How did you decide what to major in?

[PeterMP]

No rush to decide right away. When I was in school we weren't required to declare a major until the end of our sophomore year. Try a bunch of different things. College isn't just about preparing for a career it is also for getting an education. Use the opportunity to take a variety of classes, anthropology, geology, astronomy, history, sociology, religion, math, biology, chemistry, physics, economics, business, comp sci, poli sci, english lit, etc. That's what I did. Not only do you learn about a variety of subjects, but you get a better feel for what you're interested in. I chose biology to start, then after taking a course in plant morphology realized that wasn't quite right for me and switched to microbiology. Nailed it.

One of the best things you can do as you're going through all of this is develop your ability to think critically and write well. Those skills will serve you well in whatever field you finally choose.

Intro classes tend to be horrible representations of what a subject is really about. They're either fluffy and light w/o any of the underlying nitty gritty, details, or really intellectually challenging questions, or they're more geared for majors in which case they are harder, very detailed, and essentially trying to teach you a knew way of thinking about things or a new vocabulary if that's your field, but big picture and the really interesting stuff gets pushed off until later.

Plus, in terms of graduating at a reasonable rate that can kill you. You end up in a situation where you don't have the right entry level classes to take the second level class in whatever you decided your interested in and you have to go back and take another class that isn't that much different then what you've taken.

If you are going to go that route, I'd strongly suggest that you spend a year or two at a community college (though I'll say that advisors at C.C. that I've heard of are AWFUL don't believe a word they say about transferring credits to other programs or your oppurtunities getting into other programs and the course aren't likely to be what you will see at 4 year schools), but you'll save somebody a lot of money.

My suggestion, on this topic is to talk to somebody that work in a particular fields. Do some reading in different areas related to careers. Try and get a feel for what you might want to do based on that, and then go from there. You also don't have to go in day 1 and make a decision that you can't change. You do have some time (I just wouldn't wait to long and I'd suggest actually starting with a major or at least genreral direction w/o being afraid to change your mind later) and most colleges do have career services and things like that so talk to them.

Try and pick something that seems like it might be a good fit and try and stick with it some. Don't ditch it because you don't like the first class (necessarily, though as always there are exceptions to every rule). However, if it is clear, any where along the way that it isn't working, don't be agraid to get out. The other thing you don't want to be is that senior that's struggling to pass classes in a major those last two semester in a major that you don't like, but now have 3 years into and just feel like you have to graduate.

You said you've thought about accounting. Have you talked to any accountants? Where is the accounting field going? How much is it being taken over by computer programs and tax lawyers?

But in the end, if you have to, flip a coin and start moving in a direction.

In terms of intelligence and things, I've honestly found that it isn't as big a deal as you'd think. I have 6 siblings. Growing up, at best, I would have been put in the middle of the pack. I have PhD in biochemistry and teach at a university. My siblings include 2 H.S. teachers, 1 physical therapist, 1 middle management/costumer service like person, and 1 that has spent about 1/2 of his adult life in jail and the other 1/2 doing things that will cause him to go to jail if/when caught. Now everybody talks about how I'm the smart one.

In most cases, you can be successful IF you REALLY like what you are doing (in most cases. there are always exceptions, again).

Most schools will allow you to withdraw from a class with a W on your transcript even more than 1/2 the way through the semester. You don't get a refund though. If you are failing at the time of the withdraw that might be indicated some how (e.g. WF). Most places don't look poorly on a W, and even if you have major issues, if there is a reason and you do well after the fact it doesn't tend to be an issue.

I know a student that started off in an engineering program. Did AWFUL and was kicked out of the school. Had to take some classes at communit college to get back into college. Switched to chemistry. After the switch has a GPA over 3.8, but still had a really low total GPA and is going into a top 20 grad program in chemistry (also did really well on GREs).

An unrelated piece of advice. Some of the people you will meet in 4 years or more you will be asking to write you letters to go get a job or into some other program. When interacting with faculty/administration, ask yourself am I giving this person an impression that is going to help get this person to support me in the future.

A lot of people here will tell you are still young, but realistically in college from day 1 you are on an extended job/post-college interview because if you can't get good recs from the people you interact with when at college, you'll have issues getting those interviews.

Realistically, the visual of the sophomore sitting in the hall talking about how they got wasted the night before the big test and so didn't do well on the test doesn't leave you 2 years later when writing a letter for that same person.

