<p>I'm a 10th grader (live abroad), I need to choose my IB Diploma subjects soon. Therefore, i need to align my subject choices to my intended major(s). There are two careers i'm interested in: banking and pharmacy (extremely different i know!)</p>
<p>I currently have been taking economics classes and biology/chemistry (getting A's/A*'s in all of them) classes for the past 2 years (9th/10th grade). I've definitely enjoyed my chemistry (my favourite subject)/biology/maths lessons MUCH more than my economics lessons. Economics seems very dry and boring to me, this may be due to the fact that i have a bad teacher but i'never really have the incentive to study at home because the subject matter doesn't interest me. Your probably thinking why on earth i'd even be considering a business career then? Well, my dad is financial analyst (charted accountant) and has always pushed me into going into business. He constantly tells me that my lack of interest in economics doesn't mean i won't enjoy working in the finance sector. After looking through some of my dad's university books and current work books i can honestly say it looks extremely boring! The classes required to major in the likes of accounting/finance/economics don't hone my interest the slightest bit.</p>
<p>Whereas the pharmacy pre-requisite classes sound extremely interesting to me. The career seriously interest me as it involves a lot chemistry (and science) and what not. It's something i can envision myself enjoy studying whilst in college unlike finance/accounting. I'm pretty decided on doing pharmacy but would like others opinions on if i'm making the wrong choice. I'm hesitant to drop economics as i excel in it - got the economics subject award at school this year and last year. What do you guys think?</p>
<p>Hate to crush your dreams, but you probably wont get to be an IB (assuming IB is Investment Banker lol). everyone in the world it seems wants to be an IB, so that makes it very hard to be one. not being a jerk but im just saying… besides if you hate the content of finance that even further slims your chances. i myself am planning on Accounting because i like the subject,laws,money,etc because that’s my passion. But if you still want to do finance look at the job of a personal banker or your dads profession as that’s what you will probably be doing for the rest of your life.</p>
<p>now if you love Pharmacy and chemistry and ts your passion, GO FOR IT!!! dont let your dad push you into something you hate. its your life and he doesn’t have to live it. so please don’t let someone choose your life. live your life like you want to live it. </p>
<p>@Ultimablade Do you honestly think it’s good idea to base my opinion of finance on freshman/sophmore year economics classes with a bad teacher? I’ve been having economics revision classes for the past 2 days with a different teacher and i actually found the class much more enjoyable. </p>
<p>Yah, i’m aware that it’s highly unlikely i’ll get into IB if i decide to go down the path of finance, don’t worry i’m well informed on all this due to my dad. After researching more on pharmacy, i really don’t think i’d enjoy the actual work but i know i’d enjoy the science classes i’d have to take. This ultimately makes me think i’d be better at finance considering i’m currently stronger at economics (and i guess quite interested because my original opinion was skewed). </p>
<p>Everything i’ve just said completely contradicts what i said in my first post 0.o </p>
<p>@pink997, lol, I feel ya, i find it hard to make up your mind about your major as well. but if you like science why not go into engineering or biology/chemistry? worse comes to worse you can always get an MBA.</p>
<p>as far as pharmacy, you could go in to R and D with a PD as well, its not all working the counter for pharmacists. or if you want the best of pharmacy and finance you could go into pharmaceutical sales.</p>
<p>If you end up like economics/finance then go for it. its not a bad job by any means.</p>
<p>also have you ever heard of Pharmacology? they are like pharmacists but they create the drugs and dont distribute them. you can get a good job in this field with just a masters if i remember correctly (although a PharmD looks better for this job though).</p>
<p>overall though its your choice, good luck :)>- </p>
<p>@Ultimablade Majors like engineering have never interested me considering how much i despise physics (although i love maths). I’ve heard of pharmaceuticals but it’s not something i’d likely go into. I’ll still take economics/science (biology/chemistry) classes for the next two years in case i change my mind. I doubt that’d happen because i’m pretty solid on going into finance/business now! Hopefully everything will work out for me. </p>
<p>If you’re still interested in some more perspective:
Finance isn’t exactly like economics, and it’s also problematic to lump it together with accounting. I’m not exactly sure what economics do for a living (work in think tanks? teach?). I can tell you a bit about finance as I’m an undergrad senior pursuing a bachelor’s in finance, and I’ve done a few finance internships/have a job as a financial analyst lined up. </p>
