I’m currently a first year feh ISE pre-major in the college of engineering. I’m sorry if this comes off as a very cliche cc post, just need some input.
Although I’m doing fine in Physics, Calc, FEH, etc I kinda hate engineering. I’ve been doing decently and will definitely get in my major and all, but I really enjoy finance and learning about investing and markets. It doesn’t help that I spend my weekends holed up in the library while my biz friends can go out thurs-sat, or invest more time in extracurricular activities and student orgs that I really wish I could participate in.
My parents/the internet are very against people/me getting a business major at all, especially at a non-top 10. They think it’s useless, and I had the same mentality coming into college and hoped to grind through engineering and hopefully get an MBA to go into finance/pe/ib/something like that down the road. There also seems to be a stigma about business being insanely easy among engineers here.
The only reasons I have for staying in engineering is because of the presumed rigor of the major, higher employability straight out of undergrad (better pay I’d guess) which I’d hopefully use to pay for my MBA, and because I’ve never really been one to back down from a challenge. I know, stubborn of me. Also, the whole thing of bitching out for switching out of engineering.
From switching to finance, I’d have a lot more time to enjoy life and do things I wouldn’t be able to do in engineering. I’m very interested in finance (I really don’t want to do anything technical), and wouldn’t have to wade through several years of doing ■■■■ I don’t really enjoy, although if necessary/helpful at all towards my future prospects I’d be capable enough to do it.
Am I stupid for not switching already? Is it even realistic to be able to go into finance with an ISE degree? Is Fisher respected as an undergrad biz school in terms of b-school apps and employability? Also, I heard that finance at fisher needs a 3.7ish, which I think I’ll have, but if I don’t, will they consider the fact that I took FEH first sem?
@taishi I agree with soyunchico, switch to Finance if that is where your passion and interest lie. It will be a long 4 years if you are studying a subject you are not excited about and missing out on the full college experience you seem interested in having.
Fisher IS a great Undergrad Business school (#19 by US News), Finance is ranked as #13, Operations Management is #9. They do a great job bringing companies in for job fairs, Finance and Operations majors are more in demand than some of the other majors, though Accounting (#14) majors are as well.
Companies do recruit heavily from Fisher, most of the recent grads I know of had offers, even multiple offers, before their senior year winter break. Internships while in school will make you an even stronger candidate, your aptitude for ISE will only add to your options in terms of avenues for employment (Finance, Operations, maybe Supply Chain?).
College is the place to explore your interests and career path…YOU start deciding who you are, what YOU want to be and where you want to be career wise. Don’t let others (mis)perceptions about any program sway you from whatever it is you are passionate about.
Follow your heart/passion. Perhaps do a combination of Finance and Operations Management. You’ll be surprised how close the curriculum is between IE and Operations Management … and you can easily add Finance.
I concur with the other posters if your real desire to switch to Business/Finance is because you enjoy the subject and see yourself happy in that field once you graduate and get into the “real world”. If it is because you just want an “easier” major you should stay put. The decision is what career do YOU have a passion for and want to pursue, if it is Finance go for it! Fisher has a very good reputation, it is a top 20 Business school and most of the Business majors are in the top 15 of US News rankings. My D had the same experience at Fisher as noted above, she participated in numerous internships and graduated a semester early with a job waiting for her. Most importantly she has a passion for what she is doing and thus doing well. An old saying is if you enjoy what you are doing professionally you will not work a day in your life. Wish you the best.
@taishi - Reading your post took me back to Nov 2015 - April / May 2016.
Here is my story:
I was a direct admit to COE (BME major) last year Nov 2015. I had applied for COE at every university I applied to and was blessed to get accepted to all of them. I wanted to pursue BME + Premed (not a easy path at all for med school). I ended up choosing OSU as my university because OSU is close and Columbus is home.
Then began the process of re-thinking whether Engineering was my thing (lasted from Nov 2015 - April /May 2016). The rigor of engineering did not worry me, but my level of interest did. Do I see myself as an “Engineer” in 2020? Will that make me happy? Yes, I knew that if I graduated as an Engineer, I could be looking at solid job potential / placements, but will I be happy? If Med school does not happen then I know I WILL pursue MBA.
Aha…after continuous soul searching and several round of discussion with my parents and counselor at OSU, I made the switch to Fisher College of Business (after I had paid the admittance fee in May 2016).
My gpa and ACT score got me into Fisher as a direct admit (you need to make sure you get in as direct admit). This can impact your advising.
Right now I am in Fisher program (Econ major), the classes are very well laid out. Since I am taking pre-med courses my schedule is pretty heavy but if I were to not have the premed courses, I could graduate in 2019, instead of 2020. Fisher program has great advising and I have heard they have great career counseling, career fairs etc.
Ask yourself, you are going to spend 9 hrs. * 5 days = 45 hrs. per week doing something…what would that be?
And yes there seems to be a sense of stigma. I have heard subtle comments.