Stress about getting a job during college?

Student Lounge College Life
1

<p>As someone whose interests aren't exactly lucrative, and who comes from a lower middle class family, I am worried about how to deal with the stress of knowing one's education life will end, and actually joining the real world.</p>

<p>For example, I am interested in philosophy, though my parents urge me to major in something that can help me pay off 150-200k, and i.e. become a doctor.</p>

<p>I often tell them how little faith I have in becoming a doctor (because of rigor of work, and I'd be motivated by greed and realism, which doesn't seem right to me). They consider it better for me to go to a state college and do pre-med than an Ivy League if I decided to major in something not pre-med.</p>

<p>I mean, I think they're right, and attaining money is important for entering the "real" world, but this myopia toward the hard sciences doesnt seem right to me. I am a competent science student, it isn't exactly my passion. In school, my teachers often tell me to follow my passions to truly live a fulfilling life. Huck Finn, for example, is a story that condemns devotion to capitalism, but I understand my parents' more cynical and realistic view, and that sometimes this isn't possible, and perhaps Huck Finn is overly idealistic, especially considering my situation.</p>

<p>But really,can I compromise my own happiness, and just push it back toward some unknown but promised future? Do I even have a choice?</p>

<p>So does anyone else face this quandary for college?</p>

<p>And can anyone list majors, besides engineering or pre-med, that might be worth considering for getting a job?</p>

2

<p>If this is all the motivation you can conjure up, then I highly advise you not to take the pre-med track by any means. You just won’t survive with this kind of mentality, let alone pass the “hard” sciences.</p>

3

<p>I heard philosophy majors have the highest rate of getting into med school. </p>

<p>Have you consider law school?</p>

4

<p>Law school is not necessarily a good choice if you’re wanting a very good chance of finding a good job right away. That is highly dependent on the circumstances. There are a LOT of lawyers right now, and not as many jobs as there are lawyers.</p>

<p>And if you’re not passionate about the law, you won’t make it. It is a good choice for philosophy kids in terms of skill set, so it would be a good recommendation in that respect, but there are still some major issues with that choice of path.</p>

5

<p>I think considering Law School would be a good idea. You can get into a good law school and have a great chance of getting a job soon after college pretty easily if you post a good GPA and have a good LSAT. Philosophy is also a good major for Law school</p>

<p>I would at least look into it</p>

6

<p>I know how you feel. My grandfather always wanted to be an engineer, but he never became one. He installed that thought into my father, but he never became one either. So now, with me, my dad has always wanted me to become an engineer. Sadly, I have no want or care at ALL to be an engineer. </p>

<p>When I was a lot younger, I decided I wanted to be a surgeon. I do love the medical field but I don’t think that would be a job I want now. So, I told my dad one day and he just looked at me in disgust! He told me flat out NO! What parent does that when their child wants to be a doctor?!?</p>

<p>He’s kind of stepped down now a bit because he sees that I will not go to school to be an engineer. Right now I’m looking into business finance (which pays more than an engineer) and he is ok with it. Sadly, my younger brother wants to be an engineer so my dad is head-over-heels. </p>

<p>Do go with something that you want to do, but also look at it from a financial stand point. I know a lot of people that go to school only to do meager jobs and wonder why they make zilcho and can’t pay off their student loans. Your parents are always going to pressure you into fulfilling their dreams, but that is because they love you and want to make you happy.</p>

<p>BTW, business finance is on the rise, especially on the international level. If you want to live in other countries, this is a great field to do so.</p>

7

<p>You don’t want to go into a career filled with very competitive people who LOVE what they are doing. That will only make you feel terrible about your choice and essentially not end with the results you were seeking. With this in mind, I suggest you do some sort of double major if you can with something you love and “something that can get a job”. Although, if you are truly motivated in a field you LOVE, you will have no problem getting a job. </p>

<p>We as a society have forgotten that higher education was essentially “for the sake of learning” and have made it all about getting a job. Sad, but true.</p>

8

<p>Other majors that will get you a decent entry-level job: accounting, actuarial sciences, finance. I wouldn’t go to law school unless I got into a realllly good one. Just read the NYTimes article from a few days ago about all the unemployed law school grads.</p>

<p>I wouldn’t worry about money. I come from a middle-class family but I never had much growing up. All I wanted since childhood is to make a lot of money and buy a lot of stuff, but I realized that it’s not that big of a deal. Being a lawyer or whatever making 6-figures is only going to buy me a comfortable lifestyle, which I already have. It’s a little bougie to work hard and be boring just so you can be a middle-management paper pusher. So I figure I might as well do what I want and see where it lands me.</p>