Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with major

Should I do neuroscience or psychology?

Anonymous — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 18:30:23 -0800

I want to research somatic disorders (specifically factitious disorder) or, at the very least, work as a psychologist within a medical context, what undergraduate major should I get? I am choosing between a neuroscience major and a regular psychology major. Unfortunately, the neuroscience major doesn't leave enough time for me to take all of the clinical courses that I want to take. However, I feel that it would prepare me much more to research and practice at the confluence of medicine and psychology.

To complicate matters, I have never taken any biological sciences or chemistry at a college level and it has been 7 years since I took them in high school. I don't want to do so poorly that I get kicked out of the major or hurt my chances of going to grad school in clinical psych.

This question is anonymous because my controlling parents follow me on mefi and they don't need to know I am considering graduate school.

Oh hello mid-life existential, identity crisis.

ad4pt — Thu, 21 May 2009 22:46:41 -0800

20 years old. 3rd year of college. Rejected from the design program I applied to. Now what? I'm 20, 3rd year in college and was just rejected from the graphic design program I applied to. If I got into the program I would have been done in two years so I assume my parents (who foot the bill for my tuition+rent) will give me another 2 years. I'd have to wait a year to apply again. I don't want to do that.

I've spent 2 years studying Japanese but I can only minor in it. I think I'm going to continue on with that. Other than that I don't know what to do. I came up with two possibilities: Art (because I have a lot of art units) or linguistic anthropology (only because I love languages). I'm not too fond of either of these options because I don't know what the hell I'd do with either major.

I didn't get in not because I wasn't creative enough or for being a poor designer but because my craft was sloppy. I feel like I could still be a designer in the future, but I don't know how since I won't be coming out of school with a nice, neatly packaged student portfolio.

I am very confused. I feel kind of liberated because I feel like this is going to force me to be more interesting but at the same time very scared.

I know I want to do the JET program when I graduate.

That's it. I don't know what to do with the rest of my college career.
Any ideas? Similar stories? Comments? Suggestions?

How do I pick a major - work I love, classes I love, or a subject I love?

magraak — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 10:10:45 -0800

How do I pick a major? Work I love, classes I love, or a subject I love? I'm a second semester sophomore at university, and I need to pick a major in roughly two weeks. I don't know what I want to do after I graduate, so the choice is difficult. I'm seriously considering three majors: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Psychology, and English. The trouble is, my school doesn't have minors or double majors, and I can think of compelling arguments for and against each of the choices:

Bio:
For: I love the subject. I love being outside, and I love knowing about the plants and animals around me. I was convinced from ages 4-12 that all I wanted to do when I grew up was work in a green house. I used to run experiments in my garden. This is also the most useful of my possible choices, and it has an amazing semester abroad fieldwork program in Panama. And I can imagine wanting to know the material, so I can point out thing to my future grandkids while on family walks/picnics/vacations.

Against: I've taken all the prerequisites, but no classes in the department itself, and I'm worried that I'm not good enough at math/science, or that I'll get bogged down with those parts. (This wasn't an issue when I was younger, but my university is full of people who are actual geniuses - and I don't consider myself one of those people, though I'm generally pretty good at whatever I set my mind to) I don't want to be terrible at my major, and I don't want to start to get bored with my major.

Psych:
For: I find the classes really interesting, and I know I'm good at them. I can also think of several topics I'd be interested in exploring during the mandatory independent work, and a professor has offered to supervise both my junior and senior independent work without prompting.

Against: While I might want to research in this area, I really don't want to have any of the careers that are most heavily associated with this field, except maybe teaching.

English:
For: I love doing the work. The classes and the reading can be either hit or miss, but there's no better feeling than sitting down to write a paper, and realizing I actually have original, valid, important thoughts, and can back them up. I feel proud when I finish.

Against: What do you do with a degree in English? Also, because I haven't taken much in college, it would involve taking about 3 English courses per semester for my remaining time at university, and I'm not sure that I would be happy without enough time to pursue my other (very broad) interests.

So...What do I do?

