data indicates so.</p>
<p>@Matt4200, Law school seems suited for you then, which is completely different for me. Although the field of law looks interesting to me, I don’t have an overwelming passion for it
The career counselors at my CC are not particularly useful…i’m going to look into my major some more & definitely take some career aptitude tests though. Thanks for the suggestion! </p>
<p>I’m a music major lol soooo yes I have thought about this…</p>
<p>I just know I would never succeed at something I don’t love, and so to me that justifies taking a chance in a risky field. Your major is much less risky than mine, and even if you end up wanting to do something else, having a degree from a good university can get you in the door, regardless of what your degree is in. It shows you’re a hard worker. Good luck!</p>
<p>@ivelosthope - Sociology offers a very broad array of options, which is actually pretty good for someone in your situation. </p>
<p>You could work privately, or for the government. As a Counselor, Social Worker, Paralegal, Attorney, and like 50 other jobs. It’s not as narrow as many other majors are.</p>
<p>Im a History major and hate telling people because right away they joke at what on earth could i possibly do?</p>
<p>Well I know for a fact I want to be a teacher, i jut dont know if I will get my teaching credentials or masters. To teach ether high school or cc. Teaching jobs are hard to find. So as my backup plan im hoping emolyeers will just be impressed I went to UCLA…lol</p>
<p>To tell you the truth, my true passions are humanities related subjects. I have a strong interest in history and political science. I’ve always wanted to become an architect, but I didn’t major in that because of the poor job prospects. I am pick a STEM major because I am afraid of being unemployed. and my family is really poor. Being unemployed was not an option for me. From time to time I stop and wonder if one day I will regret not pursuing architecture, maybe I would have been really good at it. </p>
<p>I recommend double-majoring in a humanities major and STEM major. You might get the best of both worlds in pursuing that kind of education. It’ll be tough, but if you’re dedicated enough, you’ll be able to pull it off.</p>
<p>@Cayton I can’t major in history or political science since they are both impacted at UCLA, and if I go to UCSD, it will take me three year just to finish my stem major. I would hate to find out how many more years it would take me to double major at UCSD. I like your new avatar though.</p>
<p>History may be impacted, but I believe you can still double-major in it. I recommend looking into that if you’ve completed the pre-reqs for it(Just 4 classes or so, one of which must be completed at UCLA).</p>
<p>I think it’s worth a shot. Political science, on the other hand, is definitely off-limits. </p>
<p>And thanks! I have to show off the UCLA Bruin pride now!</p>
<p>@Cayton, just a hypothetical question. So obviously, it says that transfers can’t change into biz-econ or econ. But usually people who are accepted into econ are actually pre-econ until they finish all their lower div’s, and then after that they petition to get into their major, right? So if a psych major were to complete all the pre-reqs and lower divs with a qualifying GPA at UCLA, would they be able to petition into the major? I mean, they have all the classes done, they just weren’t admitted into the pre-major. </p>
<p>Do you think they would be able to declare the full major? I’m asking for my friend who doesn’t have a CC account, lol. </p>
<p>@Collegedropout1 i come from a low income family an. Am the first in my family to attend college.i am also and married together my spouse and I make under 50K a year which isnt much. My entire family expected me to major in finance or some kind of major that led to jobs in banking or business administration. Including my spouse, I chose to major in what I love, and i must admit I feel pressured to change my major,or double major in something. However I know if I wouldnt have majored in History it would have been a let down to myself. I rather live a stable but somewhat humble life style than be wealthy and hate my job. </p>
<p>Like cayton said see if you can still major or at least minor in History if thats what you really want </p>
<p>I don’t think so, unfortunately. Those people who can major in econ are, as you said, admitted into pre-econ. Someone who’s completed all the pre-reqs for econ can never major in it because they’re not “pre-econ” and never can be. So, probably not. </p>
<p>The assist.org page for the history major at UCLA doesn’t state that you can’t switch into it and that it’s limited to those who were originally admitted to it, whereas the assist.org pages for UCLA’s political science, sociology, biz econ, and econ majors explicitly state this. Assist.org is highly reliable, so if it doesn’t say that history can’t be switch into or double-majored, then it is almost certainly correct.</p>
<p>UCLA’s own history department website says nothing about the major being restricted to those who were originally admitted into it. Furthermore, on one of its other pages, it states that you can double major in it. I can provide the link to that page if you wish.</p>
<p>If your passion is in history, I strongly recommend for you to double major in it and a STEM field if you want to maximize your employability and to make the most of your time in college. I’d hate to see someone study something in college only because it will make good money for them and not because they love it. There’s nothing wrong, however, with wanting to study a STEM field for employment reasons, but you should be able to study what makes you happy, too.</p>
<p>I’m very, very certain that you can double major in history. At the very least, it’s worth checking out when you go to UCLA’s new student orientation in the summer or in the fall quarter.</p>
<p>@cayton yea in counting on that i have a friend who graduated from UCLA with a chicano studies degree, everyone of my other friends judged him like crazy(they all majored in health administration and business at cal states) yet my friend who ia a UCLA grad is the only one with a good job. Nothing related to Chicano studies though, might have just gotten lucky though</p>
My brain is being honed into a mental weapon and this is only the result of lower-division philosophy at a community college. Just imagine what my brain will be capable of after UCLA has its way with me, lol.</p>