<p>“You are missing my point. If you major in something useless just because you can’t enjoy it…you won’t be making 40,000 a year. You will be waitressing or working as a cashier. You won’t be able to pay your bills, let alone buy a “shiny car”…I am an older college student. I am going back to school and my major will only make me about 40,000 a year. But it is a major that has a high demand. It is about what jobs are in demand and what jobs are not.”</p>
<p>Where I live,30k- 40k is around the starting salary range for someone straight out of college doing a non-technical job. I plan on going into teaching with my history degree, a couple years down the road my salary will have doubled.</p>
<p>It isn’t engineering or computer science, but I love history and I can’t help the fact that I don’t like solving problem sets(I brought a book on c++ and after writing a few programs based on what I learned from it, I realized I don’t want to do something like program for the rest of my life).</p>
<p>Wow, mathboy, you just called me a spoiled brat because I value happiness. Way to go. You are no longer my friend. No, but really. My family has been wallowing in lower-class/lower-middle-class for generations due to seeking happiness over money. Currently we are not far from the poverty line. And yet, I still would rather be happy than make money. Maybe because I am not accustomed to a wasteful lifestyle? Or maybe because I can make a dollar stretch further than your logic?</p>
<p>Uhhh of course I got scholarships. NYU is costing me about $1500 a year, which is still painful, but we’re really good with money. </p>
<p>It’s kind of sad that supposedly emotionally mature college students still have to validate their life choices by putting others’ down. And hahaha Minnesota your senseless optimism makes me look like such a negative Nancy. Enjoy your empty, socially-approved version of “success.”</p>
<p>AbbyP – not calling you a spoiled brat. I’m calling humanities majors who make an argument that looks down on people doing careers other than something they’re wildly passionate about for what they call practical reasons spoiled brats. That’s different from choosing a less lucrative route in favor of pursuing one’s passions, which I respect.</p>
<p>My family is doing fine, but go one generation up, and there were no scholarships to NYU, nothing of that sort – they went as far as experiencing starvation. My dad did a computer science degree and used to help his parents out financially, for no reason other than that it was the best-paying degree he could get his hands on. As it happens, he enjoys CS, but it’s not what he is most passionate about, I know. Those who look down on practical considerations without realizing how fortunate they are really are spoiled brats. </p>
<p>We can still be friends if that’s OK with you – I’m glad you’re so passionate about your major, and I admire all people who’re able to love what they do so much. I absolutely love mine (mathematics) too. But I think it is important (even if we’re not financially soaring here) to realize we still have it way better than many, and doing a major to support yourself and/or your family is certainly far from a pathetic lifestyle. People can stay in touch with their passions without having to resort to doing a career in them.</p>
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<p>And this is a bit exclusive a statement, don’t you thinK? There are plenty I know who derive satisfaction most from just being with their friends and family, and would rather secure themselves financially with a well-paying job with decent hours so that they can spend more time with their families. I don’t blame them, and I think that’s a very fulfilling choice of life. Not everyone derives a large degree of his/her satisfaction from career – some of us view it as a means to other forms of satisfaction.</p>
<p>Socially approved? Who cares if it is socially approved or not. All I care is that I want to make money so I can golf and watch hockey games and go to football parties. And I happen to be good with financial things so I this is how I am going to get money to finance those things.</p>
<p>One thing I do know though is that I want to start my own business someday. Real Estate and Architeture is a passion of mine so hopefully I can start a business in that field. I hate working for other people, but I am going to get my finance degree and work at a financial company for a few years to gain contacts and give myself a steady foothold to launch a business. </p>
<p>Of course this might be too “mainstream” for some people.</p>
<p>And senselessly obtimistic?? lol
I AM better than other people so therfore I WILL succeed. End of story. I don’t need any self-esteem classes, I am quite full of myself and proud of it :)</p>
<p>well until u become broke and ur hot wife leaves u. Or u grow older and ur hot wife looks rily old and then that sucks…so what is the true meaning of life.</p>
<p>I will never understand people who don’t love what they do. I like what I do now and it’s absolute torture, and it’s not even that bad. I just stand there folding shirts and taking sensors off and stuff. But it’s completely agonizing to me. I don’t know what I’m going to do when it comes time to have an actual job, not just a part-time one.</p>
You are very fortunate and privileged (I don’t mean rich) if you don’t understand why people don’t always pursue their passions. It’s a very idealistic, American idea to do such a thing. Well the two main reasons why people often don’t major in something they love:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Practicality - Most people don’t have the option of studying Ceramics or something. They need a reliable career so they can pay off loans right away and support their families. Most people in the world don’t have the luxury of going to an elite LAC and studying History - it’s ignorant to look down on those who are simply being practical and down-to-earth.</p></li>
<li><p>Not everyone is academic-minded, just like not everyone is musical or athletic. Some people simply need a Bachelor’s so they can get a job, but are not the scholarly type, aren’t passionate about learning - and that’s fine. Looking down on people for not being bookworm types is also ignorant…MinnesotaTwins is probably passionate about other stuff (sports?) so no need to judge him for not being an academic.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>I don’t like it when people try to be “snooty intellectuals” and judge those with different interests. Oh and I’m not talking about you btw Abby, it’s just an attitude I’ve noticed in college and on CC.</p>
<p>But they do. People naturally try to do things they like. That just needn’t be their careers. For a guy, it could be spending time with his terrific wife. Or being a complete movie buff. Or playing tennis as a hobby…Think about it, how many people can be Roger Federers playing tennis all the time as their career?</p>
<p>I’d be heartbroken if I couldn’t do something mathematically fulfilling as a career, to be really honest, but most math majors probably aren’t 100% satisfied with what their jobs are like. There are only a few elite researchers solving the craziest problems. It is their fortune that the elitist doors of academia opened to them. For there must be equally intellectually involved individuals who couldn’t make it past those doors.</p>
<p>Quote:
CompSci/Engineering vs Business vs Liberal Arts.
Business majors win hands down cause we’re better than you and we know it </p>
<p>Thats is if the Public Policy and Econ majors(me) becomes an antitrust lawyer and sue your ass till bankruptcy. Then you will go crying to the Liberal studies/Psyc major(social worker) for welfare and Food Stamps</p>
<p>I don’t care what someone majors in or why they major in it as long as they leave me and my liberal arts alone.</p>
<p>Besides, when/if I go to grad school, I’ve decided to get a dual degree in something I am not passionate about in order to help job prospects so not all liberal arts kids are completely naive to what will happen after they ‘learn what they are passionate about’.</p>
No, but really. My family has been wallowing in lower-class/lower-middle-class for generations due to seeking happiness over money. Currently we are not far from the poverty line. And yet, I still would rather be happy than make money. Maybe because I am not accustomed to a wasteful lifestyle? Or maybe because I can make a dollar stretch further than your logic?</p>
– I’m glad you’re so passionate about your major, and I admire all people who’re able to love what they do so much. I absolutely love mine (mathematics) too. But I think it is important (even if we’re not financially soaring here) to realize we still have it way better than many, and doing a major to support yourself and/or your family is certainly far from a pathetic lifestyle. People can stay in touch with their passions without having to resort to doing a career in them.</p>