I need help with changing my major

<p>I am currently in my 2nd semester at a 4 year university and I have until the end of the 3 semester to change my major. My current major is Biology and I hate it. I am really good at math and science (I got an A in my Chem class in my first semester and people were surprise that anyone got an A in that class). But, just because I am good at the sciences, it doesn't necessarily mean that I enjoy it. It's interesting, but I just cannot see my self doing this a job in this field FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE :( ! The only reason I chose the major was because my mom said that I "should major in science or engineering because that's where the jobs and money is at". The good thing is that scholarships/federal grants pay for my schooling, so my mom can't complain that "she is wasting her money for me to change my major". </p>

<p>My problem is that I just don't know what I want to change my major to. I don't want to have this dead-end job that I am miserable in for the rest of my life. I want a job that I would be happy going to everyday. I don't care about the money (of course I need money to support myself, but I don't care about becoming a millionaire or anything like that).</p>

<p>Please Help! I am dying cause I don't know what to do.</p>

<p>how about Applied Mathematics? lol</p>

<p>@yg7s7 Why do you recommend applied mathematics? Are you joking? Dude, I’m being serious here. I just feel like giving up on school. I’m starting to not care about college because I feel like I am just wasting my time, not knowing what I want to do in life.</p>

<p>lol yea I was half-joking. I really don’t know what to say. But Biology isn’t definitely “where jobs and money are at,” unless you use it to go to med/dental school or something. So I hope you don’t end up with that major. You just told us you don’t know what to do, you don’t care about money, you’re good at science but you don’t like it, so what do you want us to tell you?</p>

<p>Have you thought about computer science? If you are interested in the people side of science you could go into nursing or physical therapy.</p>

<p>@Lakemom:
I am currently taking an intro to computer science class: it’s easy, but it’s somewhat boring. </p>

<p>I would not want to be in nursing or physical therapy. I’m not really that much of a people person. So becoming a doctor, etc. is what I wouldn’t like to do.</p>

<p>Apart from science and math, what else interests you (academic and nonacademic)? Are there other fields that you are good in? To get some idea of the range of possibilities at your current school, do you attend a large/small, public/private school? What kind of job would you see yourself doing? It’s difficult for other posters to make useful recommendations based on the limited information you provided.</p>

<p>I am attending a large public university (San Diego State University).</p>

<p>I am more of an individual worker (I don’t really like working in groups that much). I guess you could say that i’m an introvert. I like computers, but I don’t think I would like making programs or fixing computers (I don’t want to get electrocuted lol). I currently taking an intro to computer science class but it’s a bit boring. I like playing the guitar (i’m not very good at it, but i enjoy it), but my introverted personality would not fit with a musical career. I don’t like the smells of hospitals (health care is definitely not my field). I like exercising (mountain biking, lifting weights, etc.). I like to cook (i’m not a pro or anything, but I avoid fast food and growing up in my family everyone learned how to cook). </p>

<p>I’ll post more things that I like later. Hopefully you can give some possible suggestions</p>

<p>SJSU has a huge education dept so that may be an option for you. Education has opportunities to not work in groups but more one on one with students as a tutor or a HS counselor</p>

<p>[Colleges</a>, Departments & Programs](<a href=“http://www.sjsu.edu/colleges_departments/]Colleges”>http://www.sjsu.edu/colleges_departments/)</p>

<p>Since you like the outdoors and do well in science, environmental studies maybe an option or urban planning.</p>

<p>Isn’t there some kind of advisement center you could meet with someone and look over what classes you have completed and get ideas of what else you could switch too?</p>

<p>Last resort, people often major in psychology as a sort of base degree for something else in the future. A person needs an MS or Phd to practice but psychology can be useful in any business or field. For example, my brother got a Psych. undergrad degree then went to law school.</p>

<p>Something involving cooking or food?
Food + Science=Food Science & Technology
Cooking=Culinary
(Might have to transfer, though, to a school that offers these.)</p>

<p>Would also suggest checking the counseling center to see if they do any career/vocational counseling—might suggest some other possibilities to you that align with your interests and temperament.</p>

<p>My school has an academic advising center. I guess they can help (hopefully). I’ll go on Monday (if I don’t forget :))</p>