<p>In terms of finance, you should imagine yourself doing a mixture of financial modelling (on Excel and more specialized software) and research (sometimes just straight up googling, usually specialized search tools like Bloomberg terminals). It’s a lot more practical and a lot less theoretical than economics. If you don’t make it to something fancy like IB, you’ll likely end up working in a treasury department for a company, perhaps putting together asset packages as collateral for loans to raise money for the company. It’s not glamorous work, but it’s not that bad either. </p>
<p>Accounting, on the other hand, you should avoid like the plague (imho). Whether it’s reconciling debits and credits, updating depreciation tables, or filling out tax returns for every single legal entity that your multinational company owns, accounting work seems terribly dull.</p>
<p>In terms of what to study in college, you’ll probably have an opportunity to take a few introductory classes related to pharmacy, finance, accounting, etc. Depending on the college and the program you should still have a chance to change your mind early on.</p>
<p>@dyre00 Thanks for your perspective on the issue! You’ve pretty much sold finance to me, i’m glad it’s much more practical than economics. Trust me, i’m aware of how BORING accounting is considering i help my dad a lot with his work - not something i’d want to do for the rest of my life. </p>
<p>Correct me if i’m wrong but don’t you apply directly to the business school at private colleges (e.g. georgetown)? I know you have to apply during your freshman/sophomore year to business schools at public universities. </p>
<p>@pink997: lol, I’m a little amazed that my description sold finance for you (it wasn’t that flattering), but you’re welcome!</p>
<p>In terms of applying directly or having the ability to take classes in other schools, I think it depends on your school. At my (public) school I applied directly and started freshman year as a member of the business school, but I was allowed to double major into the Arts and Sciences school (I’m a Finance/History double major). I did a little college research for my younger brother a few months back and I got the impression that many schools allow people in specialized schools (business, engineering, film, etc) to double major into Arts and Sciences, though usually not vice versa. </p>
<p>edit: almost forgot to say; my older post described the actual finance work, which is reasonably interesting on good days. The classes themselves are pretty boring though. Other than the introductory classes, the courses seem to be split between applied math (portfolio construction, asset pricing, futures and options, etc) and conceptual knowledge (regulatory stuff, ethics, business strategy, global markets, etc). IMO none of that stuff is particularly fun, but given that you were excited about my description about financial modelling and research, maybe you’ll feel differently :P</p>
<p>@dyre00 Sure it wasn’t that flattering but the way you described it made it seem better than i imagined it would actually would be. </p>
<p>I doubt i’d double major in anything but i probably will take the required pre-pharmacy courses. Do you personally think the classes your required to take for your finance major are difficult? Is doing the equivalent of AP Calculus AB (I’m specifically taking IB SL Maths) sufficient prep for the maths courses? </p>
<p>@Pink997: Hmm, why would you take the required pre-pharma courses if you’re applying directly to B-school? Or are you leaving the option open to possibly transfer out of B-school into the Pharmacy school if things don’t work out? In any case, remember to check with the schools specifically to see if you’re allowed to do it.</p>
<p>I went into the major with AP Calc AB (equivalent of Calc 1 in college) and it was enough for my school’s program (of course not every school is identical). You’ll have to take some introductory Statistics too but it’s nothing complex. I would say that most of my classes could be described as “difficult but an A is achievable if you attend the classes, do a reasonable amount of studying, and have at least a moderate degree of talent in the subject.” They’re certainly more difficult than the history classes I take for my other major; I can sleep through most of those and ■■■■■■■■ my way to an A. In terms of difficulty (at my university) I would rank them above the humanities but slightly below a STEM major, judging by my knowledge of other majors from my friends. </p>
<p>Of course, my experience may not be the norm. I go to Rutgers Business School (it was a lot cheaper than my other option, Stern), which is, well, an okay business school. Some of the professors are excellent; most are okay, some are awful. I don’t know if it’s different at Stern or Wharton or whatever. </p>
<p>@dyre00 I’m taking the pre-pharmacy courses in case i have a change of heart halfway through college… Since i’m currently under immense pressure to choose my career path (at the age of freaking 16!! - stupid British curriculum) , i might make a decision i’ll regret. </p>
