Advice for a college student?

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by Mr. Sparklebot, Aug 25, 2010.

  1. Mr. Sparklebot

    Mr. Sparklebot 'Til All Are Juan

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    Right now, I think I've grown sick of my major. The classes were interesting in the beginning, but I feel like I have no future in the field if I keep going on with such low motivation and interest. I'd hate to waste all the credits I've taken (I'm about 40 away from finishing the major), but I really do think I want out.

    Problem is: a) finding out exactly what I want to switch to, and b) having to stay in school for longer than the 4 years. Money isn't a problem yet - I have basically been going to school for free thanks to scholarships, but the financial aid will stop after the initial 4 years. School isn't too expensive though, but I'll probably have to work more.

    So for those of you who have gone through college: what would you have done in my situation: suck it up and finish the degree and find some unrelated career later on, or just go for something more interesting?

    And yes, I do plan on talking to counselors/advisors. Just looking for some alternative opinions... even if it is TF General Discussion :)  Thanks.
     
  2. Darkwing48

    Darkwing48 Heroic Decepticon

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    Depends on your major. Is it a Science (You get a B.S)? Is there high number jobs available for afterwards? Can you do it without taking classes? How far are you in this major. Think about Completing your G.E then double major with a 70-30, new major to old, workload.
     
  3. llamatron

    llamatron OFFICIAL MMC REP TFW2005 Supporter

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    Yeah what is your major and what type of jobs could you get with it? Ideally, what kind of job do you actually want to end up with?
     
  4. Deceptikitty

    Deceptikitty all about the hasubandos

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    I majored in something I kind of liked, but in the end I realized it wasn't what I wanted to do. I've been going through mine on student loans though, so I had no choice to finish my degree up. Lots of people don't do what their degree is related to though. Do you want to start racking up student loans? I'd say if you want to switch to something rather concrete, like teaching or engineering, then switch. If you're looking for a general area, like a hard science or a liberal arts degree.. you kind of have to figure out where to apply them. I'd suggest switching if money wasn't an obstacle.
     
    Last edited: Aug 25, 2010
  5. Omegatron

    Omegatron Mandatory Fun. Buy it now TFW2005 Supporter

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    I majored in computer science for 3 years, before switching gears and getting a Masters in Education. Now I manage a movie theatre. Part of what helped me land that job was simply having a degree which shows I'm a smarty pants.
     
  6. Mr. Sparklebot

    Mr. Sparklebot 'Til All Are Juan

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    Yeah, I'm in Biology. I don't really know about what sort of jobs I can get out of that, besides working in research labs (I was in it to go to dental school, but that was more a family pushing me to do that thing rather than something I wanted). I'm sure there's more I can do with it besides that, but likely, I'll want to do something unrelated. Maybe a master's in something else later on. Exactly what, I'm not sure yet. I guess I'll just have to trudge through this semester whilst shopping around for what I want to do.


    You're right, I guess don't have to work necessarily with anything my degree is related to. But if I end up deciding on something that does require a more specific degree, I guess I'd have no choice but to go back to school for a while. I'm not sure to what extent my parents would help me pay off if I go past 4 years (they'll likely be pissed that I couldn't wrap it up in that amount of time), but I think a decent part-time job would pay a nice chunk of the bills.
     
  7. chrisr291

    chrisr291 Master of the Unknown

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    If your parents are paying for it, i'd just ride it out and get a Masters degree in something else because that would really open up a lot of doors. I got my Bachelors in Political Science and a Masters in Criminal Justice. I've applied at a couple of constable/police departments and it seems like I can jump up quickly because of my degrees:rock . Most of the higher ranking jobs require 2-3 years experience and a Masters degree.

    So in summary:lol , finish your degree but think hard about what you want your Masters in.
     
  8. Galvatron Rage

    Galvatron Rage Question Authority

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    Personally, I think if you're not interested in your major, then you're in the wrong field. You're going to be miserable and your grades will suffer. You have to do something that you are GENUINELY interested in and enjoy. I took Mechanical Engineering and I loved my classes even though they were difficult sometimes. Now I work in a factory that makes parts for Toyota. It's very challenging and I love my work. I think I'd blow my head off if I had to work as an accountant, lol.

    Secondly, yes, you should consider what type of market is out when deciding on a major, that's just good planning, but you HAVE to enjoy your field or it's all for naught, IMO.
     
  9. ROCK_LEE

    ROCK_LEE Well-Known Member

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    WoW this is Deja vu, I was in exactly the same boat. I have a biology degree b/c my parents were pushing for pharmacy school. In my junior year i discovered that i really liked business. However i decided not to change majors since i've got friends who did and it took them 7 years to finish their bachelors. i just stuck with it and got my biology degree, didn't go to pharmacy school though.

    My advice is to finish your degree, then get a masters in something else your interested in. A bachelors is not a set path. There are lots of different things you can do afterwards. Some of the things i looked at were mba, masters in environmental engineering, masters in psychology etc. There were literally like a dozen paths i coulda went down. At the moment i'm doing PhD in cancer biology, and probably gonna pursue an mba after this.

    Let me know if you need more details, advice, options from someone whos been there. If i had known exactly what i know now back then, life woulda been alot easier.
     
  10. CdnShockwave

    CdnShockwave The Prince of Poses TFW2005 Supporter

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    The problem is you need at least a bachelors to do anything. I did a BA in English which is pretty much useless but I managed to use it as a stepping stone for law. A bachelors itself is usually not worth much of anything but you need a degree these days to do anything. Unfortunately, it's just a hoop you have to jump through.

    Would it make more sense to finish your major in bio and then do a masters in what you want to do? Bachelors don't mean much but a masters in your preferred field would carry far more weight.
     
  11. Deceptikitty

    Deceptikitty all about the hasubandos

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    Congrats to you on the Masters. I've been thinking of paying off my loans and pursuing my Masters in the future. I figure I could find an employer willing to help me with the cost of a grad degree before I continued my education. That stuff is expensive. In this economy though it seems every degree is pretty much worthless when there are people looking for work with 30+ years experience over us with our silly pieces of paper.

    They probably will be upset, but I remember a stat in uni saying kids change their majors more than once through their college career. At my school it takes students and average of six years to graduate, because they spend so much time deciding which major is right for them. It's perfectly natural. I spent half of my time at BSU as a psych major, and switched to criminal justice my Sophomore year. Thank goodness the requirements were rather similar :lol 
     
  12. Tigertrack

    Tigertrack Back In The Game!

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    Don't drink too much.