<p>Hey everybody. I know it's probably not the best place here to ask these questions, I decided to have a try. I'm Chinese, and plan to major in Political Science unless something bad stops me.
1) Will I find a good job in the US if I study fairly *well?
2) Do *typical *American Political Science majors easily find good jobs?
3) Does my nationality matter?
4) If I eventually find it a bad idea to major in Political Science, am I free to change my mind? You know, I don't have a major until I *declare one, even though I've indicated my interest, right?</p>
<p>Thank you very much!</p>
<p>Let’s start at #4. At Tulane it is VERY easy to change your mind. And you are right, just because you have indicated an interest doesn’t mean too much. It just allows the school to try and give you an advisor that is tuned in to your needs, but they EXPECT you to explore other options your first year or even first 3 semesters. All schools at Tulane are under the umbrella of Newcomb-Tulane College, so even if you switch from the School of Liberal Arts to the School of Science and Engineering, and even then change again to the School of Business, you don’t need permission, you just do it. But of course you do need to then fulfill the requirements of that School, which are in addition to the requirements of the College, the latter of which are the same for all. In short, Tulane is one of the easiest places to explore and change majors, but you have to declare going into your junior year, of course.</p>
<h1>3 is probably an advantage in my opinion. Heck, given the current trends, someone interested in Poli Sci and the relationship between USA and China that is of Chinese background (and those are assumptions on my part because you are Chinese, you might want something totally different for all I know, lol) has the step ahead. But in any case, I certainly don’t think it is a disadvantage other than people assuming what I just did.</h1>
<h1>2 and #1 are pretty much the same, and the answer is that it really isn’t the major, it is you. And it depends on your goals and what kind of career you decide is most interesting for you. In the end, the best anyone can tell you, I think, is to study what you find most interesting, do the best you can, and go for what you want when the time comes. There are never guarantees about these things for any major, but by doing your best you will leave yourself the greatest number of options.</h1>
<p>BTW -
I cannot imagine what that could be, unless your parents insist on you majoring in something else or whatever. What kind of thing were you thinking might stop you?</p>
<p>Wow, thank you so much Chemist. While I meant “something bad” only ambiguously, it could potentially be intense objection from my Chinese relatives who hold the notion that Political Science is “not as solid as mechanical engineering.” It’s an entrenched Chinese belief that the humanities and social sciences are not “real” and therefore terrible choices. While of course I know different, I can’t guarantee I won’t eventually bow to that pressure and take the easy way out.</p>
<p>I rather suspected that might be the case. I am familiar with that cultural dynamic, and it can be intense. I wish you the best of luck.</p>