<p>Hey guys , </p>
<p>I am a freshman at Dartmouth College. I eventually want to be a CEO/VP in a technology firm. I am interested in Comp Sci., Engineering and Econ. </p>
<p>The trouble is I can’t figure out what would be the best degree for me to get. </p>
<p>I am thinking about:</p>
<li><p>An Engineering science (A.B.) major with an Econ major and a C.S. minor. This, however, is going to be really hard to fit in all those courses in 4 years and I might end up screwing up my GPA.</p></li>
<li><p>An “engineering science modified with C.S.” and econ. double major. This is not as hard as the 1st option but the modified degree doesn’t give me too much knowledge in either engineering or C.S.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Whichever major(s) I choose I am going to see if I can get a good job ( Consulting/Banking/Software), if I can’t then I am going to stay on for a 5th year and do a B.E. in Computer Engineering.</p>
<p>This is my plan right now. I am worried abt. biting more than I can chew and screwing up my GPA or being a-jack-of-all-traits-master-of-none. </p>
<p>What do you guys think would be a good major ? Should I just just pick one of these majors(e.g. Engineering Science) and hope things will work out?</p>
<p>I would go with EE/CE/CS. Becoming a CEO/VP of a firm is not easy - you don’t know what it’s like to be one. I’m guessing you want to be one only because of the prestige and pay. It’s going to take a while until you may even get this position. Don’t expect on immediately becoming one. This is unless you go and found a lucrative startup company, with investors chasing after you to invest in your business.</p>
<p>You need to have the leadership, management, and interpersonal skills to have the positions you listed. Sadly, you won’t learn any of them at all in any of your courses, no matter what degree you choose. You learn these skills on the job, after many years. You need to be able to establish a reputation for yourself in the industry. Who is going to hire a bachelors degree student for a VP position? No one.</p>
<p>I don’t want to sound like an a**, but your approach to this situation is all wrong. You need to live in the present and succeed in your undergraduate level studies before you even worry about your career.</p>
<p>i would focus on hardcore engineering and not worry about econ. most managers I’ve seen come from a strict engineering background and after years of experience move up to management with company paid MBA.</p>
<p>Exactly, notice how idonotcare says “after years of experience”</p>
<p>Thanks for replying guys. </p>
<p>undefined: When I say, I want to be a CEO/VP, I mean thats my ultimate career goal and I know it would be realistic only 15-20 years from now. It’d be stupid to expect to be a VP straight out of college. What I mean is that I want to work in the management side of things and not work as an engineer all my career. Coming out of college I want to work in a technology firm or a consulting firm.</p>
<p>Typically, working in consulting will require experience in the industry. You consult after you’ve seen how things are done. But it isn’t rare or uncommon to go into consulting immediately.</p>
<p>did you take cs5? if so, how did you do? if you enjoy cs, cs is a great major. econ classes at dartmouth are joke compared to engineering courses.
i wouldnt modify cs with engineering (or engineering with cs) if you want to do software. there are just a bunch of tough courses in thayer you have to take that has nothing to do with cs. I think the only courses helpful in software are es27 and 31. you might need to take several of 21, 22, 26, etc, but those courses are nightmare and won’t help you a bit in learning how to program.</p>
<p>CS and econ is the way to go. No need to do engineering unless you really like the material and you are doing it for fun.</p>
<p>I’m an Electrical Engineering major, and Computer Science and I can honestly tell you that i-banks and consulting firm regard a CS degree and an engineering degree almost equal. A CS degree is much more practical and relevant given your goals. An econ major in the mix though not necessary, will give you a head start against those engineers who are trying to climb the management ladder without a sound background in econ (and accounting especially).</p>
<p>Good luck</p>