What career choice should I pursue?

College Life
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<p>The good part is that my major is MathEcon and my minor is computer science, however, due to my grades I was asked to withdraw from the university. What made my grades really drop were my math and computer science courses, not my arts-based ones. The main reason I even chose my current major was because of pressure from my family. </p>

<p>Most of my skills are really arts based, and I'm naturally very good at writing. In middle school and high school my teachers were always suspicious as to whether or not I had plagiarized or copied off the internet. I’ve decided that in order to build up my career capital I should either major in screenwriting or english. However, I’m very much aware that the employment possibilities for each of these majors aren’t as high as the ones for STEM based majors. But the thing is that with the degree I’m pursuing for myself I don’t have any plans or future goals. After graduation I don’t plan on doing anything with it at all. However, when it comes to the english/screenwriting major it’s the complete opposite; I get really exited with what I can accomplish with it. </p>

<p>But what if I’m wrong? I’ve always been a dreamer and I can be very lazy at times. Even one of my closest friends has advised me to stick with what I’m currently doing. My mom says that she knows if I work hard I can do really well in my courses, because I used to be really good at math before. Should I just continue with what I’m doing or should I switch?And am I only feeling this way because I’m not doing well in my current major? </p>

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<p>This is a tricky issue</p>

<p>On one hand, if you’re naturally inclined towards art and English, you should take a shot at that. There’s no use in trying to force your brain to function with something you dislike: drilling yourself in math and science will become very tedious in the long run (and by long run, I mean a 40 year career)</p>

<p>On the other hand, artistic and English related careers come with plenty of misconceptions. For screenwriting and novel writing in particular, you not only need talent and luck, but you need to be incredibly motivated. You’ll never have a boss peering over your shoulder. Say goodbye to constant feedback. You’ll have to make your own hours, and no one will be there to kick you in the rear if you don’t work hard enough or long enough. You’ll never know if the script or novel you’re working on (politely put) sucks ass until you’ve finished it and sent it out. Then again, there’s the issue of rejection: putting yourself out there and subjecting yourself to criticism can be deadly scary </p>

<p>I think you should talk to your parents about this (maybe even a therapist). Before you drop out of the safe, comforting environment of STEM, test the writing waters. Write some short stories, write some screenplays. Learn the basics through books (there are some great ones out there, like “writing for emotional impact” or “scriptshadow secrets” - I suggest you start with scriptshadow). Even more importantly, get your work critiqued. Don’t turn to friends and family, because they’ll only cushion you. Ask strangers, use sites like Done Deal Pro and absolute write water cooler to post your work. Maybe look into a couple of screenwriting or fictional writing contests. Get coverage (which will cost you some money). Anything to find out if you’re any good.</p>

<p>And finally, sit down and really, really ask yourself if this is what you want. A career in STEM comes with many things, and security is one of them. You’ll have good job stability, good pay. But if writing and English is where your heart lies, don’t deny yourself happiness. The only question remaining is whether or not you should throw in the towel and commit to a writing career full time, or fulfill your creative needs as a hobby. If you’re truly unproductive or prone to laziness, that’s a bad sign. In any career in the arts (ESPECIALLY writing) you don’t follow a worn path: you claw and push to make your own path. You need to be your own boss, your own engine and motivation </p>

<p>Good luck. And as a warning (if you’ve seen any of my other posts) I would strongly, strongly advise against spending any money on getting a screenwriting degree (they truly are useless). Only consider an English degree if you can use at as a teaching foundation, or have done extensive research into ways you can apply the degree </p>

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<p>Hi Abcde11,
Thanks for your reply. I really appreciate it. I’ve actually gone through some of your old posts and I’ve noticed that you strongly recommend “getting the experience” rather than applying for film school. However, I just wanted to know: how exactly can I do that? I live in Canada…far far away from LA which is where all the magic happens. </p>

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<p>That’s trickier. In regards to filmmaking, you can still order many of the materials/equipment online. Even in Canada, there will be crew members for hire (when you’re ready in the distant future) near you. Some people actually prefer filmmaking in Canada, because it’s a lot cheaper, easier, and there are fewer legal hurdles; hence why so many films are shot in Canada. Although LA is supersaturated with cast and crew, everything is expensive as heck, renting things or reserving locations can be a nightmare, and from what I’ve heard, having every clerk and garbage man you encounter be an aspiring screenwriter/director can be a bit overwhelming. In this way, living in Canada works in your favor. You can film an entire movie in Canada, same quality as a U.S. made film. You can still talk distribution deals and market to festivals in Canada, but yes, there are more opportunities in the U.S. You don’t have to make this decision now though. And besides, Canada has some beautiful scenery. You can use that to your advantage.</p>

<p>As for writing, a true career really does require living in LA. For television writing, you must live in Los Angeles, period. For film, you can afford to live in another part of the U.S. (even Canada) as the career is contingent on selling scripts one by one. This is only viable if you’re willing to fly over for meetings and networking (which is a bit costly). But like I said before, this is also a decision you don’t need to make now. You can practice and hone your skills at home, for free. You can enter contests and get coverage services for free, and post your work online for free (check out Done deal pro). Then, when you truly feel like you’re a seasoned, skilled writer who knows their craft, you can consider making the move to LA (even if it’s a temporary stay in an apartment with a few other people). You might want to get in contact with some managers first though, to see if any would take you on. Being able to snag a manager would be a great reason to finally make the move, if only temporary for a year or two.</p>

<p>I’m no expert by any means. There are wonderful books out there that delve into the nuts and bolts of a screenwriting career specifically. You should check them out. Your living in Canada definitely changes things.</p>

<p>All the best! </p>

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<p>Another thought is to major in English but also look into Technical Writing.</p>

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<p>why not visit the career center at your school and work with a counselor who is there to help students make these kind of decisions?</p>

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<p>This is just my opinion.</p>

<p>I think it would be stupid to get a degree in English, given that you already screwed up badly and have sabotaged your GPA so much that you had to withdraw from university. I wanted to major in English but as immature as I was at 19 I knew even then it would probably not lead to a stable, well-paying career. I know that I’m better at writing papers than I am at mathematics, but I don’t think it’s a useful skill. So many people with high English major GPA’s end up in retail…and you have a low GPA. </p>

<p>Try business and write on the side. Get a good day job so your quality of life is stable. Anyone can do good in a business major given enough hard work. Not so in mathematics or CS. You need talent and hard work to do good in those. You need EXTREME talent to do good in the writing world after graduation. </p>