Majoring in what you want vs what you should do

Student Lounge College Life
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<p>Do you think someone should ALWAYS major in what they actually want to do, rather than what seems like the reasonable option?</p>

<p>Like, if someone really wants to be on a pre-med track, but has a terrible history in math, should they still continue? Or should they pick a major that is "easier" because it is at a math level they can comprehend and deal with?</p>

<p>What about majors like women studies or art history? A lot of people say those are useless. Should a student still major, or should they major in something more "profitable" in the job market, and just perhaps minor?</p>

<p>Everyone always says "Do what makes you happy! You'll have to be doing it for the rest of your life." But what if that isn't the most practical thing to do?</p>

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<p>Most med schools only want you to take one semester of calculus. I’m sure if one really wanted to go to med school they’d be able to get through one semester of math, even if it meant spending more time than usual on that class, getting tutoring, etc.</p>

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<p>If you major in what you enjoy, you’ll be motivated to find, create, and take advantage of opportunities.</p>

<p>Not so much if you major in something “practical.”</p>

<p>It’s one person’s experience, but I can tell you that majoring in something “practical” just was bad. It had implications socially, too; you don’t share a common interest with the people around you, and you’re not super excited so you don’t come across as well as you could. Not that it’s all about that, of course, but there’s a big component of becoming someone in college, too, and socialization is part of how you do that.</p>

<p>But academically, and job-wise, there’s no useless degree. A lot of employers treat a lot of different degrees as equal. I know a ton of people doing things totally unrelated to their degrees.</p>

<p>I also know even more people who switch majors during college, too, and it’s not a big deal. Pick what you like and see where it takes you. You can back out at any time. You can change your plans in college, or even after college. There’s no sense in not taking advantage of a time to actually enjoy academics and really invest yourself in something you love. So many people don’t have a passion, or can’t find one just yet, so if you have one, don’t waste it.</p>

<p>“Practical” degrees are a dime a dozen, you know, and I’ll tell you who gets the jobs from the large pools of candidates…the people who were passionate about that degree…not the people who just settled for it.</p>

<p>Yeah, everyone has financial reality. I don’t want to be unsympathetic to that. Sometimes, you can’t just throw four years away to end up nowhere…but there’s no guarantee any degree gets you anywhere. So why not do what you want to do? You’ll have, as I said, the motivation to turn it into something more if you really do care about it, and if not, hey, switch majors.</p>

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<p>How many people know “what they actually want to do” when they choose a major? Maybe 10% max?</p>

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<p>Honestly, In my option, it really depends on how much debt you’re going to have after you graduate. If you’re going to take out 30k a year to major in philosophy, then maybe you should major in something more practical, but if you are getting a full ride or financial aid is going to cover most of it or you are going to graduate with less than 20k after 4 years, then I don’t see why you can’t major in philosophy.</p>

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<p>Pre-med can be done alongside any major, though you still need to take the pre-med courses (which may be hard to squeeze into a schedule of a music or non-biomedical/chemical engineering major or other major with lots of requirements).</p>

<p>Also, pre-med math requirements do not necessarily require calculus for math and engineering majors; there may be an easier calculus for biology majors that can be taken.</p>

<p>However, note that most pre-meds do not get into any medical school, so be sure to consider and prepare for alternate paths.</p>

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<p>two words: </p>

<p>double major ;)</p>

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<p>Oh no I am NOT doing anything pre-med, I was just thinking about my friends, their situations, and mine, along with the notion that you should major in whatever makes you happy.</p>

<p>Those were just scenarios I put to get my point across and get your input</p>

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<p>There are a few options…

  1. Double major. One passion, one practical. If you can handle it, you’re set. You always have a fallback.
  2. Double major. One passion, second passion. You still have a fallback.
  3. Major in something practical and minor in your passion. You’re getting a practical degree and have an excuse to do something you love.
  4. Major in practical, do extra curricular in your passion. Pretty much same as above.
  5. **** what everyone else thinks and major in what you love.</p>
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<p>“should” is a pretty powerful word. I doubt you can come up with a rule applicable to every student and every circumstance.</p>

