Undergrad uni degrees. Boring one or fun one?

This is a question you can only answer yourself.

I'm getting a degree in physics, and there aren't tons and tons of physics jobs out there.

But guess what? I like physics, so I'm majoring in it. That's what school is about for me. It's about learning, not some tool you use so that you can find a job later on.

I also like challenges. The fact that I will have to go to grad school for any hope of a decent job is exciting. Grad school is just another way to challenge my mind--so it's good in my book.

Some people like to go the path of least resistence in life. These people tend to get "normal" degrees like business or computer science--that is, degrees where there's a clear, obvious job market for. These people don't like making big, life-changing decisions. They like the world set out for them.

A lot of these people go for pre-med degrees. They think, "Oooh, I want to be a doctor." They realize that there is a clear job--doctor--waiting for them once they graduate, and it makes lots of money to boot. Many of these students change their minds once they realize that the academic pre-med route is... wait for it... challenging!

So ask yourself, why are you going to college?

If you are going for a degree to land you an easy job, then realize that and choose accordingly.

If you are going to college to learn and live passionately through your academic career, then realize that and choose accordingly.

I'd rather live courageously and passionately than living with a fear of what degree offers more employability.

I recommend having that mindset, but I can't choose for you. Some people really like the false comfort of employability.

How ya doing, buddy?

Originally Posted by XSO

I still have no fucking clue what to do. .__________________.

Try this:
Open up a word processor and at the top write: "Why am I going to college?"
Start a list and type away. Take every thought that comes into your head and write it down. Your list might include, "to learn," "because I'm expected to," "to get a job," etc. Just be sure to write down everything that comes into your head, regardless of whether or not it's the "true" answer; just typing out your thoughts will lead you in the right direction.

After typing out several items, you'll notice that a few stand out. Highlight those. There's your answer.

If you truly understand why you're going to college, it should be much easier to choose between what you WANT to learn and what you feel is necessary to learn.

A few other things to consider:
1. Reflect back on your assumptions about employability. Who told you that graphic designers couldn't get a job? Do you really know and understand the job market? What will it be like 5 years from now (when it counts)? You may find out that your assumptions about employability are based off nothing more than intuition and unreliable advice. There are plenty of reliable career books out there that will solve this problem. (i.e. the career outlook handbook or something like that...)

2. What other jobs can you get with your degree. Remember, a business degree does not mean your stuck with a business job. You know all those people who get history degrees? Well, they're not ALL historians or professors. This might be an eye-opener--your degree doesn't have to determine your career. In fact, some companies simply like hiring anyone with a college degree. It shows that the person has responsibility, intellegence, a work-ethic... (well, not really, but companies assume a college degree means just that :P)

3. