What is my life purpose?
March 22, 2009 8:08 AM Subscribe
What careers should I consider, and which college majors would be the appropriate match?
After taking some time off after graduating from high school to work and to get out of the bubble of academia, I'll soon be going to college.
And so the question remains. Never mind the fact that I've spent the past year ducking behind grocery store aisles in an attempt to avoid the judging eyes and contemplative "mmm, I see" of people who are clearly not impressed by my answer of, "I'm not sure yet," I really just want to have this figured out already. Yes I know I have time, I know I don't have to declare my major right away, but I want to get the ball rolling. I do want to be successful, financially and emotionally, and I want to do something I love. In practical terms I'm just not sure what that means.
Some info about me: I've always been a reader and a writer and I'm passionate about literature and languages. I also speak French fluently, and am currently learning Chinese and plan to continue in college. However, I am deeply interested by biology, nutrition, and the human body as well.
In the past, I have thought about law, international relations, politics, veterinary school, marine biology, art history...the list goes on. One thing I don't want to do is teach, I don't think I have the patience for it. I've also considered news-editorial journalism, but it makes me nervous hearing how it's a dying trade. Is that really so?
To cut to the chase, I just need some suggestions and ideas. Thank you :]
After taking some time off after graduating from high school to work and to get out of the bubble of academia, I'll soon be going to college.
And so the question remains. Never mind the fact that I've spent the past year ducking behind grocery store aisles in an attempt to avoid the judging eyes and contemplative "mmm, I see" of people who are clearly not impressed by my answer of, "I'm not sure yet," I really just want to have this figured out already. Yes I know I have time, I know I don't have to declare my major right away, but I want to get the ball rolling. I do want to be successful, financially and emotionally, and I want to do something I love. In practical terms I'm just not sure what that means.
Some info about me: I've always been a reader and a writer and I'm passionate about literature and languages. I also speak French fluently, and am currently learning Chinese and plan to continue in college. However, I am deeply interested by biology, nutrition, and the human body as well.
In the past, I have thought about law, international relations, politics, veterinary school, marine biology, art history...the list goes on. One thing I don't want to do is teach, I don't think I have the patience for it. I've also considered news-editorial journalism, but it makes me nervous hearing how it's a dying trade. Is that really so?
To cut to the chase, I just need some suggestions and ideas. Thank you :]
looking at all the majors they've suggested?
should have been "majors they offer ..."
posted by jayder at 8:26 AM on March 22, 2009
should have been "majors they offer ..."
posted by jayder at 8:26 AM on March 22, 2009
I'm sorry, I'm really not trying to un-answer your question, but this:
In the past, I have thought about law, international relations, politics, veterinary school, marine biology, art history...
...is sort of what college is for. The best way to get started on picking a major is to take a wide selection of courses touching on all of those things and explore your interests. I also think you will feel very different about not having a specific major in mind once you get to a college campus filled with other people who don't have a fucking clue, either.
Also keep in mind that with very few exceptions, university is not vocational training. You can graduate with a degree in English and get recruited for software sales, got to law school with a Romance Languages degree, or have a degree in biology and be a novelist. If you want to use university for some kind of pre-professional programme, like pre-med or a PharmD, that's usually something you determine before you get there.
posted by DarlingBri at 8:28 AM on March 22, 2009
In the past, I have thought about law, international relations, politics, veterinary school, marine biology, art history...
...is sort of what college is for. The best way to get started on picking a major is to take a wide selection of courses touching on all of those things and explore your interests. I also think you will feel very different about not having a specific major in mind once you get to a college campus filled with other people who don't have a fucking clue, either.
Also keep in mind that with very few exceptions, university is not vocational training. You can graduate with a degree in English and get recruited for software sales, got to law school with a Romance Languages degree, or have a degree in biology and be a novelist. If you want to use university for some kind of pre-professional programme, like pre-med or a PharmD, that's usually something you determine before you get there.
posted by DarlingBri at 8:28 AM on March 22, 2009
Best answer: I'm a writer. For financial reasons, I'd suggest you consider your ability to write a useful skill but not your main trade. You'd make more money in some form of science. A biologist/nutritionist/whatever who can write would find more and better-paying opportunities than a journalist. If you do want to keep writing foremost, you might consider medical writing.
posted by PatoPata at 8:30 AM on March 22, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by PatoPata at 8:30 AM on March 22, 2009 [1 favorite]
Seconding the notion that one thing college is great for, is spending a few years exploring the very question you are posing. Go to college expecting to try out courses in various subjects, and pursue the ones that resonate with you. Plan for college to be an education, not a doorway to a specific career. If you find you need more education for a particular career, there is always grad school. If not, then you get a broad liberal arts degree and go on to find a good job doing whatever that is.
Also, don't stick yourself with the expectation that you need to go for exactly four years and then finish. There is nothing wrong with taking a pause, extending a semester or whatever to make the experience fit for you.
posted by meinvt at 8:38 AM on March 22, 2009
Also, don't stick yourself with the expectation that you need to go for exactly four years and then finish. There is nothing wrong with taking a pause, extending a semester or whatever to make the experience fit for you.
posted by meinvt at 8:38 AM on March 22, 2009
Best answer: I've also considered news-editorial journalism, but it makes me nervous hearing how it's a dying trade. Is that really so?
