I don’t know what to do. I want to become a cop or a lawyer, depending on how my grades turned out. However, I decided that if being a cop fails, and I don’t want to do law school, I just want to become a truck driver and get it over with.
I plan to minor in Computer Science in case I want to get a Masters in CS, I’ll at least meet the prerequisite courses needed for enrollment (assuming I’m not wrong that a minor in CS is also acceptable for entry to a Masters in CS program). However, to put it short, should I major in CS?
Are you asking whether you should major in Computer Science or are you asking about Criminal Justice ?
Are you just entering college as a freshman ? If so, try to take a course in each major in order to better assess your own interests.
It’s okay to be uncertain during one’s freshman year regarding major & career plans. Freshman year is the time to experiment & explore academic offerings. The reason that you are a bit confused is likely due to the fact that you have not yet taken courses in either CJ or CS.
As a junior with an aptitude for computer science, you should take as many CS courses as you can handle. Lots of employment opportunities for those with CS knowledge as well as data analytics.
Criminal Justice is an easy major. Good for those who want to pursue a career in law enforcement, but not so good for preparation for law school which requires strong analytical reasoning & writing skills.
Any major works for law school. CS major would work too. We had many different we had many different majors. If you have an aptitude for CS, I’d take as many as you can. It can lead to some nice job options.
You also posted about political science versus public administration, so maybe you should enter college as undecided and explore a little before making a decision on a major.
I am trying to determine whether to major in PS or PA, I heard the former does not provide a lot of jobs after college but do know an MPA is a good degree if you want to work in the government. I plan to just become a cop, or even a lawyer depending on how college plays out (see what kind of grades I get to see if law school might be a good investment) or if I want to be a cop and someday get an MPA.
Public Affairs/Administration is a more applied version of Political Science. My S switched from PoliSci to Public Affairs because he preferred the practice to the theory, and he’s had a lot of courses in things like housing, transportation, parking, etc instead of political theory. But nothing relevant to law enforcement or being a lawyer.
I’d pick based on what you prefer studying, not specifically for job prospects. An MPA is generally done several years into a career (and can follow a BA in a wide range of majors), so is not directly relevant to your situation. As an undergrad you’ll have better prospects if you excel in your classes, so you should choose what you enjoy and do best in.
You also posted about criminal justice and computer science, so maybe you could enter college as an undecided and explore a little before deciding on a major.
Sorry I read the original post and missed the info on you being a junior. When do you have to declare a major? Majors are generally 10 courses, which equals a full year. Some programs, including online programs, allow a change after as many as 90 credits, and will still allow a major change during junior year.
What most interests you and what do you do well at? You can worry about future career and professional school after you graduate since, as @thumper1 said, most majors will get you there. (Many CS grads do get jobs in that field after undergrad.)
In my state, Connecticut, a certain number is seats in the state university law school are reserved for cops. I don’t know how widespread this practice. It’s worth looking into because it means that gaining entrance under this program is less competitive than it would be otherwise. There may also be funds available for tuition support.
One former cop I know who took advantage of this opportunity has a very successful practice in general law. He’s very happy as a small town country lawyer. Depending on what your interests are, some career paths after law school are easier or more difficult.
There is no good reason to major in something you consider “useless.” So to answer your question-yes, major in computer science and not criminal justice.
Will you be able to pay for 3 years at the university? (I assume that you didn’t take all the pre reqs for CS so would need a bit more time).
No matter what, you can take as many Cs courses as you wish (or CS adjacent) along with courses in political science/public affairs.
I second not majoring in something you consoder useless (and which has far fewer job propsectd than CS).
When is it worth it to pursue and pay for something you consider “worthless” when you have other options you consider more valuable? You are in the driver’s seat and must make good choices that will help you move ahead with your life. Only you can evaluate the options.
I’m confused by a couple of things. First, your title asks about CJ but you never mention that in your post. However, you do spend a paragraph on CS. Was “CJ” a typo? Did you mean CS.
Second, your short post is all over the place. Cop. Lawyer. Truck driver. Law school. Grad school in CS. I suspect that there is more here than meets the eye. What do you mean by “get it all over with”? That’s an odd turn of a phrase.