What you thought of your major before beginning, and what you thought afterwards

Bleusman — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 06:07:27 -0800

What did you expect going into your major, and what did you get? I'm a sophomore in high school, and recently I've been innundated with college info envelopes. It got me thinking: I honestly have no major in mind that's both practical and appealing. All of my interests simply have no job potential whatsoever: English, history, sociology: these are majors that I can do nothing with. I am interested in biology and chemistry, and these do have viable careers associated with them, but I honestly don't feel like doing the research necessary to do these things.

So I ask MeFi a broader question, not just "what should I major in," but what you expected going into yours. Did you have the same worries I did? If so, did they turn out to be realistic? Or did you not have these worries, and then they panned out to be true? Please tell me what surprised you about the prospects of your major.

Alternative to a future of cubicle-dwelling?

kerfuffles — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 02:24:26 -0800

Would it be a terrible idea to go into earth science? So here's the deal. I'm currently working on a BS in computer science at UC Santa Barbara--not particularly enamored with it, but I've figured that it'll get me a job. Well, unfortunately for my complacency with CS, I stumbled into a geology GE last quarter which had the unusual effect of instilling in me a great love for rocks and earth science in general (read: I've become a geol-dork).

End result is, I'm seriously considering switching to a geology major.

Now, I've googled the heck out of geology-as-a-career, and...I have a couple of questions for anyone with geologyish experience. (A visit to the Geol dept would be a start, but I have the feeling I'd suddenly walk out of there with a shiny new geol major declared...)

The questions!
1. Job availability! I seem to have been turning up quite a few geologists bittering about a lack of jobs (esp. ones that don't suck). Any input on how impossible it'd be to grab one?

2. Types of jobs! Do actual steady jobs exist in reasonable numbers, as opposed to monthly basis things? Also, anything *slightly* less hardcore than all of these "heavy weights, extreme weather, Alaska" listings I've been seeing?

Also, the idea of Academialand is appealing, but I'm very much aware of my Very High Chance of Failure with all that, so I'm making sure that I'm okay with the Real World part of it all too. Fond of teaching and writing, but as a wee undergrad I've not a clue about how I feel about research. So any thoughts on that would be helpful, too.

So basically, would this whole major-changing business be a terrible idea? Misc other thoughts/things I should know/dream-crushings would be awesome too!

I know what I want to do, but don't know how to get there.

nokry56 — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 20:02:44 -0800

What major should I pursue and what college should I attend if I want to get into live sound/sound recording? I have always had a great love for live/recorded sound. I have done a good bit of work with it just through my church. For the past few years I have really felt led to a career involving media arts/sound. However, I haven't really been able to find much information on what type of education is best for this.

Right now I'm accepted with close to a full ride to Texas A&M. My declared major is Mechanical Engineering. I like physics, calculus, etc. but my ultimate goal in life isn't to be an engineer. It is to run a recording studio or be over sound/video production for live concerts at a large venue.

Is an mech e degree at TAMU a good fit? Or should I be looking elsewhere. Affordable is good, I'm a National Merit Semi-Finalist if that helps.

Thanks for any insight you may have.

How do I know how good a writer I am?

Anonymous — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 20:56:45 -0800

How do I know how good a writer I am? I'm currently attending a community college for financial reasons, and as a holding pattern because I'm in the "career confusion" stage of college life. I've always thought of myself as a fairly good writer, and I get extremely positive feedback from my professors on my papers (including one who dragged me by my collar to the honors office). It's also something I enjoy quite a lot; I don't take a huge interest in literature, but I'm a great enthusiast of factual and opinion writing both as a reader and a writer.

So naturally journalism, or something in that area, has caught my interest as a potential career direction. But it's one of many options, and it's not by any means a field which is guaranteed to put me somewhere fulfilling and interesting unless I reach a substantial level of skill and accomplishment. I'd be little happier reporting on town hall meetings for a small newspaper than as a janitor. So, then, what can I do other than listening to the feedback of my teachers and friends to get a feel for my potential in this field? Just to address one of the more obvious answers in advance, my college's paper is written at a high school level; I doubt I would find much in the way of valuable feedback from getting involved there.

