TO ALL SCIENCE/MATH/ENGINEERING MAJORS..do you have time to read for pleasure?

College Life
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<p>It looks like you are in the wrong major.</p>

<p>If you care about your social life more than Science/Math classes then you shouldn’t be taking them.</p>

<p>I would consider myself a “Scientist” type of person and my personal hygiene isn’t always great on some days, I’m never been out drinking or any other sort of similar activity for the 4 years I’ve been in Undergrad, and I don’t care about the whole social experience in College; I only came because I wanted to learn.</p>

<p>Keep in my mind that after you graduate you will be competing with people like me for a job.</p>

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And he will probably ace the job interview while “people like you” will have a hard time keeping eye contact. Just sayin’…</p>

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<p>Not if the job is to work as a slave in a lab ;).</p>

<p>It all depends on what the job is, and how it relates to Science.</p>

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<p>So your workload is so intense, it precludes the possibility of a ten minute shower and perhaps a combined total of six whole minutes of other related hygiene activities? Interesting …</p>

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<p>In my Calc III class the other day, this one guy took his hoodies off because the classroom was getting warm. He was wearing some sort of sport muscle tank, and the stains underneath the armpits were YELLOW. The stain colour didn’s look like they were fresh sweat, but looked like the stain had been there for a long time and he has been sweating on the same spot underneath the armpits over and over. The fabric looked like it has been fermented or something. </p>

<p>I just can’t stand a math guy like him. I wanted to give him the money to do the laundry or to buy a new shirt. (and use sweat stain removal.)
DISGUSTING.</p>

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<p>@Axion… to most people there’s more to life than their job.</p>

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<p>You should see my white undershirts! They all have yellow stains below the armpit. I’d consider buying new ones but I just put a fleece coat over them or a sweatshirt and call it good.</p>

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<p>What’s up, hope everything’s cool, now i feel the same way as you and urge not to change careers since i know your bright and you deserve a high paying career and the best in this universe, soon you will be on your bently with dolce and gabana and prada, enjoying a zip of the best wines if you drink and becoming c.e.o. Of your company. I feel us science majors should set the example and be on top of everything !!, caring about our image and having elegance and not showing a gracelessness image we are gods so we suppost to show that !! How can we set ourselves apart from animals if we can even tie our own shoes or even care about our image and hygiene, well what works for me is taking a vacation and getting out of this environment, i’ve visited foreign universities during my trips and all the students seem to care how they dress and even eat, i think this the only stupid place were you see scumbags thinking they have class. Now for you who can’t afford these things don’t feel bad at least try to fix this untrue stereotypical image, and soon you will be enjoying the best in this universe. Chao</p>

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<p>@ Axion, thats disgusting</p>

<p>@ starling. Im kinda like you. Im a chem e major and I get bored reading engineering/science-y stuff all the time, even when studying. Its one of those things thats never really going to be of particular interest to me. I have a love/hate relationship with it. but to answer the question, I always make time to do some leisure reading and have a social life (since i barely get through half of my super hard engineering classes). To me it doesnt seem like you’re in the wrong major. It just seems like you need to find that balance between being a shut-in who studies constantly and being someone who can be social yet get to work when necessary. Stick it out</p>

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<p><– definitely enjoys math majoring more than he would enjoy a humanties major.</p>

<p>Practically speaking, engineering is by far the best (IMO) major to go into, in terms of money and success potential. </p>

<p>Also, you definitely can have a social life while taking 4 hard science classes, though you need to work efficiently, understand the material, you will not go out as much as you should or want to. Note, I did this last quarter, and I was totally stressed out by the end. But it was also a total blast, and I loved it. I did also talk to a lot of the people in my classes. </p>

<p>Econ is also way easier than engineering, and pretty much as lucrative, if you want to go into that. I mean, you’re not going to completely avoid math, but there will be less of it. And you will likely get a far worse job out of college than any engineering major, but the opportunities for advancement are far better. Though, you will also have to be a good salesperson to succeed at the career. Depends on what you want to do.</p>