This doesn't mean that mistakes aren't allowed or that you have to be perfect, but even in making a mistake you can make a good or bad impression based on how you made it, what it was, and how you recover.

(Of course, I'm a grumpy old man that believes that young people have to long of a delayed adolescence these days.)

[LLandryistheshiz]

I wasn't sure what I wanted to do at first either. I originally thought engineering was the way to go but after I took AP physics in high school.. that wasn't the thing for me. Math was always a strong suit of mine but it wasn't a passion/I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought. So I changed my major to marketing and then got accepted to VT. I've liked everything about the general business courseload so far. It's definitely interesting for me.

A good place to start isn't always necessarily what subjects you are/were good at in school, but also at your personality traits and such. For example, I have solid people skills and feel that I'm a pretty persuasive guy. Quick-witted. And persistent. So I figured those traits suit me more towards the business world than towards, say, the engineering world.

Also, not to hijack your thread, but I've been thinking about my major. More specifically, going over what field I'd like to be involved in. Like most college males I assume, I'd absolutely jump at the chance to get into the sports world of marketing/management.

So if anyone happens to have some advice or an experience related to that, I'd like to hear about it.

[Bacon]

If you are going to go that route, I'd strongly suggest that you spend a year or two at a community college (though I'll say that advisors at C.C. that I've heard of are AWFUL don't believe a word they say about transferring credits to other programs or your oppurtunities getting into other programs and the course aren't likely to be what you will see at 4 year schools), but you'll save somebody a lot of money.

This is an excellent paragraph, right down to the moronic CC advisers. They're awful. Most of my credits got shoved off into the corner as electives and had little to no impact on my program.

I don't regret going to CC for a year before transferring, it wiped out my math and PE requirements, but the credits were a mess to sort out.

[ncr2h]

My first advice to you is to completely ignore any and all advice you receive from anyone over the age of 28 or under the age of 23. By doing this you are limiting yourself to people who have graduated during the ****ty economy and you can safely ignore the old people who could major in philosophy and still land a decent job. Those days are gone. You can try to go down that route, but it is extremely perilous and not even close to a sure thing. Getting a job right out of college in a field that utilizes skills that you learned during college is actually relatively difficult.

My second advice would be to ignore liberal arts majors unless you plan on doing a masters (which costs a decent chunk of change). In my opinion, employers for entry level positions would almost always prefer a more specialized major than a liberal arts major. Want to be a financial analyst? If you're an econ major, you could be getting passed over by finance majors. Want to work in the sciences? Employers would probably prefer an engineering major than a physics major. Want to be an accountant? You can't even get an interview at most firms unless you're an accounting major. Want to be a consultant? Again, they'd probably prefer a finance or accounting major than an econ major.

That's just my advice. I graduated in this crappy economy and was stuck doing teaching for 2 years because I couldn't get a job anywhere else. The rules are absolutely different right now. Don't listen to the "follow your passion" crowd - you're going to college to get a job. Period. If you're not, then you're just wasting your money.

BTW I am an accountant. While the work itself doesn't exactly knock your socks off, the exit opportunities are great (meaning you can land a high paying job relatively early in your career after doing your time at your initial firm).

[Elessar78]

Sport Management while minoring in Comm


After being salutatorian and having a 4.08 GPA in HS, ppl don't understand why

I say major in something you love because I know plenty of kids that struggle at Drexel because they hate what they're majoring in whether it be accounting, engineering, etc.

After a decade in being a graphic designer, something I loved in college, I'd do engineering or something else. While I like my job well enough and do well enough at it, I would find something more concrete. This is my own personal view. I know a lot of designers who love it and make bank at it. As you grow, your passions may change, you may evolve, you may find the subject matter really interesting but the real world application not so much.

If you're good at math, consider something in engineering or the sciences. Those are the people that are in short supply. Nothing against accounting as that is lucrative too. Can be at least. MIS pays well too.

But Brave's post is accurate in that if you can't stomach something for 4 years then it'll be a hard go then you'll have to stomach that subject for the next 40 working years. Doesn't sound tolerable, huh?

Another approach is to figure out what areas interest you, let's say, Biology. Find out what's important to you: making lots of money or research. They don't have to be mutually exclusive but do figure out a way that you can be in biology AND make bank. But these answers don't really flesh themselves out till a few years after college. Sometimes. Universities do a good job getting a diploma in your hand, but few do a good job of giving you an idea of how to monetize the knowledge and skills they've given you outside of the traditional paths.