I suspect that a lot of you will want to answer along the lines of, "you should decide on a career based on what stimulates and fulfills you the most, not based on your apparent skill," but I've been torn for years between several things which are just on the cusp of being career-worthy obsessions. Having a good understanding of where my talents lie is definitely an important element of this decision.

Thanks in advance for your inevitably awesome answers. (It's AskMe, after all.)

Majors Decision

huyhoangbach — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 02:30:55 -0800

I'm a 3rd years college students and I'm really confuse as of what I want to do in life. In my first two years I thought I wanted to become a computer engineer, since I was always like working with computer. The problems was I fail Calculus 2 times and Chemistry 2 times. Therefore I think I'm not cut out for the programs. The reason I fail, is just because I don't understand the subject and it bored me most of the time. Anyhow after failing Calculus, I thought math is just not the thing for me, so I decided to go for Nursing, since the math requirement is not so much. During my summer break, I took BIO 156 (Introduction to Biology) and I failed the class. I'm currently taking the class again and I'm not doing so well either. The subject just doesn't interest me, and it's very hard to understand. I also attend the help session, but still I'm not doing so well. My question is what major should I be going for? I think science and math is just not my strong area, so I'm trying to figure out a major that doesn't require much science and math. I'm really confuse right now, I hope someone can help.

[MajorFilter] Computer Engineering or Computer Science Major? Help me decide please! (3rd sem already) and don't know what to be!

Javed_Ahamed — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 16:47:17 -0800

Hey guys, Computer Engineering 2nd year (3rd sem) here at the University of Maryland College Park wondering if i should stay in my major or switch to Computer Science. I am super confused right now and am hoping that some of you can help me think. Bear with me while i ramble on I do just love working with computers and building things for them so it was no suprise I am going to stay in a computer field. I originally went computer engineering just because it seemed more prestigous (engineering, limited seats, once you leave you cant come back) and the fact that it seemed to be both hardware and software. Now I consider myself a software guy and while i enjoy learning about hardware i dont imagine a job in it. Still Computer Engineering seemed a way to get the Computer Science curriculum and do some extra work and get some extra hardware knowledge that could only help.

Now I am having second doubts.

Now my ideal goal is to work at a place like Microsoft or Google (yes its a lofty goal), and I know to work at places like these you need excellent code fu. I wonder if working for a computer engineering degree where i dont take as many CS classes but instead take more Electrical engineeringish classes is really the best idea (like CE is 80% hardware). Now asking everyone I know these are what various people have given me as advice:

1. Friends/Adults in the Computer Science field:
-Go comp sci if you want a software job and computer engineering if you want a hardware job -Get a Business (really management) focus or minor (not offered at maryland) so you can code for a couple years then try to get a management position. -Get an MBA at a good business school after having a job for a couple of years

2. Head of computer engineering department:
-Recruiters come after computer/electrical engineers a lot its really in demand (this is true we have our own job fair) -CE's get paid more -Knowing hardware lets you optimize your code better and stuff.

3. Faculty member in the Computer Engineering Dept. who used to be in Comp Sci Dept. -CE because in the future hardware will be me more tied to software, such as with parallel processing and this will help -Look at 400 lvl (senior year) classes in CS that you would want to take and take them as CE as well. (problem with this is Im also going to have to take 400 lvl electrical engineering courses which will restrict my time for CS stuff)

4. Parents
-Engineering sounds better

5. Me
-Computer Engineering does seem better sounding than Comp Sci but does that really matter? -Comp E has b.s classes (at least in my opinion) like physics and chem and like technical writing. (maybe not b.s but bleh) -Comp Sci seems easier to do, therefore i can fit more CS classes in and learn more -I am still looking for real world applications though for whatever i learn. I am not going into research or anything. If you guys believe i should really put in a business background and stuff please say so. Being realistic here. Money and Enjoyment if possible to balance.