<p>That said, you don’t want to wait until they are handing you a college diploma before you think about what you might want to do for employment. (Law school seems to be the answer chosen by many in the previous predicament, a way to kick the can down the road 3 years). </p>

<p>There are 2 broad tracks. Some careers are more readily entered if you get a college degree in the subject, and for many of those careers you need to know when entering college or soon after that is what you want because there are so many required sequences to take. Examples are engineering, architecture, nursing, etc.</p>

<p>A second track are careers in which you just need a college degree, really any degree, but exposure to the field via internships and the like is important or essential to get your foot in the door. It helps to go to a more prestigious college; there are probably more companies willing to consider a Stanford kid with a Art History degree than a kid with the same major from San Jose State, although if the SJSU kid had a few internships and enthusiastic recs she might end up ahead of the Stanford kid that did nothing but take classes.</p>

<p>If you ask around, say the parents of your friends, I think you’ll find a fairly large proportion of people end up finding their careers by chance. They somehow hear of an opening, start work, make lateral moves and field changes, almost none of which was planned in advance. Here’s an example of someone I know about. Worked at a drug store chain in college, got a job in the purchasing dept after graduating. They bought market research data from another company, heard of an opening there and took it. While there heard of a marketing position from another company that bought data and took that. So did he plan on going into brand management while in college? No, probably didn’t even know it existed.</p>

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<p>I’ve never actually understood what people find interesting about like women’s studies. Seems so boring and put-on compared to STEM stuff.</p>

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<p>A lot of straight men study women all their lives but never fully understand them.</p>

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<p>It’s all about personal preference. I don’t understand how people could find physics or mechanical engineering interesting, but clearly, some people do. It’s like asking what someone’s favorite color is. Sometimes, there’s just no good reason. It’s just your favorite.</p>

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<p>I think your highest priority should be to major in something you’re good at. It’s very demoralizing to major in something if you just enjoy it or think it is practical.</p>

<ol>
<li><p>After seeing your bad test grades you will probably stop liking the subject.</p></li>
<li><p>If you major in your best subject you may be able to switch to another field after graduation. If you major in something practical and aren’t good at it, it can be hard to get a job in the field (or anywhere else).</p></li>
</ol>

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<p>People spend too much time worry about whether a given major is “lucrative” or not. This would be a pretty boring world if we had nothing in it but engineers and business majors.</p>

<p>Are subjects like art, communications, anthropology, philosophy, music, theater and such less lucrative than other majors? Sure, but they’re also incredible fascinating subjects that one can get a lot of satisfaction out of. I’m a physics major, but what do I do in my spare time? I listen to music, go to art museums, read books about philosophy and anthropology etc. Without people that followed their passions, I wouldn’t be able to enjoy my hobbies. Many other people find a lot of enjoyment in these topics, even if they aren’t passionate enough about them to study them full time. A physics major is a fairly lucrative major, but I didn’t even really “realize” that until after I’d declared my major. I chose it because it’s what I’m passionate about.</p>

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<p>I have a friend that liked Fine Arts so much that he got his BA, MA and Phd in Fine Arts and he’s a world class composer, conductor and sound recording technician who has done major work on well-known movies and other entertainment venues.</p>

<p>He came from a wealthy family and could study whatever he wanted to with peace of mind.</p>

<p>I told my son he could study what he wanted to. He was interested in math, physics and CS. He picked CS as it was the most practical - and he loves it. But he loves math and physics too.</p>

<p>So if money is no object to you or your parents, then study whatever you want to. If not, then choices are harder. I can say that the job market is rough out there if you don’t have the best of skills, luck, intelligence, charm and/or connections. I imagine that loans can make life with a tough job market feel like prison.</p>

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<p>Check out the following thread that you can find useful links. </p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1525191-help-me-explain-how-chose-major.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1525191-help-me-explain-how-chose-major.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>How to Choose a Major in College? Yes, personal aspects are important. Figure out what it is you love to do. Are there fields of study that spark your interest, or have you taken courses that you particularly enjoyed? However, practical aspects are more important, IMO. Consider which courses you’ve done well in previously and decide which major they have prepared you for. Consider the requirements for any potential majors. Finally don’t forget job opportunities and prospect as well as your life style compatible with the salary level of your major .</p>