I can address this specific part of your question. I'm an editor at a newspaper, and this is just my opinion. Others in the biz might have completely different views. Print journalism as an industry is in a horrible state right now and will probably never be what it once was. But that said, consumption of news has never been higher. The New York Times, for example, might be losing print readers left and right, but more people read the NYT -- in its print and online formats -- than ever before. My point is that while the print journalism industry is in crisis mode, it seems likely that journalism in some form is going to survive and even thrive based on sheer demand for news and information alone. Depending on how you look at it, entering a journalism career right now could be a major risk filled with stress and a constant threat of being laid off, or it could be an exciting adventure where you get in on the ground floor of an industry rapidly evolving to suit 21st century demands.
Another thing to consider: You don't even need to study journalism to practice journalism. I learned just as much at my student newspaper as I ever did in any journalism class. And potential employers down the road are going to be much more interested in your published clips and, these days, your multimedia skills (video, audio, photo editing, etc.) than what your major was.
posted by TBoneMcCool at 8:38 AM on March 22, 2009
I can address this specific part of your question. I'm an editor at a newspaper, and this is just my opinion. Others in the biz might have completely different views. Print journalism as an industry is in a horrible state right now and will probably never be what it once was. But that said, consumption of news has never been higher. The New York Times, for example, might be losing print readers left and right, but more people read the NYT -- in its print and online formats -- than ever before. My point is that while the print journalism industry is in crisis mode, it seems likely that journalism in some form is going to survive and even thrive based on sheer demand for news and information alone. Depending on how you look at it, entering a journalism career right now could be a major risk filled with stress and a constant threat of being laid off, or it could be an exciting adventure where you get in on the ground floor of an industry rapidly evolving to suit 21st century demands.
Another thing to consider: You don't even need to study journalism to practice journalism. I learned just as much at my student newspaper as I ever did in any journalism class. And potential employers down the road are going to be much more interested in your published clips and, these days, your multimedia skills (video, audio, photo editing, etc.) than what your major was.
posted by TBoneMcCool at 8:38 AM on March 22, 2009
Get a course catalog from a college, look through it, look at all the classes, and circle the ones that sound great to you. That will give you some clue as to area really interests you the most. And before you declare a major, take some classes in different areas and see what you're good at, too.
posted by Green Eyed Monster at 8:44 AM on March 22, 2009
posted by Green Eyed Monster at 8:44 AM on March 22, 2009
If you decide on a major that doesn't come with a career path (like if you major in engineering, you'll be an engineer; if you major in education you'll be a teacher) then I think you need something else that focuses your career and makes you employable.
Whether this is continuing on to law school or getting some sort of certification (translation maybe?) or finding internships every summer that give you experience and networking opportunities, you have to do thing that set you apart. I think what you chose to major in matters less than how you embellish that major.
posted by jschu at 8:47 AM on March 22, 2009
Whether this is continuing on to law school or getting some sort of certification (translation maybe?) or finding internships every summer that give you experience and networking opportunities, you have to do thing that set you apart. I think what you chose to major in matters less than how you embellish that major.
posted by jschu at 8:47 AM on March 22, 2009
Response by poster: Sorry, I may not have been specific enough in asking my question. Basically I am looking for insight along the lines of what PatoPata wrote.
I know to look at a course catalog, I've spent many hours doing that!
Thanks all :]
posted by DeltaForce at 9:01 AM on March 22, 2009
I know to look at a course catalog, I've spent many hours doing that!
Thanks all :]
posted by DeltaForce at 9:01 AM on March 22, 2009
My experience at Yale was that the best classes I took were ones given by the most popular professors. NOT necessarily classes in fields I already knew I was interested in, but classes by professors who lit their students on fire about whatever they were on fire about.
Rarely will you learn a specific piece of knowledge in college that you will actually use in life. I have not used linear algebra since then, and Soviet History has not proved particularly handy. What you learn in college is how to think, and convince, and how to approach a problem with different perspectives. College gives you an intellectual toolkit. You learn how to learn.
Take the great professors and follow whatever rings your bell.
posted by musofire at 9:01 AM on March 22, 2009 [4 favorites]
Rarely will you learn a specific piece of knowledge in college that you will actually use in life. I have not used linear algebra since then, and Soviet History has not proved particularly handy. What you learn in college is how to think, and convince, and how to approach a problem with different perspectives. College gives you an intellectual toolkit. You learn how to learn.
Take the great professors and follow whatever rings your bell.
posted by musofire at 9:01 AM on March 22, 2009 [4 favorites]
Get a course catalog from a college, look through it, look at all the classes, and circle the ones that sound great to you.
It's a better idea to take the teacher, not the course. Do you have any friends at this university already? Ask them who their most amazing instructors were. Take courses from those instructors. If you don't have enough friends at the university to get a good sampling this way, then see if you can find an online message board or testimonials somewhere. More helpful than numerical rankings that you'll get on some professor-rating web sites.