Btw here is the major reqs for CS: http://undergrad.cs.umd.edu/major-requirements-checklist/

and sample plans (Core is like classes everyone has to take like art, history bleh) http://undergrad.cs.umd.edu/sample-plans/

And for CE: http://www.ece.umd.edu/Academic/Under/advising/CP_degree_reqs.html

Now if you guys are still reading (wow thanks!) i guess to sum it up what do you guys think i should really be? I would like to work at a place like Microsoft (and have been given interviews with them with no luck) and do companies like them really care if you are a computer engineer or scientist? Should i go comp sci and a business focus, or just plain comp e? Ive been going back between these 2 majors for a while now and finally just want to make a decesion. Thanks youll be helping me a lot! :)

how can i restore peace in my high school major class?

freddymetz — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 14:00:11 -0800

How can i restore peace in my high school major class? We were the first Music major class in 20 years and a class of ten people, and we had a funny relaxed leniant teacher so it seemed like the perfect course.
This lasted for about half a year and now after a year its become quite unbearable (which the teacher has remarked a few times now).

We all sit close together in a U formation and were all good friends. The thing is that people take the course way too relaxed and talk even when the teacher is talking and basically exploit the teachers kindness.
It all started as fun but now i can relate to the teachers annoyance.
Its not as if we're too stupid to stop chatting in lessons because every time he sets people aside and talks to them they agree about the atmosphere and to stop talking but eventually it drifts back to the original situation!
Please help, mefi!

Computer Engineering, or Linguistics? Or maybe web design... and how do I fit travel in there?

malapropist — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 13:50:49 -0800

I'm having a lot of angst about whether to continue with my major, Comp Engineering, or to find something else, such as linguistics or web design. Can you give me some perspective? Hi, I'm having some issues with my college education. Here are the main points:

I went to community college after high school, 5 years ago, with the idea that I would end up working with computers. But life, family problems and depression intervened and I've taken a bunch of gen ed but no actual major prep. So, basically, the major prep for transfering into a comp eng program at a CSU will take me 3 years. From now. The idea of being stuck in community college for ANOTHER 3 years makes me sick. I was under the impression that it would be more like a year and a half, or two, which is much more paletable. Considering that engineering is the most unit-intensive major you can take, I'm looking for another major that is less intense.

Two fields that interest me a lot are web design (an old hobby) and linguistics (a new interest). I've heard that linguistics intersects with computer science, and that there are jobs for linguists in technology companies, but I can't seem to find much more detailed information than that, such as which companies, or what kind of jobs exactly. I have seen some interesting programs, such as UCLAs Linguistics and Computer Science bachelors, which sounds right up my alley, but what is the application of this? What kind of work is it? Depending on what I'm reading, it either seems like there are exciting opportunities for someone with a linguistics degree, or that it's a theoretical degree that is only useful for academia. As far as web design goes, that's a whole another question whether to go with a design degree, a computer science degree, some kind of certification, or just say bollocks to a degree altogether.

I very much want to join the Japan English Teaching program after college, regardless of what degree I get, and perhaps teach English in Korea as well. This is one thing that makes me doubt pursuing a comp eng degree, because it feels like if I get that degree and turn around and become an English teacher for a couple of years, I'll let my engineering degree and skills go stale. It seems like if I follow that course of actions, when I return stateside I would be unhirable. How true is this?

After school, I would like to spend a few years either way, living in foreign countries or in a city outside of southern California, where I live. It seems like comp engineering would be a good option for this, because there is technology everywhere. Linguistics also seems like it would be a good idea, though depending on what languages I specialize in, it could be actually more limiting than CE. What do you think? I'm considering, if I do go through with linguistics, specializing in Japanese and an Indo-European language, probably French. Which of these two degrees would help me get a job and live in a wide variety of societies?

Anyway, I have spent so so so much time thinking about all this stuff, and it seems the longer I spend the further away it all gets. I'm feeling very demoralized. I'll be visiting the counseling department next week, as well as the career planning center and the transfer center around the beginning of term, but to be honest they haven't been very helpful in the past. I want to be as knowledgeble as I can so I can ask precise questions. I feel like there is a lot I don't know about simply researching careers and majors and colleges and programs and this and that and the other.

I know there are plenty of people here on Askme who have gone on to have amazing careers and/or travel a lot. Can you confer upon me your wisdom? Please. Give me an outside perspective. I feel so trapped in my head about all this. I search online, I go to the library, I talk to the counselors, but in the end it can't help me figure out what will happen 4 or 5 years from now with too much accuracy. Thanks for your time.

