Have no clue what to major in

Student Lounge College Life
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<p>Just for some background information, I'm 21 years old and I'm going to finish my general eds very soon. So I have to pick a major, problem is I have no idea what to major in.</p>

<p>In terms of my personality, I'd consider myself a logical person who's interested in abstract thinking and problem solving. I'm interested in abstract ventures and I also like taking information and structuring it into a model. I'm also very introverted, which means that I do not like socializing. I also am very bad when it comes to emotions, I have a very hard time sympathizing with emotions because it doesn't really register with me. It's hard for me to understand a person who comes from an emotional point of view, rather than a perspective that can be actually understood logically. </p>

<p>During my free time and in classes, I've studied many topics such as accounting, economics, physics, chemistry, computer science, political science, history, and other topics. I've taught myself Algebra through Calculus and I've also taught myself some C++. You can also look at my name and see I'm interested in philosophy.</p>

<p>For a while I was planning to major in Math or Computer Science, but I think I was deceiving myself because I actually am not interested in either topic. I don't find math interesting and computer programming is pretty boring to me. In fact, anything that has to do with technology and gadgets/gizmo's and cars in general is quite boring and uninteresting to me. </p>

<p>It's actually quite frustrating, because I've been tested by professional licensed psycho-analysts that test your brain and determine what types of intelligence you're talented at. All the tests concluded that I am talented in spatial reasoning, visual memory, and mathematical reasoning. This is frustrating to me because they even made comments that I have the potential to be "Brilliant" in math, especially if it's involved with geometry, but I find the topic uninteresting.</p>

<p>The odd thing though is that I've taken a logic class at my college and we had to do symbolic reasoning, which I actually found extremely interesting. I was also good at it to. I guess I found it more interesting because it actually meant something to me. When you could use truth tables and symbolic reasoning to prove a statement true or false, that actually means something. You've actually proven something. In math, it just doesn't seem profound to me and it seems uninteresting and too....mechanical I guess I would say. I'd consider myself a philosopher at heart so it's important for a subject to have life in it and have meaning in it, if it seems mechanical and dry (like science and math does in my opinion) then it's boring to me.</p>

<p>I've also taken science classes, and I find all of them boring. I've taken multiple chemistry courses, got straight A's in all of them, but I skipped many classes because I found the topic so uninteresting. However, I find scientific theory's to be fascinating. But that's the only thing I'm interested in, in science. Is the theory's, I'm not really interested in the specific details, I'm just interested in the big picture and the theory's they generate and what it means.</p>

<p>So I'm just wondering, has/is anyone else in my shoes? What do you recommend for me to do at this point? I want to find a topic that I'm truly passionate about, but at the same time I am hoping that my passion is something that is practical. I'm not going to major in something that is completely unrealistic.</p>

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<p>Nietzsche138, your dilemma isn’t rare. Lots of students are ambivalent about their major options, or change majors after exposure to the one they thought was their top choice.</p>

<p>One way to look at this is from a post-graduation standpoint: doing coursework in a topic is rarely similar to what you would be doing in the workplace. So, boring courses and rote memorization might lead to a career that was very interesting. (Not that I advocate for signing up for boring courses, but just about every major has some elements that aren’t very exciting but which you must complete for your degree.) </p>

<p>Try to pick a few career ideas that seem related to your interests and strong suits, and learn more about them. Better still, try to get an internship or part-time job in the field. I’m know one student who was aiming at an academic career in a scientific field, but after scoring a plum summer internship and seeing what lay ahead of her decided to change fields.</p>

<p>If you choose a major you aren’t certain about, try to choose your early coursework (to the extent you are able) from two standpoints:

  1. A course or two that will give you deeper exposure to the topic than you’ve already had.
  2. Courses that might be used as requirements or electives in other majors in case you decide to change.</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

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<p>If you consider yourself a philosopher at heart, why not philosophy?</p>

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<p>Well I’m what you call a positivist. I believe that the scientific method is the best inductive way to discover the truths of metaphysical reality.</p>

<p>The reason why I like reading philosophy is because philosophy in my opinion is a really good way to enhance your critical thinking, look at things in different perspectives, and to think outside of the box. Philosophy isn’t just a subject in and of itself, it’s something that if studied correctly, can help you in all pursuits and academics in your life that require critical thinking. </p>