Spending one or two semesters taking the university's best entry-level instructors will give you a good idea of the sort of stuff you might be interested in.
posted by grouse at 9:02 AM on March 22, 2009
It's a better idea to take the teacher, not the course. Do you have any friends at this university already? Ask them who their most amazing instructors were. Take courses from those instructors. If you don't have enough friends at the university to get a good sampling this way, then see if you can find an online message board or testimonials somewhere. More helpful than numerical rankings that you'll get on some professor-rating web sites.
Spending one or two semesters taking the university's best entry-level instructors will give you a good idea of the sort of stuff you might be interested in.
posted by grouse at 9:02 AM on March 22, 2009
Best answer: You are me down to a tee. I was in your shoes once - about 15 years ago. I didn't know what I wanted to be when I grew up and yet I was headed off to college without a clue of what to major in. And I kept hearing people tell me that "I have time," that "I'll figure it out." Well, y'know what? I never did figure it out. Instead I took an interesting class here and there, changed my major from criminal justice to agriculture to English lit and back again and none of them really did it for me. I fizzled out because I didn't have a specific goal I was working toward. I dropped out. To this day I regret not getting a degree in something ANYTHING. I now have three small children and the fact that I never finished college looms over me like a dark cloud. Once the kids are off at school, I'll go back and finish up my degree in SOMETHING ANYTHING.
I was surrounded by friends that knew what they wanted to major in and that was stressful to me because I had no clue. I also have friends that majored in stuff like travel and tourism, elementary education, international business and are now paralegals, stay-at-home moms, and apartment managers.
At this point - get your degree in SOMETHING ANYTHING. You don't need to know exactly what you want to do, just get the degree.
Maybe go for a liberal arts degree. Or if you have enough interest in one particular field, use that as your major, whether it be English, biology, law, etc. Just pick one.
Just get it done. Get that undergrad degree and then re-evaluate.
FWIW, if I could go back in time and do it all over again, I'd go into a science field.
posted by Sassyfras at 9:02 AM on March 22, 2009
I was surrounded by friends that knew what they wanted to major in and that was stressful to me because I had no clue. I also have friends that majored in stuff like travel and tourism, elementary education, international business and are now paralegals, stay-at-home moms, and apartment managers.
At this point - get your degree in SOMETHING ANYTHING. You don't need to know exactly what you want to do, just get the degree.
Maybe go for a liberal arts degree. Or if you have enough interest in one particular field, use that as your major, whether it be English, biology, law, etc. Just pick one.
Just get it done. Get that undergrad degree and then re-evaluate.
FWIW, if I could go back in time and do it all over again, I'd go into a science field.
posted by Sassyfras at 9:02 AM on March 22, 2009
College isn't for everyone. A friend of mine tried six majors before he dropped out to work as a photographer's assistant. A year later he's a pro, and finally happy but in alot of debt from those years in school.
I stayed straight through for 5+ years and ended up with a bachelor's in art and a master's in education. However, if I could do it all over again I would've started with a year in beauty or bar-tending school for financial reasons.
posted by debbie_ann at 9:02 AM on March 22, 2009
I stayed straight through for 5+ years and ended up with a bachelor's in art and a master's in education. However, if I could do it all over again I would've started with a year in beauty or bar-tending school for financial reasons.
posted by debbie_ann at 9:02 AM on March 22, 2009
Best answer: I am looking for insight along the lines of what PatoPata wrote.
Okay, if it is really a toss-up between art history or a biology degree on the pre-vet track, and your interest between the two options is perfectly matched, I'd do the latter every time. There aren't too many jobs that require an art history degree, but many that will require a biology degree or a veterinary degree. There are lots of jobs that just require a college degree and you will be able to get those no matter what you do.
But if you had a strong interest in art history and very little in biology, I'd probably do the art history rather than biology just because your Aunt Mary thinks that it's an area with great job prospects. Even if you can't get a museum job, those general jobs will still be open to you. You want to be as successful as you can during college, and you will be more successful by doing something you enjoy.
posted by grouse at 9:09 AM on March 22, 2009
Okay, if it is really a toss-up between art history or a biology degree on the pre-vet track, and your interest between the two options is perfectly matched, I'd do the latter every time. There aren't too many jobs that require an art history degree, but many that will require a biology degree or a veterinary degree. There are lots of jobs that just require a college degree and you will be able to get those no matter what you do.
But if you had a strong interest in art history and very little in biology, I'd probably do the art history rather than biology just because your Aunt Mary thinks that it's an area with great job prospects. Even if you can't get a museum job, those general jobs will still be open to you. You want to be as successful as you can during college, and you will be more successful by doing something you enjoy.
posted by grouse at 9:09 AM on March 22, 2009
Think of it this way: you're going to get a degree in something, and then you will probably need to go get some kind of vocational training after that. The first degree is just the padding that gets you a little farther. The vocational training is where the big decision comes in. Have fun with the first degree, study things you find fascinating, take every opportunity to double major (or more), be as broad and eclectic as you can. Specializing is for later.
I know someone who double majored in biology and fine art. These are the kinds of things that make you interesting and different.
You can start thinking about what that vocational training might be, but don't fuss too much about it yet. Just be prepared that it's a likely direction you'll need to take in order to get an actual job.
posted by Hildegarde at 9:22 AM on March 22, 2009
I know someone who double majored in biology and fine art. These are the kinds of things that make you interesting and different.