Computer science? yea or nay?

frettchen — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 19:21:24 -0800

Should I major in computer science? If yes, what career options are available? I have always loved computers, and considered studying computer science in college. I first tinkered around with Linux when I was 14, loved working on the command line, and created websites with html and php. However, I abandoned that goal as I wanted to do things that make a difference in people's lives and work with people, not mainly by myself in front of a computer. I also haven't been that great in math, and that might hinder me from exceeding in a computing field.

I started my undergraduate studies with the goal of majoring in psychology, and I have been satisfied with my studies so far as I am fascinated by it. But there is always this nagging doubt in the back of mind - that I should do what I really love. I don't really see a future of a career in psychology, I don't think I am cut out to be a psychologist. I would rather do research, but then biological bases are a great impact on human behavior as well and I wouldn't be fully able to understand it (I really dislike chem, and I'm not too big of a fan of bio either). And I do not want to be just another psych major.

So, now I have finished my first year of studies, and I am thinking that I should study computer science as well. I will take my first class in the fall, and if I like it I'll try to minor or major in it (additionally with psych as minor or major).

But - what careers are available to computer science majors besides database administrators and obviously being a programmer? I'm female by the way, if that is relevant.

Arrgh, major outlook synching problem!

parmanparman — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 12:17:03 -0800

My boss and I are both going crazy because I can't sync with her Outlook calendar on my own computer and her Blackberry won't sync with her Outlook. If she tries to download her new schedule to the Blackberry, it will erase her schedule on the hand-held instead! Help!! We tried Sun Java System Connector and we can't seem to get the issue worked out. It started over a week ago. We are the only two people in the office with this problem. It's driving us up the wall. We're using XP and Outlook 2003 SP3.

Help me pick a good major to look into.

nokry56 — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 11:15:47 -0800

What's a good major for someone who doesn't want a desk job and loves technology? I'm 16 years old, just finished my sophomore year of high school, and seriously considering graduating early. So after next year I could be headed off to college. I want to go to a good college, and I'm hoping to start touring them next year. So I'm trying to a least get a vague idea as to what I want to major in so that I can start looking into specific departments at colleges.

I took the SAT as a freshman and scored a 2020 total score. 650 critical reading, 650 writing, and 720 math. That was almost 18 months ago, I would imagine my score is higher now. But Math has always been my strong suit... I just finished Calculus last year and loved it. I also love Physics. My least favorite subject is probably English.

However one thing that I really love is computers & technology in general. Right now I have a job in PC Support, which is somewhat annoying sometimes but pays well.
I'm not much of a computer programmer, I've dabbled in it a little but isn't hugely enjoyable to me.

The one thing that I would hate would be a desk job. One that I'm stuck behind a computer every working hour. I don't care if I could get more money from a job like that, it just doesn't interest me. I want to be managing people and projects, preferably in a field of technology.

What major or combination of majors would be good options for someone like me?

To doublemajor or not to doublemajor?

milestogo — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 07:11:33 -0800

I'm a math major, but dont know exactly what I want to do. Should I also major in Physics? Economics? I've finished two years of college, and I'm almost done with my math major. I also plan on completing a minor in philosophy.

I don’t want to be a mathematician. Something under the broad category of "Economics" has always been what I could most easily see myself doing.

Last year, I became interested in econophysics specifically. It made me realize I could sell out, and end up in finance. Otherwise though, I'd like to do development work or somehow use my math skillz in an economic analysis context to help people. somehow.

The reason that I didn't study economics is that my school's econ department is pretty much acknowledged to be a big joke. I wouldn’t learn much. It would have been a waste.

Now comes the question: Many people I speak with say I should major in econ (This would be very difficult, and require summer school but doable) in order to have that on my resume, even if it wouldn't teach me anything.

