I really do not know what to major in, college choice depends on this too

<p>Originally, I always thought I would be in the maths and sciences. But I had a love of music. For a few years there, I thought I would go the conservatory route, and was taking the steps to get there. Then, after being hurt last year, I decided not to go to Interlochen again this past summer (summer going in to senior year is a pivotal year there). I continued my work in a science field. Also, I became convinced that I would major in Linguistics. AFter the fall got going this year, I fell in love with Chemistry. I am in AP Chemistry. My teacher has talked to us about various careers in the sciences so I thought I would major in chemistry, or chemical engineering, or maybe even geology (probably in the direction of geochem). Great! </p>

<p>I am in science honor society. I have been picked to make a presentation on a science topic that I picked back at the first meeting of the year. I had put down linguistics. I did some research and found some amazing information on feral children and language acquisition and communication. My presentation is great! I am very excited about this. I have spent a lot of time doing the research. I am going in a couple hours early to set up equipment and run through my presentation before I need to present it for real. </p>

<p>In the process of telling my mom all about this, she thought it was the wonderful! She said my information is quite high level and asked me if I was interested in studying for this in college. I told her that I did not think the colleges I have gotten in to have a major for this, and I think it would be a linguistics/cognitive science type major. She told me one of the schools has a brain sciences department as well as a top notch communication disorders area. </p>

<p>I am seriously thinking about this now. This would change the direction of everything. I really want to go in to research. I love doing research! Do you think this would be crazy to change to this direction now? Or is this probably just a momentary thing? I should add about my personal history...I used to be deaf. I had surgeries when I was a child and only started acquiring language after 4 yrs old. This is a major part of my life. It always affected everything in my life, but I never really thought I would pursue a career directly in this. </p>

<p>I am so worried I will pick the wrong major. We have limited money and the state universities want me to know what I am majoring in before I start. I already have a lot of AP credit so it is not like I have 2 years of taking core classes to try to figure this out.</p>

<p>Congrats on the success of your surgeries for hearing. How wonderful!</p>

<p>Are you a HS senior or junior?</p>

<p>You can always do your major in something that’s related to your career goal and do a minor or take some extra classes in another interest.</p>

<p>Maybe do a science major and a music minor?</p>

<p>Besides minor, you may also do double major or a certificate on something. If you are still not so sure, try to pick one of your potential majors that would maximize your chance for admission. Also, choose schools that are also good at your other alternative majors in case you will switch later on. Most students graduated with a different major as their originally thought anyway.</p>

<p>I am a senior so I have already been accepted to a variety of schools. Since I did not know what I want to major in, I applied to a good variety of schools. But the one I accept will depend on my major. For example, the only school I applied to that has chemical engineering is Texas A&M. All the schools have chemistry. All the universities have linguistics/neuro/cognitive science, and the universities as well as a couple of the LACs have geology. On the linguistics, linguistics is such a broad field that even if a school has linguistics, I find that each school takes it in a completely different direction. One school might have it in the English department and it is slanted in that way, another might have it only geared toward ESL type studies, and another might focus on languages or an anthropology or cultural emphasis. Some focus on language acquisition, but not all. </p>

<p>It makes it hard to know which way to go. To top it off, I am really kicking myself. If only I had known what I wanted to major in, I could have focused where I applied to more. For example, if I went linguistics/language acquisition route-but not ESL, it would have meant some great schools that I never applied to but maybe could have gotten in to. Geology would be a different set. And so on. As far as geology goes, I have multiple family members currently at, or already graduated from, South Dakota School of Mines. That is a great school! I would happily go there. My God father is there too. I call him “The Godfather.” However, SDSM does not have some of the other majors I have been interested in so it went off the plate. On that note though, if I really wanted to do geology and SDSM is that important to me, I could probably transfer in to there. </p>

<p>If you have a lot of usable AP credit, you can use the schedule space for extra electives.</p>

<p>If I understand you correctly, your interests are in the following:</p>

<p>chemical engineering (Texas A&M)
chemistry (all)
geology (all universities and some LACs)
linguistics (what emphasis?)</p>

<p>It appears that chemical engineering and linguistics (with the desired emphasis) are the most constraining majors (since most of your schools have chemistry and geology), and your dilemma is that the only one of your schools with chemical engineering has limited linguistics offerings. Correct?</p>

<p>If I did linguistics, I would go the cognitive science route. I have actually long had interests in linguistics, but it has changed through the years which area. I just got done taking a linguistic course and did not enjoy it a ton, I thought it was kind of boring. But it was a basic entry level course. I assume that things would get better at the higher levels. Linguistics, at an undergrad level, can be hard to fine. I only applied to four colleges that have it. I already was rejected by one and am waiting on the results from the other three. I am leaning more toward chemistry and geology. I love doing research. And oddly, I even love presenting the results of my research. I am suspecting that in chemical engineering, or any engineering, that I would not be doing a ton of research or such.</p>

<p>If I go with TAMU, I cannot do linguistics at all. Plus, the school is so big that it will be much harder to have the chance to get involved with any sort of research. I got a great scholarship to UT Dallas. I would actually love to go to TAMU, but I need financial aid and I did not get any scholarship there. Even with the top 10% scholarship, which will not be awarded until the end, that is only $1500. My EFC is over the amount required for a pell grant. I am supposed to go to Aggieland Saturday this weekend, but, I am thinking I better not because it is looking more and more like TAMU is not a possibility financially.</p>

<p>If Texas A&M is not possible from a cost standpoint, you may want to just choose a school that covers the other three, particularly linguistics with your subarea of interest.</p>

