<p>Brown really seems to hit the right note -
the open curriculum, ‘chill’ (more so than other elite colleges) yet interesting intellectuals, and so on.
But I have found myself worried as to what I would be doing after getting a degree at Brown (probably because of all of the utilitarian-minded people around me who think the only way to live a financially decent life is to major in business, some science, or move on to a professional degree such as law or med).</p>
<p>I would absolutely explore to no end at Brown - I’m not the student who was bound for med school since he was 12 - I’m the one who can’t get enough of astrophysics, has a passion for philosophy, loves government, and wants to learn more about everything in between.
The problem is, the naysayers have me worried as to where I would end up having explored to the extent of my desires and having had no experience ‘in the real world’ and without a ‘useful’ degree.</p>
<p>I guess I’d like some reassurance, but also a reality check. Can exploring like I have explained at a place like Brown (with its open curriculum, while keeping your head on straight as to still working towards a degree) and earning a degree in something somewhere in between Philosophy and International Relations drop me in a good position for the rest of my life (financially/employment speaking, but also otherwise), and also would it not be far fetched to see someone having done this end up doing something blaz</p>
<p>this is a question you would have to answer regardless of where you go</p>
<p>you say what can you do other than teach, write or do something random, well, to be honest, “doing something random” is basically everything else in life. Don’t worry about this, you are by no means the first nor the last to have these concerns. I hear the Career Office is pretty good with this **** (I wouldn’t know because personally I didn’t need it).</p>
<p>My advice would be to follow your passions now. You may not have any other opportunity in your life! You will figure out after-Brown, after Brown! Many people get on the $ path right after HS, but many others don’t. It will work out. And, anyway, majoring in math or science or economics is certainly possible at Brown. You sound like the kind of candidate whom Brown could be very interested in. Go for it.</p>
<p>TTWhite, this is an age-old question. Here are some things you may find reassuring:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>exploring will help you figure out how you most want to apply your passions. if you are still not sure after graduation, there are many ways to continue the exploration process: fellowships (brown has the highest fulbright acceptance rate), teach for america, peace corps..even coporate consulting and banking jobs hire people from all backgrounds (art history, philosophy, etc.)</p></li>
<li><p>here are a few examples of what brown undergrads who major in the humanities have done after leaving
<a href=“English | Brown University”>English | Brown University;
[Alumni</a> : The Department of Modern Culture & Media at Brown University](<a href=“Modern Culture and Media | Brown University”>Modern Culture and Media | Brown University)</p></li>
<li><p>this is what brown students generally do after graduating
[Brown</a> Admission: Facts & Figures](<a href=“Undergraduate Admission | Brown University”>Undergraduate Admission | Brown University)</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Oh my gosh. TTwhite, you’re an absolute mess!
You like astrophysics AND government?
You’re not obsessed with a premier business track?
You’d rather study philosophy than specialize early?
My goodness!</p>
<p>You’re perfect for Brown! </p>
<hr>
<p>Hey TTwhite, there are a lot of nay-sayers out there. And if you let them, they can scare you out of a good education. I honestly believe that the world doesn’t care what kind of degree you have. Instead, they care how smart you are. How well can you think? That’s what matters. At Brown, you won’t be programmed, but you will learn how to think in your own, creative way. </p>
<p>I disagree with modestmelody slightly though. I think you should, no matter what you do, take some basic courses in a wide breadth of fields. It’s part of being knowledgeable. But it sounds like that’s what you want to do anyways! So great!</p>
<p>The biggest problem for me right now is that my dad said he’d have no problem financing my college education… if I know exactly what career I wish to pursue. And I’m just all over the place right now!</p>
<p>hey TT i hope this is some consolation, maybe not, but basically i am in the same boat as you. though it may seem a rowboat and not a yacht, it’s not so bad.
i once wanted to be a hedge fund manager so i could get rich and retire and live. but then i decided by doing the things i am actually interested in, i do not have to retire before i can live. i plan on majoring in english, possibly pairing it with philosophy. my friend says then i will be well trained in sitting on a rock and thinking, which may not be too lucrative. but, find a woman who does not care about excesses and wealth, get married, enjoy a low-key life that i am pretty sure will be much better and more fulfilling than the mainstream suggests, and everything will be beautiful.</p>
<p>you may enjoy writing and teachign much more than anything else. that is what i plan on doing, at least.</p>
<p>and brown is in my top two, heading into application season. so, if i am fortunate enough to be admitted, maybe i will see you there.</p>
<p>No, alfred, we’d have have the young scholars equivalent of the 1980 Cuban Flotilla… haha. we don’t want to go our state universities! let us into the ivies! </p>
<p>lol anyway, hembeck, I agree that would be an awesome course to take in life. but part of the story the dubbed ‘naysayers’ told was how their are so many people in those concentrations that it is pretty hard to secure a job in the few positions the job directly relates to and is made ideal for. for ex: creative writing, and being a successful writer; political science, and being a politician; philosophy and teaching at a major university</p>