<p>ftw123, you need a little more drive than “if I don’t forget” </p>

<p>Set an alarm, leave yourself a note in your car, leave a note on the bathroom mirror, call your mother/father/roommate and ask one of them to remind you.</p>

<p>If you are really unsure, I would recommend trying some classes that you normally wouldn’t take. You mind find a surprising niche.</p>

<p>Major in Accounting, Economics, Applied Math, Stats or Finance. There’s no math or science in biology and there’s no money in it either. These all lead to great careers that would make you work alone and in silence for 50+ hours a week while having huge paychecks which is what you said you wanted - no people interaction and money to support yourself. Work is work. Have fun outside of work.</p>

<p>If you want to do science, physics, computers or any engineering except biomedical would do. Stay away from Chemistry since you learn less chemistry in Chemistry than you do in Chemical Engineering and biology isn’t science, its some sort of voodoo magic.</p>

<p>@LastThreeYears I enjoy math more than I do science. I was considering statistics, but I never taken a stats class before (I plan on taking the first level stat class during the summer semester, but thats only if it’s offered during the summer, hopefully). I think the stats would be a good path for me.</p>

<p>I have a question about a statistics major:
Why haven’t I met any stats majors at my school? Is there a reason why not many people major in stats? At my school it seems like no one majors in stats :(. It would be nice to talk to a stat major to ask them questions about it?</p>

<p>If you can answer the questions above that would be great, if not I am thankful for the suggestions that you gave me.</p>

<p>PS: I LOL’d about your comments on biology</p>

<p>Edit: I think I found the answer to my questions.
At my school Math 245 (Discrete Math) and Math 252 (Linear Algebra) are prep some of the prep courses for stats degree. These courses possibly scare people away from stats.</p>

<p>Edit: I think I found the answer to my questions (Re-edited).
At my school Math 150 (Calculus I), Math 151 (Calculus II), Math 245 (Discrete Math) and Math 252 (Linear Algebra)are prep some of the prep courses for stats degree. I haven’t had a math class since high school (Calc I and II in 2009-2010, so I already have credit for 150 and 151 from AP Exam), except for Chem 100 but the math was algebra I level math in Chem 100. Hopefully I still have my math skills after a year without math. Computer Science 107 is also a prep course (I am currently taking this class, which is good if I opt for stats). The rest of the major are required stats courses and major electives in computer science, math, or science. The prep courses could possibly scare people away from stats.</p>

<p>But it could be that people think there are no jobs for stat majors. Which makes me question: are there jobs for stat majors and if so are people hiring stat majors?</p>

<p><strong>Sorry about the re-edit thing for the previous post. CC Forum wouldn’t let me edit the previous post because I made too many edits on that post in the last 30 minutes</strong></p>

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<p>Maybe because it’s hard. It’s a good thing since there will be less competition in the job market (same goes for majors like Computer Science).</p>

<p>Check out this thread:<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/other-college-majors/1118700-statistics-major-useful.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/other-college-majors/1118700-statistics-major-useful.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>OminousRun is a Statistics major.</p>

<p>

Thanks I think I found my major :)</p>

<p>However, if ever start doubting the major or myself I would seek academic advising</p>

<p>Applied math is an awesome major. You could end up in Grad school for Law, Med school, CompSci, Engineering, or get an MBA. You could take a few tests and leave school with 2-3 actuarial tests under your belt and land an entry level actuarial position at 60k. Doesn’t mean that would be your set career though if you choose to not continue in it. </p>

<p>But its hard to say if you’d like it since we know much more about what you don’t like.</p>

<p>If you like math, I mean you like sitting down before classes, reading ahead and solving practice problems because they’re interesting, math is your major. There isn’t a big different in quantitative analysis or really the method in which you study for between: Math, Physics, and Engineering. Usually if you are good in one of the mentioned subjects you can do well in all of them. Boils down to personal taste at the end of the day.</p>

<p>I kinda disagree. I absolutely hated my differential equations class and got a C- in it, but I like applying differential equations in my engineering classes.</p>

<p>Also, physics seems much more mathematical than engineering… they have to take that scary “math methods” class which has crap like convolution and legendre functions.</p>