You can start thinking about what that vocational training might be, but don't fuss too much about it yet. Just be prepared that it's a likely direction you'll need to take in order to get an actual job.
posted by Hildegarde at 9:22 AM on March 22, 2009
Best answer: Let me offer an alternate experience to Sassyfras. I started college with the attitude that even if I was unsure it was better just to declare a major (okay, a double major) and run with it, changing my mind later if I wanted. I planned out the course schedule for my entire college experience before the first day of class. I stuck to it and graduated on time. Worked great for me, and I never felt like changing my majors.
My experience is not shared by everyone who takes that path, however, and that is why I do not recommend it. For every person like me, there's probably a few more who realize in their third year that what they really love is some other subject, and then they have the choice of changing and taking an extra year or two, or sticking with something they have come to hate and graduating on time.
The point of exploring now is so that you won't have to change later. So, by all means, set a deadline—perhaps you should decide to declaring a major by the day when class registration for your third semester opens, and to commit to it before the third semester starts. But you can probably take a few classes in diverse areas your first two semesters without delaying your graduation—most degree plans include time for core curriculum and electives. (Of course, there are exceptions to this. Some majors, like engineering at my undergrad alma mater, required courses arranged into a string of prerequisites such that if you did not start the recommended courses your first semester, you could not finish on time. Also, once you decide on a major, it is beneficial to spread out your electives and core courses over the rest of college, as they may be a bit easier than your senior-level major courses).
posted by grouse at 9:29 AM on March 22, 2009
My experience is not shared by everyone who takes that path, however, and that is why I do not recommend it. For every person like me, there's probably a few more who realize in their third year that what they really love is some other subject, and then they have the choice of changing and taking an extra year or two, or sticking with something they have come to hate and graduating on time.
The point of exploring now is so that you won't have to change later. So, by all means, set a deadline—perhaps you should decide to declaring a major by the day when class registration for your third semester opens, and to commit to it before the third semester starts. But you can probably take a few classes in diverse areas your first two semesters without delaying your graduation—most degree plans include time for core curriculum and electives. (Of course, there are exceptions to this. Some majors, like engineering at my undergrad alma mater, required courses arranged into a string of prerequisites such that if you did not start the recommended courses your first semester, you could not finish on time. Also, once you decide on a major, it is beneficial to spread out your electives and core courses over the rest of college, as they may be a bit easier than your senior-level major courses).
posted by grouse at 9:29 AM on March 22, 2009
Response by poster: Sorry to keep adding on, but what about working at a science/health publication (whether be it a magazine or an online resource)? Would a combination of say, biology major and English minor be useful?
posted by DeltaForce at 9:32 AM on March 22, 2009
posted by DeltaForce at 9:32 AM on March 22, 2009
Best answer: You have a keen interest in food, and quite a lot of knowledge about it already; it is perhaps no coincidence that you have been doing your dodging in a grocery store.
Why not make food your profession? As a planet we are all going to be even more obsessed with food over the coming century than we have been already, and you would only be making a virtue of the inevitable by getting a head start. French and Chinese are ideal languages for achieving primary source driven global perspectives about food.
For your hard science coursework, I'd recommend things like physiology and botany as closely related to food as you can get them, as well as nutrition, but I worry you may experience chemistry/biochemistry as a roadblock, and I think you might actually get more stuff relevent to food out of courses for non-majors.
If they don't exist right now, I really expect food majors and even food departments in the very near future. Take a look around and see what you find.
posted by jamjam at 9:34 AM on March 22, 2009 [1 favorite]
Why not make food your profession? As a planet we are all going to be even more obsessed with food over the coming century than we have been already, and you would only be making a virtue of the inevitable by getting a head start. French and Chinese are ideal languages for achieving primary source driven global perspectives about food.
For your hard science coursework, I'd recommend things like physiology and botany as closely related to food as you can get them, as well as nutrition, but I worry you may experience chemistry/biochemistry as a roadblock, and I think you might actually get more stuff relevent to food out of courses for non-majors.
If they don't exist right now, I really expect food majors and even food departments in the very near future. Take a look around and see what you find.
posted by jamjam at 9:34 AM on March 22, 2009 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Get the degree. I'm a teacher, so I guess I'm biased towards the academic pedigree side of things, but it really does and will matter. You will be judged by many things in life, many of them bullshit, but simply having your academic credentials listed at the top of your resume or blog will carry lots of weight.
I majored in English. I loved it. If I had to do it over again, I would have worked harder at learning tech/computer type skills, some of which I managed to pick up on the way.
Zeitgeist-wise, the global economy is fucked. IMO, managers (the people who decide whether or not to give you money once per month to do things for them and the company) are more interested in your clips, web projects, _actual_ work, than they are in your achievements in college, but you still need that bedrock, quick-fire answer to the question "What was your major?"
And Christ, have fun. That's what college is about -- exposing your mind to new and different ideas.
And learning a new language wouldn't hurt either. I'm jealous that you're fluent in French. I tried! But now I speak passable Spanish and I'm working on my Korean. I'd like to study Chinese or Arabic if I ever get the chance.
posted by bardic at 9:39 AM on March 22, 2009 [1 favorite]
I majored in English. I loved it. If I had to do it over again, I would have worked harder at learning tech/computer type skills, some of which I managed to pick up on the way.