<p>I say this because in and of itself I don’t think philosophy is very important and I think lots of it is just nonsense (for example post-modern philosophy, ironically Nietzsche is a post-modern philosopher but ignore that lol).</p>

<p>Also philosophy isn’t my true passion, it used to be when I was a freshmen in college, but I lost interest when I began studying physics and understood the scientific method more. </p>

<p>I think philosophy in many cases (not all though) is not pragmatic, in an academic sense and also as a major. I consider myself to be a pragmatic person, I actually am a moral pragmatic. I’m not much of an idealist or ideologue, more of a person who cares about solving problems. </p>

<p>I also want to major in something that is practical, and philosophy is not practical.</p>

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<p>dudeyeah i didn’t read your whole post but i might be in the same boat. lots of interests, not interested at all in the subjects i’m actually good at… need to find some ‘passion’ yet do something thats not a bs major</p>

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<p>How about theoretical physics? Applying complex math with philosophical ideas in order to discover the workings of the world?</p>

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<p>I’m in the same boat, so I definitely sympathize with you. Here’s my three (hopefully helpful!) suggestions:</p>

<p>1) Maybe you should consider interdisciplinary majors…what about a major in history, with a concentration in the history of science and technology? As technology increases exponentially, there is a growing demand for journalists who can communicate new discoveries to laypersons…you would get to discuss exciting new ideas with scientists and dwell on the meaning and societal effects of those discoveries w/o conducting experiments. Your background in philosophy would then put the science in perspective, explaining the nature of the discipline and what it can and cannot prove. Perhaps you identify with one of the authors listed in this uk blog-- </p>

<p>[On</a> the Origin of Science Writers | Not Exactly Rocket Science | Discover Magazine](<a href=“http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2010/07/29/on-the-origin-of-science-writers/]On”>http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2010/07/29/on-the-origin-of-science-writers/)</p>

<p>Majoring in history would also give you the freedom to gravitate towards political science issues, if that is what you would prefer.</p>

<p>2) Or…what about cognitive science? The mind has been described by scientists and philosophers as one of the “last frontiers” for major discoveries. Uncovering the “big picture” of consciousness requires both an understanding of abstract mental processes and symbolism (psychology, linguistics), as well as neural structure and computation (biology, chemistry, mathematics).</p>

<p>3) Finally, what about economics and finance or math-econ? Learning how businesses and world market systems operate is very practical, and employers are more likely to hire someone with strong quantitative reasoning and computational skills. You would “take data and structure it into models” and learn what factors lead customers to make purchasing decisions or respond to advertisements (applied psychology electives). From my perspective, many societal problems stem from the mismanagement of resources, so as an economist or businessman, there are many opportunities to affect positive social change.</p>

<p>Best of luck! Also, I think that Roger_Dooley’s advice is spot-on.</p>

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<p>Have you heard of the existential vacuum? That’s not meant to insult or scare you but it’s just a possibility we should all think about. From reading the first half of your post, your situation seems to beyond just choosing a major.</p>

<p>You want to study something that you like but that is also practical (as in you’ll be able to get a job?). Think about what you REALLY want to do. That’s why it’s hard to give you advice in choosing majors, only you know what you want to do with your life right now. No degree is going to hold you back because like you already said, ideally any subject should involve critical, reflective, and evaluative thinking. If you really like logic, I think you can work out your upper division coursework so that it’s heavily logic-based (you’d have to choose phil. as a major as far as I know).</p>

<p>As a philosophy major, I understand where you’re coming from when you say it’s not very practical. Personally, few things are more depressing than studying epistemology or metaphysics. Ethics seems practical (that’s what I’m studying) because the more we know, the more we’ll need to think about what to do with that information. But where are the jobs for it? It’s kinda like finishing a marathon in the mud and sticking out a golden hand to find that they really just want your foot. </p>

<p>Do you just want a Bachelor’s? It’s only two more years of the rest of your life. If you’re pragmatic and you have ambition, there are many things you can do with any degree. If you can take two years of something you don’t like but that will get you a good job, that’s fine too. </p>

<p>PS. You seem to be into analytical philosophy. Never would have guessed with that username.</p>

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<p>Why the hell is this a featured discussion? I don’t want to read this pretentious crap.</p>

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<p>You don’t hang around here much, do you…</p>

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<p>Sometime during the third paragraph I started to doze off from the narcissism. Your problem is you’re spending too much time introspecting and not enough time devoted to trial and error. How do you know you won’t like field X if you don’t even get any experience in it? Class =/= Work. It’s all well and good if you want to be the most self-aware person on the planet, but it won’t help you find contentment if you never go out and apply yourself.</p>

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<p>Agree totally with CollectivSynergy. That would be the only way to find happiness. Nevertheless, I know how you feel Nietzsche138, I change majors 3 times and I still do not know where I am going.</p>

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<p>I too think there might be a path in physics. How important is money to you?</p>

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<p>CollectivSynergy hit the nail on the head.

