<p>I am stuck between Civil Engineering, Actuarial Science, and Computer Science. I have a decent physics, mathematics, and computer programming background; however, I can not make my decision solely based on job descriptions. I was hoping to take introductory summer courses for each of the three majors to see which I would like best, but I just discovered that my local CC does not offer any of these classes.</p>
<p>So, how did you personally decide which major suited you best? gut instinct? expected salary?</p>
<p>Then I realized my school doesn’t force me to choose until junior year and is pretty much awesome at everything. Then I just took classes and voila.</p>
<p>I couldn’t, so as a entering freshmen I decided to double major in Economics and Political Science. I decided to double major so I can keep law and buisness school open, and other graduate schools alike as a option.</p>
<p>Told my mother that I was going to be an English major. She laughed at me. So I decided to try other routes (some which screwed up my GPA with C+ and B)</p>
<p>Took introductory courses for journalism, linguistics, communication, and psychology. Hated it. Well, not psychology. But everyone and their mother is a psychology major where I go to school. Plus I hate lecture halls!!! >=(</p>
<p>Went back to English. It was meant to be. I love it. I don’t care if I will be living in a box. I’m going to graduate school to be a speech therapist anyway. So I figured let me major in something I like as an undergraduate (since they don’t have an undergraduate Speech therapy program here) and succeed in it!</p>
<p>Didn’t really know until junior/senior year of H.S. I’m in CC right now and the classes I’m taking in the subject (Psychology [+ Social Behavior]) are continuing to reaffirm my thoughts that this is the major for me :). And I’ve always been the person that people come to for help/advice or just someone to quietly listen to them. Also, I love how interesting and versatile the major is! The pay is decent if I earn the education, but that wasn’t really my top reason why. I’d rather do something I enjoy and make less, then something I hate and make a lot. Saves you a heck of a lot of stress later in life, that’s for sure!</p>
<p>I’ve been using the guess and check method. It’s not such a great method for picking majors, I found out.</p>
<p>Well, that’s not entirely true. There have definitely been rationales behind what I’ve chosen, it just hasn’t worked out for me. Freshman year, I started studying occupational therapy and hated it. Sophomore year, I transferred and started studying engineering, and I hate it. Junior year, I will begin studying psychology, and hope for the best. At this point, my choice to study psychology is based on the fact that I really enjoyed gen psych, and that by some odd miracle, I’ll still be able to graduate in time with this major. Possibly even with a minor, according to the adviser I saw. Also, I might transfer again, because I am nuts.</p>
<p>hyperjulie’s situation illustrates a clear distincition I want to make.</p>
<p>DO NOT PICK A MAJOR until your sophomore year.</p>
<p>Take classes in topics you are interested in and might major in, but do not pick a major. In your freshman year, you want to be able to go into many different majors, and you want to get as much exposure as possible to different majors. Picking a major freshman year does the opposite of that.</p>
<p>I would strongly suggest not choosing a major your freshman year, particularly if you still don’t know what you truly want to do.</p>
<p>It tends to result in wasted credit hours and wasted money and risking graduating late – assuming you follow the traditional route of choosing a major, taking classes in said major, deciding you don’t like that major and then choosing another major, repeat.</p>
<p>True in most cases, but it just so happened that the two programs I entered were so rigid that you (pretty much) absolutely had to start into them to graduate in four years. Due to the fact that the government won’t keep giving me free* money forever, I do unfortunately have certain restrictions as to how long I can spend exploring.</p>
<p>I’d say that’s definitely true if you’re intending to go into liberal arts though. I was shocked at how easily I could complete psychology based on my credits. Looking at the requirements, it’s not surprising that some people manage to double or even triple major while graduating on time with the help of some AP/dual-enrolled credit.</p>
<p>Somewhere in-between Anthropology and Medicine. I want to work as a doctor in China or Korea. It started with the fascination in Sino-Tibetan languages, then Asian languages and character system, then it turned into culture studies, then most recently, a want to do something similar to an anthropology in-country study for a long time. </p>
<p>But on the side the entire time, I wanted a “real” career path that I could count on for financial stability. This would most likely be my major. It started as Computer Science, because even before entering college I knew more than a lot of Computer Science major kids. Then I turned to International Business so perhaps I could make decent money while doing something international. Well, somehow I figured Medicine would be my final goal after I started doing some stuff with AMSA and talked to a few people about. Now here I am, wanting to get my medical education in the U.S. and then see what I can do in China/Korea.</p>
<p>I haven’t declared yet… I’m thinking something in the sciences because I’d like to do something in the medical field, though I’m not particularly interested in chemistry basics and all that… Making money is important to me (financial security), but I also need to feel good about what I’m doing … I’ve thought about business but I’m not sure if it’s for me.</p>
<p>i actually didnt. Originally, I was going to be a Chemistry major in high school (as high school, i would have decided to major in chemistry in college I mean), but my guidance councelor told me to check out chemical engineering and due to my high schools limited class selection, i couldnt really explore it until college. Fast forward 2 years of college and lots of set backs and low grades and im in CC taking engineering pre reqs still hating them ( i mean who likes making 3D graphs by hand) but actually enjoying the classes more since my teachers can actually teach in a way for me to understand. </p>
<p>so to get back on topic, basically yea i thought about chemical engineering and what they do, a possible route i would want to take (Pharmacy or Chem Warfare), and just stuck with it based on that</p>
<p>Do you guys realize if u major in English or Spanish, you will be SCREWED financially? What are you going to be? A teacher? A writer? Teachers’ union has ridiculous barriers of entry and most writers are poor as hell. </p>
<p>Case in point? Study economics, science, engineering, or CS.</p>
<p>I got a scholarship from the engineering school so I knew I had to pick engineering. Then I took the first one alphabetically (aero). Haha. If I could do it over again I would pick civil because I just love transportation/networking/mapping/districting and that sort of thing.</p>