<p>[Best</a> Undergrad College Degrees By Salary](<a href=“http://www.payscale.com/best-colleges/degrees.asp]Best”>Common Jobs for Majors - College Salary Report)</p>

<p>I believe college majoring is a choice about 1) what you want to do after college and 2) what you enjoy right now, weighted towards 2) because your major is a bigger part of a college’s kid life than an adult’s. </p>

<p>So, really, that’s what you should think about. I mean, if you enjoy writing more than you would building ****, do that.</p>

<p>Also, Axion, I’m pretty sure that even if you’re working in a slave in a lab, you’re going to be working with other people. I’ve heard this a lot, even from complete nerds. People skills matter, communication matters, don’t think you can get by on pure analytical skills alone.</p>

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<p>I still spend time on video games, comic books, sports and general hanging out. I just don’t sleep anymore.</p>

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<p>That’s disgusting. What is wrong with you?</p>

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<p>Really? Because I think that’s completely stupid. Regardless whatever classes you take in your life, your social life and your personally well being should always come first. I find it very sad you think otherwise…</p>

<p>So OP - first, I don’t necessarily think you’re in the wrong degree. You definitely did yourself in with that physics, chem, calc, whatever combo you did. That’s ridiculous… don’t do that again. I’m a bio major - and I would kill myself if I had a semester like that. I also have a huge interest in the art, and guess what, you CAN do both… and go out on the weekends! That’s what I’m doing - and I love it. I also love walking into my genetics class with my art portfolio and having a bunch of “sciencey-uncreative” (which some are actually highly creative) people raise their eyebrows like I must be ■■■■■■■■.</p>

<p>In the end - stop whining. Do what feels right; worry about the future later. Do NOT stay with the sciences because you think it’s a money maker, because it’s not.</p>

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<p>Ok so I really feel like I should reply to the OP because I’m also currently enrolled in Calc III, Physics, Chem and Bio (well, Zoology but similar thing). Three labs per week, along with lectures and discussions. My advice to you is to simply find your strengths and weaknesses. In my Calc class, I don’t study the book at all, I haven’t even read it once (except to look homework) and I have a high A in that class…math is something that just comes naturally to me (add to the fact that I have a really amazing professor).
Physics, on the other hand, is a different story: I do not attend any lectures or discussions (horrible profs, horrible TAs), and self-teach myself everything, I have a high B in that class. Chemistry is…well…chemistry; the only way I can learn that subject is through memorization (never liked it, never will, will not need anymore of it after this semester); I also skip chem discussions and zoology lecture/discussions (you’ll learn more if you read the textbook for an intense 40 mins instead of sitting through a 75 min lecture…)
So, by skipping pretty much half my schedule, I save a ton of time. </p>

<p>As for the whole “time for fun” thing, you can always enjoy yourself whenever YOU’RE free (don’t rely on others)- download and watch a movie, workout a bit, watch some shows, get a job, join some clubs/orgs and you’ll be well off.
I wouldn’t say that I am enjoying these classes TO THE MAX (I’m only a freshman btw), but I don’t mind them either.
As for “reading for pleasure”, I’d rather sit back and watch a comedy show than read a book lol (thats just me). And yes I have plenty of time. Another thing: I don’t need more than 5-6 hrs of sleep per day (the half-insomniac that I am, can’t fall asleep till atleast 2:30 AM if I go to bed at 10:00 PM), so I stay up really late until 3:00-3:30 AM everyday. </p>

<p>ANOTHER BIG TIP: Keep one “fun” class per semester. Even if you don’t need it for your major, take something that interests you - (right now, I’m also enrolled in a 3D design class, went slightly over max credits but it worked), and I don’t even have to work. The kids in that class spend hours and hours thinking and working on their project whereas it takes me mere seconds to come up with some creative idea and do a decent job on the project. There ARE things that you’re just great at - find that niche and take courses in that (or, just join some club/student org of it), it’ll help immensely.</p>

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<p>You should never kill yourself in college.</p>

<p>I’m a bio major at Cornell and I have PLENTY of time to do whatever I want, whether it’s sleep or drink or read or go to the mall. No it’s not 22 credits of engineering, but it’s no cakewalk either.</p>