I am an environmental science and policy major and I think I might have chosen the wrong major. I will be a freshmen this fall but I am having doubts of this major now that I know that I started researching more about it. I don’t even recycle or care about the environment at all. I know I am selfish for not caring about what happens to humans in the future but every man for himself right? But, I am an animal activist and I do care about how the environment affects the animals. I thought that if I could get a job environmentally related I can do something to help animals, like be a wildlife conservationist or work for PETA. I learned that those who work for PETA are just volunteers. I also don’t want to get a job that makes less than 50k especially considering the fact that I am going to a private college that costs 60k a year.
I am considering on maybe become a vet but I don’t want a really hard course load during undergrad since I’m an athlete with Olympic dreams and won’t have much time. But by the time I finish undergrad I will know if I will make it as an athlete or not so I won’t mind having a rigorous graduate course load since I will no longer be an athlete.
Should I change majors? I called the college and they said that I can change my major before the fall if I want.
If I major in psychology would I be able to get into vet school?
Yes, this is the kind of major people who are already working take at their employer’s expense to advance on the job
Since you’re a freshman this fall, don’t worry about it. It’s easy to change majors, and many people do in fact change majors during the course of college. With a few exceptions, most students don’t have to declare a major until junior year. Does your college require anything different?
@jalfred
I’m forced to take a bunch of environment courses this fall if I don’t change my major now. There are also some classes that I can’t take if I am not a specific major. I called the college and they said that I am allowed to change my major before I come this fall.
Yes, give it a try for a semester/quarter before you panic. It is a somewhat general science degree, but this may not be bad if you are still unsure of your direction. Check out “reddit environmental science” for more info on this major.
if you want to be a vet, major in microbiology or zoology or animal science
My school doesn’t offer microbiology or zoology as a major. They do offer Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and Biological Sciences but those are for pre-med students and will be very rigorous.
I’m thinking of switching my major to health science or kinesiology.
“Yes, this is the kind of major people who are already working take at their employer’s expense to advance on the job”
What does this comment of yours mean, @user4321?
I actually don’t want to become a vet(mainly because I know I won’t get into any vet school since math and science are my weakest subjects). My original intention was to work for an animal group like PETA and do stuff like ending poaching but I just found out that their members are volunteers. I just want to do something that will help end animal suffering but I wanna be paid at least $30k a year. Though I could go for less if it is for a really good cause as long as its above minimum wage :)>-
More generally, it sounds like you want to work in the nonprofit sector. Are there any nonprofit management majors or perhaps a business management major with some courses on nonprofits? It is great that you know your passion, but you need to think more about the broader type of major that could help you work in that specific area some day.
@CheddarcheeseMN
No there aren’t any nonprofit majors at my college and I can’t be a business administration major because it is the hardest major to get accepted to at my college since it is one of the best in the US, I didn’t have the stats to get into it.
I am thinking of majoring in either psychology or communications or sociology. I think it will help me be able to communicate my ideas effectively? I heard all of these majors are useless majors but I’m fortunate enough to be in a upper middle class family so going to grad school is an option for me too. Other then something animal related, something else that I would like to become is a Health Psychologist, Genetic counselor, or nutritionist.
I would think that if you are an Olympic-track athlete, you would know long before you finish college whether you are Olympic material.
You are unlikely to make $50,000 a year in your first job out of college unless you major in engineering or maybe computer science, and those are majors that do tend to take more time.
You do know there are broader ways to help animals than just working for an animal rights organization? Environmental protection can help animals AND people. You can work on sustainable development to protect the ecology of certain areas, or sustainable farming or whatnot to protect animal populations, etc. They’re more indirect, but they still count.
You can go to a vet school with a major in psychology, but you would have to take the pre-vet courseload. It will be difficult to perform well enough to get into vet school if you are also training to be an Olympic athlete. You can also take the pre-vet coursework after you graduate, once you have figured out whether you can continue towards high-level international competition.
Also, none of the majors you listed are useless - people get gainfully employed with BAs in those areas all the time. Graduate school does increase your job prospects, especially if you want to be a health psychologist or a genetic counselor (both of which require graduate degrees).
You seem to be all over the place…enviro, psych, business, health science, non-profits. Does your college have an undecided option or can you talk to them about concentrating on your GE’s 1st semester until you can meet with advisers, dept heads, etc and figure out the best major for you? Grad school could take you in all kinds of directions, but don’t make it a have to situation. I suggest you look up job postings for the majors you are considering, this will give you an idea about pay, years of work experience, etc.
Being undecided at this point isn’t a bad thing. Instead of changing to some hastily - chosen alternative major, stick with the one you have and take general courses your first year perhaps including one in environmental studies until you have more time to decide.