<p>You find history classes easier? Omg, i’d definitely find the economics classes much much easier considering history has always been my worst subject. Thanks again for the help! </p>
<p>@Pink997: That’s probably a good idea. Similar to you, I chose history partly to keep my options open in case I end up hating the corporate lifestyle. </p>
<p>My order of difficulty would be: chemistry (hardest) >> finance >> economics >>>>>>>>>>>> history >> philosophy (easiest)
Maybe I’m just weird :P</p>
<p>If you want to go into pharmacy, you really have to LOVE biology and chemistry. </p>
<p>The reason why economics may be boring to someone like you is because introductory economics taught in high school and the first few years of college has basically no math in it. You later realize in college how math intensive economics is, and if you plan on going to graduate school in economics you pretty much need a major or minor in mathematics to have a decent shot. The reason why intro classes do not have a lot of mathematics is because you will need advanced mathematical knowledge to gain a deeper understanding of what you are doing (same with classes in introductory statistics). This cannot simply be taught to high schoolers who only know up to calc 1. </p>
<p>Remember, you do not need to obtain a business major to do business. In fact, it is better for you not to have a undergraduate business major if you plan on getting an MBA.</p>
<p>@Wassupman99 Well, i wouldn’t say i LOVE biology and chemistry but i do like them quite a lot. </p>
<p>I’ve heard that it involves a lot of economics. I honestly don’t understand how because what i’m currently learning is extremely theoretical lol. There really isn’t much maths, the only maths we actually do is basic calculations of profits, cost and unemployment rates etc. Based from my current experience of economics i highly doubt i’d go do it at graduate school let alone undergraduate level. </p>
<p>Sure, it wouldn’t be the idea to have a business degree at the undergraduate level. But what if one is aiming to seek employment in business after getingt their bachelor degree. How are they supposed to know what the job entails and the background information required if they don’t study it at college? Learn on the job? Are you saying someone who for example gets a bachelor degree in finance/accounting won’t be eligible to get into an MBA course? </p>
<p>When I say “love”, I mean you can’t just be good at chemistry and biology. You actually have to like what you learning and be eager to learn new material. You will go far in pharmacy programs with this motivation at heart. </p>
<p>Like I said, you will not understand what I am talking about because you’ve only taken up to calc 1. Later on, if you decide to pursue economics (not finance), you will learn some of the advanced math that is required in the field. If you are really interested, you can also do your own research on mathematical economics. </p>
<p>It is not impossible to get an MBA with an undergraduate business degree, but it will be harder. MBA programs are look for diversity in their application pool, especially ones will quantitive backgrounds. There are a plethora of business undergrads out there, and you will be competing with thousands of them for MBA admissions. You will have a harder time differentiating yourself from the rest of them. Many people still do go into business with an undergraduate degree in business, but just know that there are other ways to break into the field. </p>
<p>@Wassupman99 If that’s what you mean than i do really love them as i’m really interested in them, not just good at them. </p>
<p>What others ways are there into breaking into the field? Let’s say i go to a school that has a business school won’t employers question why i didn’t go there or won’t I miss out on opportunities if i attend for example CAS? What other majors would you say are good for breaking into the field? Engineering is out of the question for me because i despise physics like no other. </p>
<p>If I could just butt in here, let me say that while going through my job search, the majority of prestigious financial institutions hiring straight from undergrad were looking for finance or accounting majors. I had two financial internships in fairly large banks and almost all the interns were, you guessed it, finance majors. I think we did have one economics major, but it’s absurd to pretend that going to business school doesn’t help you get a job out of college. Why do you think business schools exist, if not to give you a competitive skill-set and networking opportunities to break into the corporate world? </p>
<p>As for MBAs, from what I’ve heard from numerous people, including professors and the CFO of the company I’m about to go into, is that it’s probably not worth it unless you get into a truly top-tier program. Personally I’d rather take a major that gives me a significant advantage on the job market than one that gives me a small boost in getting into a tier 1 MBA program. </p>