For example, as a designer, I was pushed to go work for ad and design firms. But that business model, well, sucks. I've found that being an entrepreneur or in-house is much more lucrative and stable than being at an agency. Find out how people make money in the fields you're considering.

[Koolblue13]

petroleum engineering ....woulda,coulda,shouda

I majored in having fun(which don't pay well)

http://www.payscale.com/college-sala...t-pay-you-back

I was a petroleum distribution manager myself for years.

I'd say take your time, get out in the world, wait to incure your debt and see what you want to do first. You don't have to run right back into a school.

[Burgold]

First major was based on volunteering. I spent some time helping out in different settings and found out that I really liked helping people and figuring out why people do what they do. Eventually, that landed me in Psych.

If you have to pick an early major find one that suits you... what are your hobbies, what do you gravitate to in your free time, what are you really good at? If you don't have to choose immediately then explore a bit until you find something that excites you. Changing majors is cool and most people wind up traveling different paths anyhow.

[No Excuses]

Life and nature fascinated me, so I majored in Molecular Biology. I'm now getting my PhD. in Neurogenetics.

[skinsdomination09]

My first advice to you is to completely ignore any and all advice you receive from anyone over the age of 28 or under the age of 23. By doing this you are limiting yourself to people who have graduated during the ****ty economy and you can safely ignore the old people who could major in philosophy and still land a decent job. Those days are gone. You can try to go down that route, but it is extremely perilous and not even close to a sure thing. Getting a job right out of college in a field that utilizes skills that you learned during college is actually relatively difficult.

My second advice would be to ignore liberal arts majors unless you plan on doing a masters (which costs a decent chunk of change). In my opinion, employers for entry level positions would almost always prefer a more specialized major than a liberal arts major. Want to be a financial analyst? If you're an econ major, you could be getting passed over by finance majors. Want to work in the sciences? Employers would probably prefer an engineering major than a physics major. Want to be an accountant? You can't even get an interview at most firms unless you're an accounting major. Want to be a consultant? Again, they'd probably prefer a finance or accounting major than an econ major.

That's just my advice. I graduated in this crappy economy and was stuck doing teaching for 2 years because I couldn't get a job anywhere else. The rules are absolutely different right now. Don't listen to the "follow your passion" crowd - you're going to college to get a job. Period. If you're not, then you're just wasting your money.

BTW I am an accountant. While the work itself doesn't exactly knock your socks off, the exit opportunities are great (meaning you can land a high paying job relatively early in your career after doing your time at your initial firm).

A couple questions...

Might be a dumb question, but what skillset do you see that most successful accountants have? (is it the logical math type would flourish etc...)

Is the work really as boring as it's stereotypically portrayed?

And how was the college workload? Did you get an internship?

Thanks so much to everybody who has responded. Has really helped.

[AsburySkinsFan]

Find something you're passionate about and pursue that, many will tell you to go after what pays, but a good salary is not enough to compensate for a career you're miserable in for the rest of your life.

But, you're still in high school you don't have to figure out what you're going to do with your life before graduation. What's more is that most people change careers at least once during their adult lives.

[hockeysc23]

How did I choose? My mom said she and my father are not paying for a BS degree, so if I want them to pay for it I need to get something I can get a marketable skill out of. I took business (finance specifically) because if I ever found something else I was passionate in the foundation of business skills are always useful. I switched from accounting because like you I liked the structured career growth and salary possibilities. I am ecstatic I got out of that field.

Someone else on here mentioned the book for career searchers, "What color is your parachute?" I recommend picking up a copy, doing some of the drills, etc. and see where you land.

I think in hindsight I would've done athletic training, I really enjoyed a couple optional classes I took in the subject but I also wouldn't be able to live in this area on that salary.

Like all things in life it's a trade-off. The best college advice I can give though regardless of major is to attend classes. You waste $$ for every one you skip, and at best you can get a C by showing up.

[ncr2h]

A couple questions...

Might be a dumb question, but what skillset do you see that most successful accountants have? (is it the logical math type would flourish etc...)

Is the work really as boring as it's stereotypically portrayed?

And how was the college workload? Did you get an internship?

Thanks so much to everybody who has responded. Has really helped.