AND

I am probably going to expand my 4 physics classes so far into a minor in physics (a field I love). This, along with a math major and philosophy minor, would keep me busy for the next two years, but still allow me to take interesting random classes (next semester I am taking printmaking!).
People (a lot of the same people) have told me I should major in physics. That is, double major, supposedly because nobody pays any attention to minors, and a double major is respected. This, however, would keep me from doing anything else for the next four years: I would have math, phys and philo minor, and that's it. No room to take fun classes that I enjoy, which is a big priority for me right now.

So, what’s the deal? How important is a doublemajor in physics to the kinds of things a math major interested in econ would be doing? How unimportant is a minor?

Please help!

Majorly unemployable?

thisjax — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 22:17:24 -0800

Is it alright for me to leave my specific field of study from my resume if employers might find it...offputting? Here's the problem: I'm generally looking for IT-related jobs (so, back-end web development and junior SDE positions) for the summer. I've got the skills, and some relevant work experience, but the degree that I'm working towards (Hon BA in sociology and math), to some, might imply otherwise. I've dealt with a couple of HR people lately who've tried to shuffle me towards administrative positions and I'm beginning to suspect it has something to do with my (future) arts degree.

Academically speaking, I take comp sci courses, and my marks in them range from decent to very strong; same goes for math, it's my second major. I'm just a little worried that employers are tossing my resume when they see "bachelor of arts in sociology". Can I omit exactly which degree I'm a candidate for and just list my relevant courses? Is my somewhat irrelevant degree going to screw me over forever?

Major laymen meet major label

Slam I Am — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 10:09:01 -0800

Reasons for/against entering in to negotiations with a major label? Stories of effective and ineffective independent representation/promotion/publishing? Things to keep in mind during negotiations? Without going in to too much detail, I'm part of a group that has been approached by a major recording company. What's at stake here generally is a scene that's relatively untapped in terms of mass-produced records.

Personally my inclination is to tell them to get lost. If they think there's a market for what we do, we should organize and make it happen ourselves, keeping control and profits within the community, rather than helping some record company rep climb the ladder by breaking a new market.

But that's just me- overall, I'd love to hear arguments for and against such relations, stories of successful grassroots artistic community building, promotion and publishing, stories of unsuccessful same, advice and guidelines for both major label negotiations and independent label founding (and I realize the two aren't necessarily at odds), and any other thoughts/resources you have to offer. Thanks!

Drastically Disparate Double Marjos– Can it work?

dantekgeek — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 14:35:34 -0800

Is it foolhardy to pursue such different double majors as graphic design and neuroscience? (Apologies for the extreme length)

I've long planned to pursue a double major in graphic design and neuroscience (biology) for my undergraduate education, but I've recently been seriously questioning if that wouldn't be making a big mistake.

Art and Science have long been the guiding passions of my life, and I expect they will continue to be. I get just as much enjoyment out of one as I do the other, but each serves to stimulate my mind and soul in a different way. The interplay between the two is fantastic, and I can't imaging trying to live with only one or the other.

If I do complete both degrees, I'll likely work in the user-experience field for a few years before going on to other things.

For a long time growing up, I was convinced that I wanted to go to medical school, and although the idea still greatly appeals to me, I'm wondering if maybe I should go down a different path– that of research. Whatever the case, I know I'll eventually want to pursue some sort of post-graduate education in the sciences.

Can something like this work? Is it foolhardy to invest so much time, money, and effort, into a degree (design) that will likely not be my eventual career? Is it silly to get a degree in your hobby? (although design is much more than a hobby, and I predict that even after settling into a career in the sciences, I will continue to be a practitioner of design on the side)

Major or minor key?

ztdavis — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 02:28:59 -0800

I cannot, for the life of me, tell if a song is in a major or minor key. I've read the generic "major is happy and bright" and "minor is sad and dark" answers. I've read this amazing explanation of key by chrismear in an earlier thread. But I just can't do it, it's like I'm playing checkers against an opponent using chess pieces.

So what are some songs, if there are any, that defy the generic "happy or sad" dichotomy. I'm hoping to be find a song that might meet the generic definition of major or minor, but is actually subtly the opposite. With enough examples like this maybe I'll be able to pick up on whatever it is that differentiates the two.

mp3 clips would be helpful, but song names and their key are all I'm really asking for.

