Hey guys, I am a rising junior in Lexington, Kentucky, and I have begun my college search this summer. So far I have looked at two schools, the University of Kentucky and Miami (OH). I am currently in a STEM accelerated program at my school and have been an intern at the CAER Research Laboratory which is run by UK. This being said, as well as I have done in the fields of math and science and as much as I enjoy it, my real passion is following college athletics. Growing up in Lexington I rigorously follow college basketball and college football. I am very good at remembering specific statistics, standings, and names. So I am really thinking what my college major should be. I know I have a few years to decide but since these two interests are not very closely related I feel like I should at least be leaning towards one major going in. I’m not saying pick a major for me, but for what I have told you, and where I live, would it be better to go for a Journalism major or something like a chemical engineering major? Any advice is helpful.
Well, basketball is hockey rendered in laggy 8 bit graphics, so go for a hockey school 
Pretty much everything STEM is going to need calc, some programming, and some lab science, so you actually do have some time if nothing suggests itself to you over the next 18-24 months.
Lol thanks but I have never been a huge hockey fan not being from the north and all. I have taken the required programming course at my school, I am currently working on the lab experience as an intern, and I’ll be taking Ap Calc Ab next year. I guess I’ll see how Calc goes and weigh that into my decision. Thanks!
Miami’s hockey program is pretty good - they were ranked in the top 5 in div I last year…
Anyway, with a STEM degree you’ll likely be able to afford season tickets to whatever team you like.
A better approach I think, is to maybe think of it in slightly different terms. In which field might you find a satisfying job, and just as important, in which field will you be better equipped to make the world a slightly better place?
A chemical engineer might develop a better filter that reduces pollution without burning more fuel, while a journalist will have other ambitions. Either could fritter away a lifetime and contribute very little of real value to society too, so there’s that.
You might look at technical communications, which combines the two. Not a lot of geeks write well.
Well, the Bureau of Labor Statistics paints a rosy picture for civil/environmental (though not chemical) engineering job prospects and an ugly one for journalism job prospects in the years 2012-2022. (See http://www.bls.gov/ooh/media-and-communication/reporters-correspondents-and-broadcast-news-analysts.htm and http://www.bls.gov/emp/ep_table_102.htm.)
True, Miami had a beautiful hockey facility. Thanks!