Zeitgeist-wise, the global economy is fucked. IMO, managers (the people who decide whether or not to give you money once per month to do things for them and the company) are more interested in your clips, web projects, _actual_ work, than they are in your achievements in college, but you still need that bedrock, quick-fire answer to the question "What was your major?"
And Christ, have fun. That's what college is about -- exposing your mind to new and different ideas.
And learning a new language wouldn't hurt either. I'm jealous that you're fluent in French. I tried! But now I speak passable Spanish and I'm working on my Korean. I'd like to study Chinese or Arabic if I ever get the chance.
posted by bardic at 9:39 AM on March 22, 2009 [1 favorite]
Best answer: What would be far more impressive than an English minor is if you started your own student science publication, or edited an existing one.
An English major (or minor) is not really about learning to write, although you certainly do a lot of writing. At least at the universities I am familiar with it is learning about literature and how to write about it, but if you aren't really interested in the literary criticism aspects, it is a poor choice. See if your university has classes devoted to science writing or to writing skills that are open to any major. I still regret not being able to take a renowned class in advanced expository writing, because it required out-of-class work that took 20 hours a week, and there was no way I had time for that in my double-degree course load.
posted by grouse at 9:48 AM on March 22, 2009
An English major (or minor) is not really about learning to write, although you certainly do a lot of writing. At least at the universities I am familiar with it is learning about literature and how to write about it, but if you aren't really interested in the literary criticism aspects, it is a poor choice. See if your university has classes devoted to science writing or to writing skills that are open to any major. I still regret not being able to take a renowned class in advanced expository writing, because it required out-of-class work that took 20 hours a week, and there was no way I had time for that in my double-degree course load.
posted by grouse at 9:48 AM on March 22, 2009
(Also, I would agree that a degree in a hard science is never going to go out of style. I am going to be paying for my student loans for a long time, but having a degree in chemistry from a really good school is totally worth it. Having a degree opens more doors than it closes.)
posted by Green Eyed Monster at 9:51 AM on March 22, 2009
posted by Green Eyed Monster at 9:51 AM on March 22, 2009
Best answer: I'll share my experiences with this. I had no clue either, but by having no clue I wound up with two great majors I never would have considered otherwise.
I was going to be a polisci major. I took one class, hated it, and spent a semester without a clue. Then I took an anthropology class to fulfill a science requirement. Now I'm an anthropology major. The class just struck a chord with me. I would never have given the major a glance if not for that random class I took.
My second major is adverising. I wanted to write, but didn't want to do English, so I thought, hey, I'll do news writing instead. I was admitted to the journalism department at my school, and then I came to the same conclusion as you, that news writing would be a bad long-term move. So I randomly chose another track in the j-school, advertising. Thought, hey, they do some writing, it could be ok. Well, I'm totally in love with it. I can see making this my career- I've never felt that way before. And I chose that major in the middle of my junior year.
I still have days when I feel sad that now I'll never be a vet or engineer or whatever, but usually I'm too busy enjoying the hell out of my classes to bother with that.
posted by showbiz_liz at 9:53 AM on March 22, 2009 [1 favorite]
I was going to be a polisci major. I took one class, hated it, and spent a semester without a clue. Then I took an anthropology class to fulfill a science requirement. Now I'm an anthropology major. The class just struck a chord with me. I would never have given the major a glance if not for that random class I took.
My second major is adverising. I wanted to write, but didn't want to do English, so I thought, hey, I'll do news writing instead. I was admitted to the journalism department at my school, and then I came to the same conclusion as you, that news writing would be a bad long-term move. So I randomly chose another track in the j-school, advertising. Thought, hey, they do some writing, it could be ok. Well, I'm totally in love with it. I can see making this my career- I've never felt that way before. And I chose that major in the middle of my junior year.
I still have days when I feel sad that now I'll never be a vet or engineer or whatever, but usually I'm too busy enjoying the hell out of my classes to bother with that.
posted by showbiz_liz at 9:53 AM on March 22, 2009 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Major in one of the arts/letters and take your MCAT science course (bio, chem, o chem, physics), rock the MCAT and impress the fuck out of a med school admissions committee with your science acumen but your non-science degree. Either way, become a medical doctor (a high-paying recession-proof career) who can write.
You haven't mentioned what schools you're interested in- this is important.
posted by ethnomethodologist at 9:56 AM on March 22, 2009 [1 favorite]
You haven't mentioned what schools you're interested in- this is important.
posted by ethnomethodologist at 9:56 AM on March 22, 2009 [1 favorite]
I was an IAff major at a good east coast school and thought that I was headed for either the State Department or USAID. I concentrated on global public health but didn't take a single science course, but it slowly dawned on me in my junior year that I would not be happy working a cubicle and that I desperately wanted to do clinical work.
As it happens, medical schools have a whole set of prerequisite science courses:
-1 year of Biology (with lab)
-1 year of Inorganic Chemistry (with lab)
-1 year of Organic Chemistry (with lab)
-1 year of Physics (with lab)
It was too late (and expensive) for me to switch majors at that stage in the game, so I took my BA and am now in a postbac program at a large state university taking undergraduate science courses. The going is difficult and while the course requirements can be completed in about 15 months, the timing of the admissions process actually makes it a 2-year break.
