I am a senior in a California high school and I am very confused on my college future. I am interested in the business world but I dislike complicated math at the same time. I got accepted into some UC’s and CSU’s (4.05 UC/CSU GPA) but I don’t know where to attend and what to do. My future after college seems pretty clear though, I would love to open a business of some type and/or get involved in real estate investment, stocks etc in order to make a living. I believe I need a steady income to get started but I am not sure what to do.
Below I will put everywhere I got accepted with what majors.
UC Irvine (I always wanted to come here): Undeclared/Undecided. Unfortunately I applied in the biz admin major but I read that it’s extremely hard to get in, so they changed me to undecided. I like to be realistic and I don’t think I could get into the program even if I attend there.
UC Davis: Managerial Economics (I don’t even know what this is, i applied because I had a fee waiver and it was the only thing close to what I was looking for)
UC Merced: Management and Business Economics (Pretty sure it’s the same as Davis)
UC Santa Cruz: Business Management Economics (Same reason as merced and Davis)
CSU Cal Poly SLO, SDSU, CSU Fullerton, CSU Northridge: Business Management
I am aware that you don’t really need a major in order to make money but it is always good to study and have a degree in hand.
I am not sure if I should attend a community college and get my thoughts clear (who knows maybe I decide to become a doctor for example). Or do you guys know any other plans?
P.S.: I am also taking AP Macroeconomics/Microeconomics and I don’t really like it that much as I like more practice based things rather than theories, but I’m sure if I put the work in I can like Econ.
Sorry for the long post and thanks a lot for the help, hopefully you guys can help me figure my future out.
You need to have an understanding of economics to do well in investments( real estate,stocks, bonds,commodities etc). You do not need a college degree.
@grtd2010 Yea that’s what I was thinking. Luckily for me I don’t need a degree for all that stuff. What do you think it would be the best choice to go for major?
I’d go for the business management degree at one of the colleges that offer that. A solid foundation in business will help you. For example, yesterday noticed that my small business accountant had made a mistake in my 2017 business return. He had forgotten to take a depreciation expense that we were allowed to take this year on an item of equipment. If I’d never taken accounting, I wouldn’t have noticed. The fundamentals of accounting, finance, marketing, business law, etc pay off if you are running a business. And if you have no capital, you might need to work for someone else for a while after you graduate.
@intparent Exactly! That’s what I was thinking, I need a major atleast so I could work for someone at the beginning. How much do Business Management majors usually make?
It varies a LOT. And it mostly depends on you. For starting salaries, it depends on what type of company and what type of starting position you take. Generally students with higher GPAs who hustled hard for internships over the summers to gain some experience are in more demand by employers. Sometimes you pick a concentration within the business management major (that varies by college, you will have to look at their websites). Get as much work experience as you can while in college – sometimes you can snag a part-time internship during the school year, too, so that adds to your resume. Work on your communication skills, too. And foster some relationships with professors and employers who could be references for you in the future. You want to be seen as hard working, reliable, smart, and someone who can get along with others. Keep in touch with any older students in your major that you meet, too. Sometimes they will know about job openings when you graduate.
He doesn’t especially like econ. It is tough to major in something you don’t really like. He also strikes me as the type who is impatient to get going, and who could get a lot of use out of basic business management skills. I know it isn’t “cool” to some people. But I find that my undergraduate business degree helps me every day in the business world. I am conversant in the business fundamentals that underlie every business, and that makes it quicker for me to get up to speed and be productive in different environments.
Many business programs require one semester of calculus. Again, I encourage you to spend the time looking at the curriculums for each program/each school online.