I work in auditing, which is kind of a subset of accounting. In general, companies on the stock markets have to have their financial statements audited every year to make sure that investors are receiving reliable information. Auditors basically look at the financial statements, look at the company's own accounting records, and say whether or not the financial statements are correct and can be relied upon. In order to do that, auditors must know (a) the correct accounting rules and (b) the correct auditing rules (i.e. we can't just take one look and say "Yep! Looks good!"). To have a good start to your career as an auditor, these would be some good skills:

#1 - Good at writing - you will have to document everything you do, and therefore it's important to be able to write in a professional manner
#2 - Good mental math skills - you don't need calculus, but you do need to have a good grasp of ratios and other basic math concepts
#3 - Good at following directions - most of what we do isn't innovative or cutting edge. There are rules, and we have to make sure everything our client does can be justified using those rules. We also have to make sure that everything we do can be justified using our firm's own set of rules.
Bonus - Good personality and good Excel skills

Entry level audit work is boring, but not in the way it is typically portrayed. Typically, you think of a dude typing numbers into his calculator all day. We don't do that. What we do all day is work in Excel - your job during your first few years will be to take Excel spreadsheets that the client gives you, format it, understand it, and then do some basic testing (i.e. it says you made a large payment for X during the year, can I see the check and the invoice?). After about 2-3 years of that, you will have people working for you who do that work, while you basically manage them and write memos summarizing their work. After about 5 total years you will basically be done with Excel, and your job will be to understand what the people below you have done and hold discussions with high level client contacts to make sure you understand (and have performed research for) any controversial transactions. Waaaay down the road your job will move away from accounting into more of a sales type role - your job is to find new clients for your firm. At any point in this career trajectory you can jump away from your own firm into your client's firm at a fairly high level accounting position.

College workload is moderate. Most auditors do 4 years of undergrad and then a 1 year masters in Accounting. The masters is required in order to be eligible to sit for most states' CPA exams. You can avoid doing the masters, but it will mean an increased workload during your undergrad. There is a "weed out" class in the accounting curriculum at most schools called "Intermediate Accounting". It's a 2 semester course that basically teaches you all the basic accounting rules.

If you want a good job in accounting, you will want to get an internship after your junior year. It isn't that tough to get an accounting internship. If you want to be an auditor I would focus on getting an internship at one of the "Big 4" firms (Deloitte, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, KPMG, and Ernst & Young). If you get an internship at one of those 4 you will be almost guaranteed a job coming out of college, and they are the best place to start an accounting career. If you can't land a Big 4 internship, get an internship with a smaller auditing firm and then apply for a full-time position with the Big 4 during the fall of your senior year.

My advice would be to take an Introductory Accounting class and see how you like it. I think you'll find out pretty early whether or not Accounting makes sense for you. The stuff they teach in later courses, while a lot more complex, relies on all the same basic concepts that they teach in the introductory course.

[renaissance]

When I went to college I had no idea what I wanted to study. My initial inclination, based on a couple classes from my first semester, was to major in sociology. Then I took a couple political science classes and really liked the professors so I just kind of fell in to it and kept sociology as my minor.

In the end, unless you're going into a technical field, I don't think your major matters so much as the actual classes you've taken and the internships/work experience you have. No matter what major you choose, everyone should take at least 1 stats, 1 econ, and probably 1 accounting class, and EVERYONE should do some kind of internship or hold a part-time job while in college.

[deejaydana]

Some thoughtful responses here. And some good advice. I DO agree that you have to follow something that stokes your passion. It would be great if it was say, the hard sciences or accounting BUT the last thing you want to do is major in something that's going to suck the life out of you. I've always liked the saying, "do what you love and the money will follow." For me I always wanted to teach and so I chose the education field. Like so many people you talk to I ended up not staying there but I've applied what I learned to the business world (which I also majored in as a backup/failsafe). Certainly, times have changed and the job market doesn't even slightly resemble what it did even a few years back but you don't want to go into something that doesn't hold your interest (it just can't be sustained in my mind). One more thing, actually two, that I would recommend if it's an option for you: study for at least one year abroad and move away from your home base and attend a college out of state or at the least a decent distance from home (both are just a great way to grow). And don't neglect the ladies while attending, you have to stay sane thru all the studying after all. Best of luck to you.

[Elessar78]

My issue with the "passion" advice is that if you like the good life but your passion is helping the homeless them there's a disconnect. Lifestyle and career prospects should somewhat fall in line. That or marry well.