What I'm trying to illustrate is that had I taken the prerequisites alongside my other major requirements, I'd have been in a much better position upon graduating from college. As such, I strongly encourage you to hedge in your course schedules for any career you might want later in life. Take the science courses and the IT courses right alongside your literature, linguistics, and philosophy courses. The super-awesome benefit to this strategy is that you often end up much more well-rounded as a by-product.
Above all else, and especially in this economy, remember that you can be a writer, a poet, or a painter without ever enrolling in a course; it's a different story if you ultimately decide to be a doctor or an engineer.
posted by The White Hat at 10:02 AM on March 22, 2009
As it happens, medical schools have a whole set of prerequisite science courses:
-1 year of Biology (with lab)
-1 year of Inorganic Chemistry (with lab)
-1 year of Organic Chemistry (with lab)
-1 year of Physics (with lab)
It was too late (and expensive) for me to switch majors at that stage in the game, so I took my BA and am now in a postbac program at a large state university taking undergraduate science courses. The going is difficult and while the course requirements can be completed in about 15 months, the timing of the admissions process actually makes it a 2-year break.
What I'm trying to illustrate is that had I taken the prerequisites alongside my other major requirements, I'd have been in a much better position upon graduating from college. As such, I strongly encourage you to hedge in your course schedules for any career you might want later in life. Take the science courses and the IT courses right alongside your literature, linguistics, and philosophy courses. The super-awesome benefit to this strategy is that you often end up much more well-rounded as a by-product.
Above all else, and especially in this economy, remember that you can be a writer, a poet, or a painter without ever enrolling in a course; it's a different story if you ultimately decide to be a doctor or an engineer.
posted by The White Hat at 10:02 AM on March 22, 2009
Or, you know, what ethnomethodologist said.
posted by The White Hat at 10:03 AM on March 22, 2009
posted by The White Hat at 10:03 AM on March 22, 2009
You mentioned an interest in international issues. What about a career with the US state department?
posted by bluedaisy at 10:03 AM on March 22, 2009
posted by bluedaisy at 10:03 AM on March 22, 2009
Response by poster: You haven't mentioned what schools you're interested in- this is important.
I'm already in at Boston University and College of Charleston, but am considering Ohio State because of financial reasons. But that's a whole 'nother MeFi question!
Oh and BTW, AMAZING answers so far. Seriously, thankyouthankyouthankyou.
posted by DeltaForce at 10:09 AM on March 22, 2009
I'm already in at Boston University and College of Charleston, but am considering Ohio State because of financial reasons. But that's a whole 'nother MeFi question!
Oh and BTW, AMAZING answers so far. Seriously, thankyouthankyouthankyou.
posted by DeltaForce at 10:09 AM on March 22, 2009
Best answer: OK, here's the thing: it's great to think about potential career paths like you're doing now. However, unless there is something you are really passionate about, you will change your mind. I'm almost 10 years out of college. Of all the people I started college with, the only people who have stuck with what they originally planned to major in were the people who had some sort of burning passion.
It's ok not to have a burning passion right now. Most of my friends didn't, and they pretty much all ended up ok, with good careers they discovered during or after college. So keep doing what you're doing, thinking about possible careers. Make sure to test things out through internships, summer jobs and activites. Take some of those pre-med courses, since the world always needs doctors, and you like science, but also take an art history class, or a class in anthropology or women's studies, or European history. Keep exploring.
Oh, and those people who look at you weird for not knowing your life plan at 18? Fuck them. Seriously. They clearly have completely forgotten what it's like to be 18. Also, this is one thing no one tells you about being a grownup: no matter what it is you're doing, whether it's following your passion or just trying to figure out what that is, there will always be people who will want to tell you it's weird or unacceptable. Or will have a "better" idea. Some of them will be well-motivated, but youre the only one that has to live your life. So don't let the haters get you down.
posted by lunasol at 10:20 AM on March 22, 2009 [1 favorite]
It's ok not to have a burning passion right now. Most of my friends didn't, and they pretty much all ended up ok, with good careers they discovered during or after college. So keep doing what you're doing, thinking about possible careers. Make sure to test things out through internships, summer jobs and activites. Take some of those pre-med courses, since the world always needs doctors, and you like science, but also take an art history class, or a class in anthropology or women's studies, or European history. Keep exploring.
Oh, and those people who look at you weird for not knowing your life plan at 18? Fuck them. Seriously. They clearly have completely forgotten what it's like to be 18. Also, this is one thing no one tells you about being a grownup: no matter what it is you're doing, whether it's following your passion or just trying to figure out what that is, there will always be people who will want to tell you it's weird or unacceptable. Or will have a "better" idea. Some of them will be well-motivated, but youre the only one that has to live your life. So don't let the haters get you down.
posted by lunasol at 10:20 AM on March 22, 2009 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Yeah, after some breakfast and second thoughts...
The point of higher education at this point in your life is to have it change you. Completely, irrevocably, change you. So go and let yourself be challenged, shocked; have epiphanies. Don't draw a box around yourself too soon. You will probably find that you don't know yourself nearly as well as you thought you did, because you're still in the process of shifting and changing. This is the real advantage of higher education. You know you're really getting somewhere when you realize that you don't know much at all about the world at all. (The more you learn, the more obvious this becomes.) The process of change is what turns you into the best you you can be. If you're lucky, you'll hold on to that habit of finding epiphanies everywhere.
