<p>I feel like I'm having a crisis right now. Just some background information about myself. I am junior BBA student from Michigan's Ross School of Business with a concentration in Finance. Unfortunately I only have a 3.37 GPA because my quantitative skills are mediocre. Another issue is that I don't feel like my personality is cut out for business. I am introverted and my communication skills aren't great. </p>
<p>I am much better at classes that require straight-up memorization. That's why I feel like maybe I should go into something like Pre-Pharm, where a lot of the upper level classes require a lot of memorization. However, I literally have 0 pre-reqs fulfilled and I'm already in the second semester of my junior year. And my low GPA doesn't help with getting into Pharm school at all. </p>
<p>I also have decent writing skills and I have some interest in technology, so I also considered maybe taking some CS classes and becoming a technical writer. But I feel like I don't have the quantitative skills to excel in CS either.</p>
<p>What should I do??? Are there any other alternatives? Please offer me any advice.</p>
<p>business + computer = program manager in information technology (IT)?</p>
<p>superior math skills are not required (stats, calculators allowed), deals with people somewhat, strategically plans, understanding of computer systems would be beneficial (but not required)</p>
<p>Yeah, I’m also considering a career in Business Information Technology. I actually have an interview for an IT Business Analyst internship this Friday and I really hope I get it. Unfortunately, my school doesn’t offer a lot of BIT classes to undergrads. In fact, I already took most of them. </p>
<p>If i want to break into IT, do you think I should consider getting a minor in CS this late into the game?</p>
<p>I’m a third year (6th semester) in CS at UMich … I feel for you. School is getting really tough. Is there a way you can lighten up your courseload so you can put more time on each BBA class? </p>
<p>If quantitative skills aren’t your forte, I’m reluctant to encourage you to get that CS minor. I’m not clear on what the CS minor requires, but the CS classes here are pretty abstract and theoretical, and the grading curves at UMich EECS can be pretty bad. For example, in the third programming “gateway” class (EECS 281), they gave < 15% of our class A’s in my semester. In that class, we had programming projects (40% of our grade), but the homeworks and exams were like algorithm/math problem sets. The discrete math class (EECS 203) can be pretty hard too, depending on the professor, who can make it as abstract as he/she likes it. There is not much memorization in CS. </p>
<p>Try to stick it out. It’s tough. (I’m very introverted too)</p>
<p>Mathwise an accounting degree only requires knowledge of basic algebra. </p>
<p>Being introverted is not necessarily a bad thing (half of us are, right?) but communication skills & confidence are key in business. and communication skills & self-confidence can always be improved; which i think makes more sense than starting over.</p>
<p>spacebow - depends on what side of IT you want to be on… if you want to be the one working on the electronics, then you will need those skills. But, if you are doing the business analysis or program management part it is not necessary.</p>
<p>fwiw, I got a very competitive internship last summer doing program management in IT. My undergrad is in IR and my graduate program is basically security studies, so they aren’t really related to IT program management at all. I’m still not exactly sure how I got chosen for that…</p>
<p>You can take graduate courses or certificates in program management fields or something like systems engineering later if you think they would be useful after experiencing the work environment.</p>
<p>@Whatdidyou: I’ve considered accounting for the longest time. I know getting a CPA can open a lot of doors. I even find it kind of interesting. But like I said, my quantitative skills are weak. So far I’ve taken 3 accounting courses and haven’t scored higher than a B in any of them. Do you think I should still consider getting a MACC and sit for the CPA?</p>
<p>@soccerguy315: Yeah, I’m definitely leaning towards the business analyst side. What graduate programs would you recommend if I want to continue in the IT business analyst path?</p>
<p>unfortunately, I can’t help with that as I haven’t looked into any of those type of program and I am hoping to work in another field that is more related to my schooling.</p>