Can you even tell me what that means? You certainly enjoy utilizing an abstract (rather, intangible) lexicon.</p>

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<p>I’d say one of the social sciences that utilize statistics might work very well for you.
(say economics or organizational psych)</p>

<p>Jobs for folks with these majors often pay well, you would mostly work alone, you would work with non-spatial math, and both your studies and job would involve evaluating interesting, human-focused problems.</p>

<p>Just my 2 cents,
KevinD777</p>

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<p>^ I wouldn’t think that org psych would lead to anything where you would work alone.</p>

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<p><em>makes a perplexed face</em></p>

<p>there, there… a major isn’t everything :slight_smile: I don’t want to take up the responsibility of choosing a major for you, but I do want to reassure you that your major does not necessarily close any doors. You can still end up wherever your interests take you. If you were to venture out and explore the logistics of large or small companies and industries, you’d find they’re all melting pots of academic diversity. Various majors and fields all with the same job descriptions. :slight_smile: Yes, this isn’t true 100% of the time and so…</p>

<p>I also want you to tell you this: DON’T PANIC! You may feel pangs of regret for what-could-have-been after you do declare a major, but you need to not do that, because declaring a major is not the beginning of the end; it’s just a focal point. But you can end up almost anywhere.</p>

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<p>Pick a job you may want to pursue; then pick the major that will help you get that job.</p>

<p>Examples:</p>

<p>“I want to be a financial executive-type person, so I chose accounting.”</p>

<p>“I want to be a engineer that works at ____ company, so I chose _____ engineering.”</p>

<p>“I want to be a doctor, so I chose a major that lets me take pre-med classes.”</p>

<p>“I want to become a professor in x field, so I am planning on gettting a PhD in it.” </p>

<p>“I want to be a restaurant manager, so I chose business with a food science minor.”</p>

<p>“I want to be a graphic artist, so I chose computer science with many graphics classes.”</p>

<p>“I want to be a patent lawyer, so I chose an engineering major prior to law school.”</p>

<p>"I want to be an online news writer about ______ (sports, food, etc.), so I choice journalism with a _____ minor.</p>

<p>Even things that may not connect completely.</p>

<p>“I want to have a practical major and work as a researcher, but I like philosophy. I am double majoring in philosophy and physics.”</p>

<p>Now, these are typical paths. There are many jobs that are not so typical, though. For example, someone may want specifically to work for Disney, so they pick a job they want at Disney, then see what major could let them get it.</p>

<p>I mean, I doubt a lot of engineering majors enjoy doing long math problems all day, but they do them to earn the degree. They will probably not use the advanced math too much in common jobs. I consider it like paying your dues.</p>

<hr>

<p>My advice is to try something practical yet theoretical, such as economics, psychology, physics, statistics, etc. If you do not like it, then you can eliminate choices. Many fields have theoretical classes, but are practical enough that you could still get a job. You can study something you like and apply it to a real job. I am sure people who major in economics do not necessarily use game theory and theoretical classes in their everyday jobs, but they can still like it.</p>

<p>I rushed during fraternity week even though I did not plan on joining. I am happy I did because I learned so much about myself.</p>

<p>Just open your eyes, and do not defeat yourself before you even try something.</p>

<p>LASTLY, see if you can meet people similar to you. See what they are doing.</p>

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<p>Whatever you choose, make sure it pays decently and jobs aren’t scarce. Yes, you should have a genuine interest in the field, and anyone who pursues a subject they hate will likely fail. However, you should be practical and do some career research before hand. Check out the Occupational Outlook Handbook at BLS.gov. It’s a government created report of how many jobs an industry is likely to create in the coming years. Also, check out salary websites like glassdoor that will let you know what the return is for your degree.</p>

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<p>If you choose to get a liberal arts degree, then be creative with it. A lot of people think if they major in English, for example, they can only be a teacher or something like that but you can so many things with an English degree if you search in the right places.</p>