Practically speaking, don't take more than one course in any department for at least your first term. Spread them out and get the entry-level course in a bunch of different disciplines. Avoid specializing as long as possible. You will be swayed by strong personalities; that's okay. Be swayed, it's all part of the process.
I'm kind of jealous. I miss being in school. It's so much fun.
posted by Hildegarde at 10:37 AM on March 22, 2009 [2 favorites]
The point of higher education at this point in your life is to have it change you. Completely, irrevocably, change you. So go and let yourself be challenged, shocked; have epiphanies. Don't draw a box around yourself too soon. You will probably find that you don't know yourself nearly as well as you thought you did, because you're still in the process of shifting and changing. This is the real advantage of higher education. You know you're really getting somewhere when you realize that you don't know much at all about the world at all. (The more you learn, the more obvious this becomes.) The process of change is what turns you into the best you you can be. If you're lucky, you'll hold on to that habit of finding epiphanies everywhere.
Practically speaking, don't take more than one course in any department for at least your first term. Spread them out and get the entry-level course in a bunch of different disciplines. Avoid specializing as long as possible. You will be swayed by strong personalities; that's okay. Be swayed, it's all part of the process.
I'm kind of jealous. I miss being in school. It's so much fun.
posted by Hildegarde at 10:37 AM on March 22, 2009 [2 favorites]
You can do anything in college and be a science writer really. Writing skills have little to do with what you study in class. Write a lot, read a lot, be open to criticism.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 11:22 AM on March 22, 2009
posted by Potomac Avenue at 11:22 AM on March 22, 2009
Best answer: Since you are wavering - whatever the major, make sure it isn't something anyone can later claim is a gut discipline. Do math, Chinese, Latin, chemistry - whatever. Even if you never use it (and plenty if not most folks do nothing directly connected to their college majors), you will always be able to show you didn't bs your way through.
posted by IndigoJones at 12:30 PM on March 22, 2009
posted by IndigoJones at 12:30 PM on March 22, 2009
For science writing, a biology or similar major would be very useful. An English minor might not be unless you focus on non-fiction writing. A journalism minor might be more useful.
I sometimes hire writers for clients or my own business, and English degrees don't win many points with me. I haven't seen much of a correlation between having an English degree and being able to write in the business world. Some J school graduates have given better impressions, but really all I care about are writing samples.
If you want to develop your ability to write about science topics, you might choose English classes that teach nonfiction writing, take some classes in the journalism school that teach news writing, or best of all, get a job that requires writing. You might also find classes specifically in science writing.
The way a professor responds to your writing can be very different from the way an employer, client, or publication will respond, and in my (jaded) experience some writing instructors have been in academia too long to be able to teach real-world writing. You might look at a community college to see if they have writing instructors that are currently working in the non-academic world, because they might give you better guidance and more useful skills.
posted by PatoPata at 12:32 PM on March 22, 2009 [1 favorite]
I sometimes hire writers for clients or my own business, and English degrees don't win many points with me. I haven't seen much of a correlation between having an English degree and being able to write in the business world. Some J school graduates have given better impressions, but really all I care about are writing samples.
If you want to develop your ability to write about science topics, you might choose English classes that teach nonfiction writing, take some classes in the journalism school that teach news writing, or best of all, get a job that requires writing. You might also find classes specifically in science writing.
The way a professor responds to your writing can be very different from the way an employer, client, or publication will respond, and in my (jaded) experience some writing instructors have been in academia too long to be able to teach real-world writing. You might look at a community college to see if they have writing instructors that are currently working in the non-academic world, because they might give you better guidance and more useful skills.
posted by PatoPata at 12:32 PM on March 22, 2009 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I think you should get a better idea of your reasons for attending university, especially if this is your first time. Your answers will greatly affect your school and degree choice.
For example, how important is it that you are employable?
If I were independently wealthy, then I'd probably have little concern for employability and would just pay my way into a very well-ranked, very well-known school, perhaps choosing a degree that genuinely interests me. Were I interested in literature, I might choose comparative literature or area studies. Career possibilities would be limited and pay will be low but livable, but it wouldn't really matter if I could find a job or not. Of course, I might also just want to spend my life having fun, in which case getting an easy business degree would give me plenty of free time while still allowing me to learn the the only skills I might actually ever need (e.g., personal finance management.)
If I were not independently wealthy, I might strongly desire financial stability, so if employability were a big concern, I would probably choose a popular field wherein graduate quality could be easily measured. For example, I would avoid fields wherein the name-recognition of my school plays a big factor in employment, because the cost of my degree might prove a poor investment unless I were particularly talented or the field were particularly lucrative. I might pick a premedical track, because once certified and licensed, employers would likely weigh my experience and standardized test scores more than the name recognition of my school. (Also, that there may be post-graduate educational requirements means I could climb the ladder of school quality, since an employer would care most about the last institution I attended rather than the first.) I could also consider an engineering degree whose skills are considered commoditized/fungible by employers, as jobs would be relatively plentiful, skill requirements would be relatively low, and my alma mater would not be a huge concern in hiring. (e.g., various kinds of business programming fit this description.)
