<p>I can't decide what career path to follow, and I'm dreading having to decide for my major. </p>
<p>It has always been my dream to be an architect, but in this economy that job seems hopeless. It requires expensive schooling, pays very little and there is literally no demand. It's what I would love to do, but in my opinion, it won't pay the bills. </p>
<p>I have considered becoming a pharmacist because it is a very lucrative and high paying career. The job market is thriving, there are employment opportunities everywhere, and I'll come out of school with a doctorate. I'm not thrilled with the profession, but there are aspects of it I think I could enjoy.</p>
<p>I know it sounds shallow, but money is really important to me. I have a lot of other plans and dreams for my life, but I wouldn't be able to accomplish them without plenty of money. I also feel that I could fulfill my love for architecture and design through hobbies and pastimes on the side, rather than a career. </p>
<p>When push comes to shove, should I choose the dream job or the high-paying one? Has anyone else had to make this decision? Thoughts please? Thanks!</p>
<p>I obviously can’t make the decision for you, but in my opinion, I’d say do whatever makes you happy. Life’s way too short. Money and sucess to me aren’t important. I want to be able to look back in my life and not regret the choices I’ve made. Like I’ve said before, life is too short. We only life for so long and while you’re alive and well, make every second count. I know this isn’t helpful, but I hope you make the right choice and find all the happiness in the world. Best of luck! :-)</p>
<p>Honestly, I wont tell you what to do, but just because there isn’t any demand for architects now days does not mean in the future there will not be a demand. Who knows what could happen in 4-6 years.</p>
<p>I think for you, you should choose the high paying one.</p>
<p>If you can already tell you’re concerned with money, you’ll only be nervous/anxious about an unstable future if you try to continue with architecture. And like you said, you can fulfill that interest as a hobby.
I believe that you can develop interest in any field and since you seem to be interested in pharmacy that means that there is possibility for you to develop an interest in it, one that might even surpass architecture.</p>
<p>There is a difference between the old do what you love motto and just not being as smart about your choice of career in this economy.
My dad once gave me the best piece of advice regarding the saying “do what you love”…work is work. Even if you love it on the outside, it’s still hard and will get frustrating at times. Work, first and foremost, is to make a living.
(If you take interest in your work, that is a bonus.)</p>
<p>You know yourself best and I’m sure you will figure it out for yourself, but for me, from what you’ve told, I think you should look to the more steady career path and pursue architecture as a hobby.
Go for the one with the salary and lifestyle that you can accept.</p>
<p>you’re looking at the state of a situation right now. you aren’t an architect right now. in 5 years after you get your degree you have no idea what the state of the economy will be, or the demand for architects. you should definitely be safe about it - but i don’t think going into a field you like just for money’s sake is a good idea. i’m not sure how related the fields are, but maybe a bs in civil engineering and a masters in architecture in yeas time? again, i’m not familiar with the credentials in that field, but that might be a good comprimise.</p>
<p>I think these are two very different professions. Retail pharmacy (easiest access to highest paying jobs out of school) is still a very regimented (not exactly the word I’m looking for) work situation. You have to cover a certain amount of hours with the other pharmacists to ensure coverage during open hours. You might do some patient counseling. I think it might be very different from architecture. However, I do know of some pharmacists who work strictly prn, make a lot of money and then go travel, play in a band, or whatever and then come back and work until they have enough money saved up again.</p>
<p>This semester like a dummy I took the same first year chemistry that premed and prepharm majors, now this was just a beginning course but it was extremely difficult there were 200 people in the class towards midterm there were only 75 people, with that being said, probably half the people in the class were pre pharm majors but upon getting into the course they discovered they hated chemistry, they assumed that since they made A’s in chemistry in high school, it would be a walk in the park. NOT AT ALL. there is a ton of chem classes you will have to take such as Organic and Inorganic and Biochemistry. Alot of people try and do pharm just for the money but they realize that they hate chem, never choose something just purely for money, because the ones that make a lot of money are usually rigorous in course work</p>
<p>are you total dreams, which require money, more important to you than your intellectual one? People say ‘oh yeah it’s totally possible to have an interest/hobby on the side.’ but the truth is, you’ll probably be so busy doing your job and managing other life stuff that you’ll have little time for your hobby. Chances are if you push it off now, it’s likely that you’ll never come back to it.</p>
<p>I think that if people do what they love, and work hard at it, success will follow. Sure, maybe architecture isn’t the best job in ‘this economy’ and maybe pharmacy might be better, but you have no way of knowing whether the pharmacy route won’t eventually get overloaded itself, and then you’ll have wasted a lot of time, going against your dream, for something that didn’t even pay off.</p>
<p>As others have stated above, the economy is a temporal thing. If you look up history on recessions, you’ll see that they’ve happened plenty of times since the great depression (albeit i’ll admit that this one’s worse) </p>
<p>my point is that they come and go. That being said, i woudn’t go and take 200k out in loans to fund that dream, but if they’re both viable options, i’d say follow your dream. That being said, being an architect isn’t going to be an easy peasy job. Like anything else, you’ll have to work really hard, but if it’s what you’re passionate about, i say go for it.</p>
<p>You only go around once; don’t waste your life doing something you don’t like. Do whichever you think would make you happier overall, throughout your whole life.</p>