<p>Seriously? This is why the economy is in the gutter. </p>
<p>We need more people in science, doing PRODUCTIVE things, like you know, moving society forward?</p>
<p>Without finance, there wouldn’t be any money to back scientific research…</p>
<p>No I don’t disagree about the importance of the finance industry.</p>
<p>It’s just that the finance kids I see usually don’t have any passions about anything else … like you know, science. </p>
<p>Finance, business, etc. should never be standalone majors. They should always be paired with something else. Business and chemistry. Finance and economic development. Etc. That way you don’t get Wall Street fiascos because the people involved will actually be an expert in whatever field they’re doing.</p>
<p>Here we go again…</p>
<p>A lot of people who end up in the finance industry are usually drawn to the subject because of all the complex and esoteric math involved. Personally, this is why I am majoring in finance myself. </p>
<p>I might do accounting instead, though, so, who knows.</p>
<p>OP’s recent thread: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/843933-can-science-major-apply-finance-ish-internships.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/843933-can-science-major-apply-finance-ish-internships.html</a></p>
<p>:rolleyes:</p>
<p>edit2: w/e NVM</p>
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<p>If you analyse it from the perspective of a science.</p>
<p>Most finance people I know aren’t even interested in research. So much for making a contribution to the world…</p>
<p>^Agree, most people I know who go into finance or are interested in finance do so for reasons that have to do with fattening their own wallet, not necessarily with any other intention(including actual interest in the field).</p>
<p>Why should you care about people’s motives in selecting a job? It’s not like you know them, in any way, shape, or form. Maybe they came from an underprivileged background and just want to be able to provide for their children in a way that their parents couldn’t. Or maybe they are just greedy. Either way, it’s THEIR decision to make, not yours.</p>
<p>But he can still judge them. And so can I. And you.</p>
<p>These types generally result in Wall Street parasitism and ruin the economy?</p>
<p>(Also – none of the companies that fund the labs I’m working in are on Wall Street. I’m sure Merck or Sigma-Aldrich have finance divisions, but I don’t see finance kids going, “OMG! I want to work for Merck!!!”)</p>
<p>It’s just a general lamentation of culture. </p>
<p>I am of the belief that any decent financial person should first have a scientific background. But most of the finance kids I see are interested in finance <em>only</em> or have some big dream about i-banking, without a vision of what they would be i-banking for…</p>
<p>Well, money is certainly humanity’s greatest motivator.</p>
<p>Why do most of you attend college, anyways? To be educated? Sure. To meet new and exciting people? Of course.</p>
<p>But on top of all these reasons, it’s to ultimately obtain suitable employment and to move out of your parents’ house.</p>
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<p>A lot of them do, actually. Look at all the physics majors that broke Wall Street and the economy.</p>
<p>I can judge them but why would I? That’s such a waste of time. I don’t ask him why he chose to go into science. I’m engineering but I don’t look down on my econ friends for choosing what they want to do. Everyone has their strengths… not everyone can do hard science.</p>
<p>re: post #11</p>
<p>Willkommen in Amerika</p>
<p>If you can’t do hard science, you shouldn’t be doing finance. Both involve quantitative analysis. Except science grounds you in actual economic activity.</p>
<p>(btw, econ is different from finance) </p>
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<p>to do research? to endeavour for social progress? to engage in productive economic activity?</p>
<p>I’m aware that econ is different than finance. I was just trying to make a point that I don’t care what other people’s majors are past a passing interest since it’s not my choice or my place to judge.</p>
<p>Take, for example, Vandy’s HOD major. It’s the closest thing we have to business (although it’s more of the Human Resources side of it). Do I make fun of it? Of course. Do I legitimately disapprove of the people who major in it? No. Because it doesn’t affect me. That’s all I’m saying.</p>
<p>On the contrary, these kids impose harmful cultural externalities on society.</p>
<p>Consider that the problems of society will be more likely be solved by further endeavours into protein folding, drug development, new technology, etc. and the general fight to stem the effects of AIDS, cancer, etc. (and ultimately find a permanent solution), not by having more uninformed i-bankers per capita. I agree finance is important. But it really isn’t a field in strong need for expansion.</p>
<p>Now on the other hand, entrepreneurs we should all highly respect.</p>
<p>But why is it that it’s so much more common to see kids flocking to be part of big finance firms rather than being truly ambitious and seeking out entrepreneurship? It doesn’t make sense, especially since finance should be supporting entrepreneural activity, not you know, replacing it.</p>
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<p>I do agree with you slightly here - undergraduate finance majors are usually not exposed to the more rigorous topics in the subject. In fact, when reading corporate finance textbooks, not even basic calculus is seriously needed to understand the text.</p>
<p>But you don’t necessarily need to have done “hard science,” as you put it. Plenty of math would suffice. Physics, out all of the sciences, is another useful subject to learn if one is a finance major.</p>
<p>By the way, what do you mean by “Except science grounds you in actual economic activity”? I don’t quite understand what you are saying.</p>
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<p>As part of a job, right?</p>
<p>Also another point: If everyone majors in the same things, that means less jobs for people that actually want to work in those fields. Including, apparently, yourself. Less jobs = less opportunities for your desired research = less customers/beneficiaries of your research, etc. etc.</p>
<p>ummm i’ve recently witnessed an interview with a finance major from Wharton </p>
<p>he was the sleziest most dim-witted ******* ever, and he got hired because i guess they need that sort of people there. ///sigh</p>