Of course, employability is just one of many factors to consider. You should, for example, also consider your tolerance for theory. Your love for literature may not translate into a degree choice if you are averse to studying such incredibly impractical topics as (Post-)Modernism, (Post-)Marxism, (Post-)Colonialism, or (Post-)Structuralism. Your love for language might mean a fun few semesters in pre-major language courses but a few years of boredom studying phonetics and historical linguistics or studying pre-modern language and literature (e.g., Middle Chinese and T'ang Dynasty Shih Poetry.) On the other hand, a business programming or IT/MIS degree will likely expose you to very little computer science (e.g., category theory or lambda calculus,) which you may find more interesting than ASP.NET.
As you can see, it's difficult to give degree advice knowing just your personal interests. (In fact, it has been my experience that one's personal interests do not necessarily correlate to one's professional or academic interests. I am very academically interested -- though not very knowledgeable -- in Chinese Art History, but I'd never want to be a curator or lecturer, and I am bored to tears every time I visit the National Palace Museum.)
posted by Sangermaine at 5:33 PM on March 22, 2009
For example, how important is it that you are employable?
If I were independently wealthy, then I'd probably have little concern for employability and would just pay my way into a very well-ranked, very well-known school, perhaps choosing a degree that genuinely interests me. Were I interested in literature, I might choose comparative literature or area studies. Career possibilities would be limited and pay will be low but livable, but it wouldn't really matter if I could find a job or not. Of course, I might also just want to spend my life having fun, in which case getting an easy business degree would give me plenty of free time while still allowing me to learn the the only skills I might actually ever need (e.g., personal finance management.)
If I were not independently wealthy, I might strongly desire financial stability, so if employability were a big concern, I would probably choose a popular field wherein graduate quality could be easily measured. For example, I would avoid fields wherein the name-recognition of my school plays a big factor in employment, because the cost of my degree might prove a poor investment unless I were particularly talented or the field were particularly lucrative. I might pick a premedical track, because once certified and licensed, employers would likely weigh my experience and standardized test scores more than the name recognition of my school. (Also, that there may be post-graduate educational requirements means I could climb the ladder of school quality, since an employer would care most about the last institution I attended rather than the first.) I could also consider an engineering degree whose skills are considered commoditized/fungible by employers, as jobs would be relatively plentiful, skill requirements would be relatively low, and my alma mater would not be a huge concern in hiring. (e.g., various kinds of business programming fit this description.)
Of course, employability is just one of many factors to consider. You should, for example, also consider your tolerance for theory. Your love for literature may not translate into a degree choice if you are averse to studying such incredibly impractical topics as (Post-)Modernism, (Post-)Marxism, (Post-)Colonialism, or (Post-)Structuralism. Your love for language might mean a fun few semesters in pre-major language courses but a few years of boredom studying phonetics and historical linguistics or studying pre-modern language and literature (e.g., Middle Chinese and T'ang Dynasty Shih Poetry.) On the other hand, a business programming or IT/MIS degree will likely expose you to very little computer science (e.g., category theory or lambda calculus,) which you may find more interesting than ASP.NET.
As you can see, it's difficult to give degree advice knowing just your personal interests. (In fact, it has been my experience that one's personal interests do not necessarily correlate to one's professional or academic interests. I am very academically interested -- though not very knowledgeable -- in Chinese Art History, but I'd never want to be a curator or lecturer, and I am bored to tears every time I visit the National Palace Museum.)
posted by Sangermaine at 5:33 PM on March 22, 2009
Response by poster: This has been very helpful for me, as this is exactly the sort of practical advice I was looking for.
Now I know that this is not set in stone, BUT I feel much more on track. What my question really was involved whether or not to choose the humanities or the sciences as my major, and for now I have decided.
I think that what I am going to do is the following: take advantage of my deep interest in the hard sciences, pursue that as my major, take plenty of classes that interest me for my required courses, continue with the Chinese, use my minor to further my creative side, and focus on the school newspaper and possibly even internships to give me writing experience (minus the literary criticism). When I graduate, I think I'll have acquired a desirable and interesting group of skills that will make me employable. And then of course there is the possibility of grad-school, etc to specialize further.
Thanks again, everyone!
posted by DeltaForce at 6:02 AM on March 23, 2009
Now I know that this is not set in stone, BUT I feel much more on track. What my question really was involved whether or not to choose the humanities or the sciences as my major, and for now I have decided.
I think that what I am going to do is the following: take advantage of my deep interest in the hard sciences, pursue that as my major, take plenty of classes that interest me for my required courses, continue with the Chinese, use my minor to further my creative side, and focus on the school newspaper and possibly even internships to give me writing experience (minus the literary criticism). When I graduate, I think I'll have acquired a desirable and interesting group of skills that will make me employable. And then of course there is the possibility of grad-school, etc to specialize further.
Thanks again, everyone!
posted by DeltaForce at 6:02 AM on March 23, 2009
This thread is closed to new comments.
Sorry, you just haven't told us anything that allows us to help you.
Do what everyone else does. Go to college, take classes, see what sparks your passion, and figure it out.
posted by jayder at 8:25 AM on March 22, 2009