<p>If TAMU is not feasible financially, it’s off the table.
See if you can use your AP credits to do Neuroscience/Chemistry with a linguistics minor, perhaps taking advanced classes in linguistics for electics.</p>

<p>If you really want to keep all of your possible major options open, there are other options, but they can have significant disadvantages.</p>

<p>a. Take a gap year (without attending any college, including community colleges), then reapply to a new set of colleges which have all of your potential majors of interest. Disadvantage: you need to find a non-school gap year activity, such as working (as just a high school graduate, job opportunities probably won’t be great). Also, there may not be that many colleges which have all of your potential majors of interest which will be affordable.</p>

<p>b. Start at a community college, which would allow you to explore courses, subjects, and potential majors without being “on the clock” to declare a major (if you need extra semesters, these are cheaper at a community college than at a four year college). Then, when you have decided on a major and completed the frosh/soph prerequisites, transfer to a four year college with your major. Disadvantages: if you need merit scholarships, these are much less available for transfer students. Also, many four year college admit few transfer students (the most transfer-friendly colleges are likely your in-state public universities). At the community college, you will not have the opportunity to sample more advanced courses, and linguistics is uncommon enough that courses in that subject may be hard to find at community colleges (if they even exist).</p>

<p>c. Attend one of the colleges that covers three out of your four possible majors, but prepare to transfer if you decide on the fourth major. Disadvantages: same as above with respect to merit scholarships and admission for transfer students. Also, not much opportunity to sample course work in the fourth major at a college without it.</p>

<p>This would be my opinion. Go to a larger school which will have far more majors to choose from and more opportunities. If you are serious about engineering start with that route. It is much easier to transfer from engineering into another major than to do the reverse.</p>

<p>Undecided, it sounds like you are one of those people who have a lot of intellectual curiosity and can become interested in just about any subject under the right conditions. This is a great thing! Love of learning will stay with you throughout life and will always be there for you. However, it does make it hard to decide on a major when so many different things look appealing to you.</p>

<p>I’d ask the question, what do you want to do after you graduate? What opportunities will different majors open up to you? If you major in linguistics/cognitive science and plan to do research, what will you have to do to make that happen? Chemical engineering seems like a “safer” major from the career point of view - does that appeal to you? </p>

<p>My gut feeling, after reading your post, is that the cognitive science route may be the best one for you. I’d look at the schools you’ve been accepted to and find out what their linguistics/neuroscience offerings are. Even if you decide not to major in that field, being able to take some of those classes as electives may be an option.</p>

<p>First, a resounding NO to a gap year or lesser academic school as suggested. Delaying any decisions and not keeping academically engaged is the worst thing you can do. Choosing one of the schools and then transferring if need be is the only good choice.</p>

<p>A large school will likely have more, not fewer, research opportunities than the smaller schools.</p>

<p>Many/most entering college freshmen are undecided or will change their major after experiencing college courses. A college degree requires limiting yourself to one (or two) areas of interest to become proficient in- you do not become a “jack of all trades and master of none”. You can maintain an interest but will need to focus on only one or two areas. It is not surprising to find you have a math/science aptitude and a music one as well. Linguistics also appeals to those (son took a linguistics elective as a college freshman along with his Honors math and physics). </p>

<p>Most of us could have chosen a variety of professions and careers. Our paths often evolved as opportunities presented themselves, or not. Do not let where your relatives are be the default choice. Look at how the schools fit you as a person, not just for the major. Of course consider finances when narrowing the field- eliminate the one(s) that would be any hardship for you and your family (stressing the family budget). Look at the climate and demographics- this is where you will live and the people you will be with for four years. Do you feel more comfortable with one area or another? Do you tend to thrive in large populations, ie can you find your niche there or do you need a small pond to thrive most? None of these are questions we need the answers to- just ask yourself.</p>

<p>List all of your nonacademic priorities and rank the schools based on the best fit for each of them. You already did the job of winnowing schools down to some you would be willing to attend. Your final major will be dependent on the school you choose. You can also transfer later. Check on each college’s requirements for majors that interest you now, as well as available courses in those majors and courses in other interests. Picture yourself on the campus and taking the courses. One school may stand out or be eliminated based on this. </p>

<p>Finally, realize any school on your short list will work. No school will be perfect. Be aware that more than one major can lead to the same grad school/research path. Then make a decision and relax. Never ponder any “what ifs” or look back at how your life would have turned out if you had chosen x instead of y. Enjoy whichever path your life takes. </p>

<p>The above is one of the best posts I have read in some time. It is spot on in everyway. Nice post Wis75.</p>

<p>Ditto. Great wisdom there :)</p>

<p>I agree with Wis75. I went off to college with some ideas about what I might like to do, but with strong interests in art, math and history it wasn’t obvious to me what to major in. It wasn’t until the end of my freshman year that I really figured out that I was much more interested in making things than writing about things. I ended up in a major that combined studio art and design and a lot of architectural history while taking the math and science I’d need for architecture school. I’ve actually always regretted I never found room to at least taking one linguistics course, as I also find that subject fascinating. (I lived in both France and Germany, but though I learned to speak both languages fairly fluently, I am not a natural linguist, so it’s probably just as well my path did not go that way.) Any way, I am sure you will figure out the right path for you, choose a college that will give you options and don’t worry too much about whether it’s the perfect college in the field you have yet to decide on.</p>

<p>Thanks for the positive feedback. If only MY son appreciated his mother’s words back when… and now.</p>