Hello all!
I originally posted this thread under the College Major forum. I would like to try my luck here on the Parents Forum.
I’m hoping to follow the Pre-Med path at Carolina; yet, I do want to have a backup plan if Pre-Med doesn’t work out. My main reason for this discussion is to ask you for advice on which major will best fit my case. I would appreciate if you can take some of your time to advise me on this matter.
I come from a blue-collar family and neither of my parents attended college. My parents are hoping me to find a stable job (most likely some sort of white-collar job) after college and aren’t expecting me to pursue Medicine. Frankly, I don’t know if I will be able to handle Pre-Med let alone Medicine, but I would like to give it a shot and challenge myself.
Anyway, we are fortunate enough to receive a fully covered financial aid and I really don’t want to mess up this opportunity. I don’t want to waste the financial aid by going into college undecided on a major/minor. I’m currently considering the following combination. Please advise me if you know the practicality and potential for each major.
- Major in Chemistry and minor in Marine Science
- Major in Information Science and minor in Marine Science
- Major in Computer Science and minor in Information Science
My thought for the 1st combination is to pursue a career in related to Marine Science. I live in NC and most of my relatives are commercial fisherman. I want to contribute to the industry, yet I’m not sure just how practical is it for a career in Marine Science (most of the guys working in marine department barely scrape by, even with government benefits) outside of NC.
*I grew up in a shrimp boat and practically raised by the sea. I know for sure that I will love this path; yet, my parents are advising me to stay away from it. We know a doctor who works for the the government. He makes a considerable money, just below 100k, with amazing benefits. Sadly, he’s the one of the few. He also have worked in the field for 15 years.
My thought for the 2nd combination is similar to the first, except having some sort of background in Information Science. I’m just as interested in Information Science as in Chemistry, yet I don’t know what’s the potential for Information Science.
3rd combination is pretty straight forward and deviating from my primary backup plan as a Marine Scientist. Do you know if this combination is practice by having primary knowledge in programming, technology and information management and etc.
Once again thank you so much. The 3 plans above are my alternative to Medicine. Which do you think will best help me in the sense of a stable and potential job after college?
It really is okay to go to college without a major decided yet: many schools give you two years to decide.
What are you really interested in? Do you have experience with computer science, programming etc? Do you like math? CS has a lot of advanced math.
You can enter medicine from any major at all, and can cover prerequisites during or after college (there are post bac programs for this). Are you in a premed program at Carolina? Not many schools actually have “premed.”
Computer science is a field in which those with bachelor’s can do well in terms of a job after school, and might require a summer internship after junior, possibly sophomore year in order to have good prospects. CS internships seem to be well paid.
Sciences often require grad work and are very competitive of course.
Aside from your job concerns, are there other academic areas that are of interest? You deserve to be able to explore a little, but I understand your financial concerns. It’s just that you might bump into something you love to study that could have job prospects as well…
Sciences and computer science have a set sequence of classes that begin in the first year. so I understand the pressure…
Personally, if finances are the biggest concern, I would start with some CS courses- unless you have taken marine science and LOVE it. If you can fit it in, take a marine science class as well. Give yourself some time.
And take a class in something you are interested in that doesn’t have a practical application, if you can- everyone deserves that!
There are a lot of allied health professions that might interest you - pharmacy, optometry, dentistry, speech pathology, occupational therapy, physical therapy and many more. Each has their own pre-reqs but there are similarities in all of them (ex. microbio, ochem, genetics). Create a spread sheet that lists each profession and their pre-reqs and look for a major that can help you most easily fulfill them.
As far as income, the best advice I can give you is to choose a profession where you have the option to either work for someone else or to be self employeed.
Physicians’ assistants and nurses are both well-paid professions and you can apply after undergrad. Just to add to the above.
For computer science, you may want to take an introductory CS course to see how you like the subject. Also note that strong mathematical and logical thinking skills are necessary in CS, so consider whether those subjects were your strengths and likes in high school.
Computer science job prospects are usually much better than biology or chemistry job prospects, but the industry can have extreme highs and lows. Currently, the job market is very strong, but there have been times when it was very weak.
I’d advise NOT to lock your thinking into a major your first year as turning back will be far more difficult than exploring and choosing with all the data in hand.
Your first year, you’ll take 10classes, 5eaxh semester.
Absent any AP credit, you’ll take 1-2 classes in English/writing, 1 art class, 1 calculus class, 1 statistics class (biostats rather than econ-based), 1-class in psychology or sociology.
That leaves 4-5 classes, which in your case should be Intro to computer science, Intro to Marine Science, Intro to ist, Biology 101, and Chemistry 101. After that you’ll have a good idea what subjects really interest you. You’ll have 7 of the premed pre reqs covered already, too.
For what it’s worth, combination two (ist +Marine science) sounds the most likely to yield good job prospects and be enjoyable for you.
Basically, you don’t have to decide now. Try some things out during your first year. It is hard to decide in the abstract!
Please don’t decide now. There’s no need to. If you’ve never done any sort of programming you have no idea whether you’ll like it or be good at it. I took the beginning CS course when I was a freshman and knew that while I was okay at it, I would hate to do it full time. But both my brothers went into the field. A lot of CS majors are like my son - they’ve been programming since elementary school and it’s hard to catch up with them.
