<p>Well, this is my first post so I'm obviously new to the forum. I'll be a senior in high school this fall so I'm close to application season, and I'm basically looking for some guidance... well with everything college. Currently I'm most concerned with major/minor decisions.</p>
<p>So originally I was completely sure I'd double major in English and Journalism. However, I've also thought about minors in History and Psychology, as well as a major in Marketing or Advertising. So I'm a little all over the place. Right now I'm thinking major in English with some sort of other double major or minor, but I want to make sure I have something practical that I can get a job in pretty easily after college. My intention is to have a good job to support myself while I attempt to get books published. I'm totally open to other suggestions for majors in minors too, but what I'm kind of looking for is the most practical combination of what's below.</p>
<p>Current Decided Major
English</p>
<p>Possible Other Double Majors/Minors
Journalism
Marketing
Advertising
History
Psychology</p>
<p>Just some other background on me if it helps... I'm clearly more into writing and creative type things, but for the most part, I'm pretty open. Generally I don't like math and science, but I'm pretty good all around gradewise, so as long as there isn't an overwhelming amount of math, I'll be fine. And I'm not sure if what schools I'm considering will matter at all, but right now my (very tentative) list consists of Northwestern University, University of Chicago, University of Iowa, University of Missouri (Columbia), and Indiana University (Bloomington). </p>
The most “practical combination” depends on what you want to do afterwards- what kind of job? Grad school- yes or no? Need more info to help you. Help us help you!</p>
<p>Hmm… I’d prefer not to do grad school. As for jobs, I wasn’t too sure. I was thinking something like a business job with a marketing focus or a job as a technical writer. However, I don’t know for sure what other kinds of opportunities could be open for me. Probably something in an office or business that still allows me to use creativity. Really it has to be something I can support myself in though since there is always the chance I’ll never do well as an author. Does that help at all?</p>
<p>English and Marketing would be your best choice if you want a practical education that can get you a job…frankly, out of this list the only practical one I see is marketing. </p>
<p>So, I suggest : double major in English and Marketing
That will be enough on your plate without any minors</p>
<p>Thanks naokifresh; that’s basically what I expected. </p>
<p>I was looking into it a little bit more and the Communication Studies major also interested me. If I did not want to go to through Marketing due to some math and business aspects, would Communication Studies work as a practical double major as well?</p>
<p>It helps to have some general idea of what you might major in when you start college, but plenty of people are undecided and many who think they are decided later change their minds. In your first semesters of college you will be taking a broad curriculum and fulfilling distribution requirements. At that point you can take classes in the fields that interest you and find out what you’re good at, and what sparks your interest. A field like “Communications” is going to be different from one university to another so it’s best to firm up your decision about a major once you’re actually at a school, working with its faculty, and can see what sorts of jobs the graduates from various programs are getting.</p>
<p>It’s a good ideas for humanities majors to pay a visit to their university’s career center fairly early in the game–not just in the weeks before they graduate with a BA. The career counselors can give you good advice about how to take your degree into the workplace, can alert you to possible internships, and so on. Often, too, there are tests you can take that predict your suitability for various career paths.</p>
<p>Well, for Marketing the only math you probably need to take is one semester of Calculus 1 (at least at my college) and one semester of Statistics,
and for the business aspect you only need a semester each of Microeconomics and Macroeconomics
Since you’re going to be a senior in high school, you could take AP Calculus AB to get rid of a math (or just required math general for college), and AP Macroeconomics or Microeconomics to get rid of a business requirement?
Then you’d only have two courses of those you’d need to take there in college</p>
<p>Communications is a Liberal Arts study, but most likely you’d work in Public Relations, which is similar and related with the Advertising field. All three of these (Communications, Marketing, Advertising) all kind of lead to a field that is interrelated…however it depends on which type of position you’d want to hold.</p>
<p>Do you want to deal more with the companies or business’s image? -> Communications
Do you want to deal more with creating the concepts and theme of how to sell the business? -> Marketing
But yes, I’d say Communications is still a somewhat decent major and there is some jobs for them in Public Relations, Marketing is definitely stronger and makes a much better salary, and less worry about finding a job. I think Communications positions pay very little and jobs more scarce, just like any other B.A. degrees. B.A. degrees in general seem really risky to me…</p>
<p>Since your original question is what the best major to make money while you can write books, and not worry about job stability, Marketing would still be your best bet in my opinion
Since you said writing is your passion, unless your passion is Communications and only Communications, go for Marketing and have your English too :3</p>
<p>I think I’m just going to go in with an intended English major and then take a few classes possibly related to Marketing or Communications to see which one I’d prefer in the long run. I like the possible pay of Marketing and concepts of Communications better, so I’m kind of even right now. I don’t want to take anything I dislike, so I’ll just go on based on which I like best. But I’ll definitely talk to some counselors too and see which works best with my scheduling and any decisions I make later.</p>
<p>Again, thanks! You guys have been a really big help.</p>
<p>LostWriter, my children’s mother went to school for communications with a concentration in advertising and is now a VP of Marketing. The skill that I have seen help her the most is her ability to write. Her business plans were a thing of beauty.</p>
<p>Wow! Thanks geo1113! That makes me feel a lot better too. Especially if her best skill was writing. That fits perfectly for me. Hopefully something like that can work out for me if I take the Communications route.</p>
Hopefully something like that can work out for me if I take the Communications route.</p>