Who ranked the ranks, and why?

IndigoJones — Mon, 23 Oct 2006 05:41:30 -0800

In the US army, majors outrank lieutenants, but lieutenant generals outrank major generals. How did this happen?

Will an individual major be taken seriously?

bookish — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 15:09:40 -0800

I am an undergraduate student considering entering my school's Individualzied Major Program. Is this a good idea, especially w/regards to post-graduate work? I know I eventually want to work in international public health-- hopefully with an organization that focuses on the health problems of the poor and approaches those problems from a multidisciplinary perspective, and hopefully living or spending a lot of time abroad. I will probably do some graduate studies first, maybe a masters in public health.

I've looked around at my large state university, and have checked out a number of majors that relate to this goal (public health, non-profit management, applied health sciences), and I really don't like any of the programs. They're not very rigorous, the professors aren't terribly impressive, they focus predominately on the US, they aren't particularly interested in the social landscape of disease, and they seem to be preparing me for a career in the administration of a large hospital. And they're boring, too.

What I've been thinking about doing is creating an individualized major, which I can do at my school. With the help of a faculty member I put together a proposal talking about what I want to study and why, and develop a curriculumn. Before graduating I do some sort of special project. All of this gets approved by a faculty commitee. It sounds like a good chance to move things in my own direction, take the classes I think are important, learn what I really want to learn. I'll probably also pick up a minor in history and one in social science and medicine.

My main concern with the idea is that I don't know how potential employers/grad schools will look at an 'individualized major.' This plan doesn't give me a firm disciplinary background-- in fact, it's kind of intentionally structured not to. It doesn't require me to live up to a set of fixed university standards. Is this going to look like a flimsy degree? Is it going to make me look flaky? Or, will it do what I would like it to do: highlight that I am a curious, self-motivated, passionate student?

I'd particularly like to hear from people who have done this kind of thing. How did it work out, and what kind of responses did you get?

Finance or Information Systems as a major?

blueplasticfish — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 13:49:34 -0800

Between Finance and Information Systems, which would be the more productive, proactive, desired, and usable degree? Keep in mind I have lots of programming and database experience, this is how I have paid my way through college. I am thinking that majoring in Finance would round me off, and give me a change to work in Finance, while majoring in I.S. might paint me as uni-dimensional.

However, I think I would probably enjoy a job in IS more than a job in finance. Although, I have never had a job in the finance arena I have had many in IS and enjoy them.

Which degree would pay better? Which is better in the long run? Which would look better on an application to MBA school?

Can you help me help a friend to resolve his college major?

supercrayon — Tue, 27 Jun 2006 16:15:58 -0800

Can you help me help a friend to resolve his college major? I'm asking this on behalf of a friend:

"i'm going to list what i'm interested in, and i want people who have uni experience to suggest a major...

sound recording/engineering
music theory/history
web design
fiction/non-fiction writing/journalism
sociology/anthropology
photography/film
marketing/advertising
comparative religion

...is there any combination of a lot of these that can actually be studied and applied to a major and any sort of degree?"

Suggestions of courses of study and universities that offer degrees in these (combined) subjects would be awesome. Any help would be greaty appreciated!

What majors aren't useless?

borkingchikapa — Wed, 05 Apr 2006 07:07:35 -0800

I recently switched my major from international relations to anthropology because I'm sick of politics and don't want to deal with it anymore, let alone for a career. But wtf can I do with anthropology? I want a job that allows me to travel the world, but becoming a journal-writing academic sounds like the worst thing ever. Anthropology seems like the major with the most interesting major requirements right now, but it seems like it'd be about as useful as a geography major in the real world. What sorts of jobs/internships (I'm in DC) could I get with this? What other majors should I look in to?

animal rights

edgeways — Sun, 06 Nov 2005 21:52:20 -0800

So... my oldest sister is reaching the point she has to declare her major in college... She asked me what I thought she should major in. She envisiones herself working in the non-profit sector specficly in regards to animal rights. The best answer I could come up with was something along the lines of policy studies / law. Is there something better i am not thinking of that I may recommend?