I’ve heard that job prospects for Marine Biologists generally are not great, but you can look here: http://www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/
As a freshman take a couple of Gen Ed courses, something that you need for pre-med and something in a field that interests you. If there are freshman seminars at your college, take one - it doesn’t have to be in something that sounds useful or practical. I took one on Prints and Printmaking. It was a combination of art history and studio art. Fabulous course - one of the best I took in college.
Do what you love; love what you do.
You can major in anything in undergrad school while still taking the requisite courses to apply to medical school.
@compmom
Thank you so much for the thoughtful advice.
I have background in couple programming language and some basics such ad Java. Yet, I don’t know if I can see myself working in such field. I guess ultimately it is the pressure that is stressing me out. I will definitely try out some intro classes to explore and at same time meet the Gen Ed requirement.
Also, I wouldn’t say that I love math. I can find my way to deal with it without any pain. I’m more or so on the so-called Pre-Med path than an actual program, I think? Hopefully, I will in fact run into something that has a great job prospect while fulfill my interest. Finance is a major concern. Frankly, I don’t know where I would be next four years without the Carolina Covenant. Perhaps, I’m too caught out in materialistic aspects that wouldn’t necessarily concern me for another few year.
Once again, thank you for you advice.
@lkg4answers
Thank you so much for your suggestion.
For some reason, the allied health professions aren’t necessarily as appealing as pediatrician/surgeon. I will however explore them as much as possible before I can have a definitive answer for myself.
Thank you once again!
@ucbalumnus
Thank you for your advice!
I do think I have what it takes in CS. I’ve basic knowledge in the field that can get me started.
I’m hoping to utilize both the CS and Information Science knowledge in the future. What do you mean by the fluctuations in the industry? Is the entire industry vulnerable or susceptible to changes?
Thank you once again.
If you are interested in pediatrics, each allied health profession has a pediatric specialty. There are pediatric optometrists, pediatric dentists and a huge variety of pediatric therapists. If you want to cut (ie. be a surgeon) then you are looking at medicine but both pediatrics and surgery are things people think they want to do until they actually get into it. Keep your options open.
@MYOS1634
Thank you so much for your advice!
I will definitely not lock my major this early! Indeed, I will have my entire freshman year to exlpore all the possibilities! Who knows if I will end up in a major I never intended.
I think I will place out most of the introductory class, well at least I’m still struggling to decide whether I should or not, with AP credits. I will nonetheless explore as much as I can with intro classes.
The combination two does combine both my love for Marine Science and my interest in Information Science. Do you think I should double major, perhaps with Chemistry or Computer Sicence? I heard the Information Science major doesn’t require much work.
Thank you once again!
There really is not a “premed” major at most colleges, though a few have actual premed programs that link undergrad and med school. You really can major in anything at all and still go to med school.
Considering your financial concerns and needs, it is not materialistic to worry about future jobs, at all. However, planning prematurely and making decisions under pressures that really can wait a little while, may send you off in a direction that isn’t the best for you.
The job market is complex. When high schoolers are nervous about the future, often rightly so, they tend to think in large categories of work, like medicine or computer science.
I hope you can take classes that genuinely interest you. You may discover areas of interest that you have never encountered before. It can be helpful to volunteer or intern or participate in extracurriculars as well. Visit career services, and look at craigslist and other job sites when you get closer to working, to see the variety of jobs out there.
If you genuinely love medicine, that’s great, but you really don’t have to decide now. Humanities majors can apply to med school (for instance, music majors tend to do really well with med school admissions) as long as they have the prereq’s.
You are very considerate, and courteous, to come back on the forum and thank each person individually. I am impressed. I have a feeling you will do fine in life!
Good luck!
@mathmom
Thank you so much for your advice!
I do have some basic knowledge, but I think I will be just okay with it like you were. I guess I don’t see myself passionately work rest of myself in the field. Unlike your son, I didn’t start that early and I worry that the gap will be quite large for me and my fellow classmates.
I’m too caught up worrying the practicality of courses that I failed to understand the point of Gen Ed. and exploration. I will also look into the Prints and Printmaking course :).
Hopefully, I will come across something I will love!
Thank you once again.
@thumper1
Short and concise!
Thank you for the advice.
Since keeping your scholarship eligibility will be crucial to getting a degree, I suggest you find out all the rules your school has to keep your scholarship all four years. There might be a minimum GPA, maybe you will have to live on campus all four years, there may be a service hours requirement , etc
Pick classes that will help you get your degree, but also consider how difficult each course is and how your GPA might be impacted. Figure out your deadline for dropping a course before it is too late and be sure to ask for help as soon as you don’t understand a concept.
The school will want you to succeed, but they will not keep track of your progress. It will be up to you to ask for help. Sometimes at a large school you may not know who to contact , or you may find a rare staff person who is not nice or not helpful. Keep on asking multiple departments until someone can point you to the right person.
I understand you and your family’s desire for you to use this great opportunity to graduate and be able to get a good job. Don’t feel pressured to go into the fishing business, and keep an open mind about your interests and how they could be developed into a career.
@compmom
Once again, thank you! Every letter and every word!
Indeed, I’m too consumed on future and the big pictures that I failed to realize their subsets. I will definitely keep my options open.
And I thank you so much for your kind words!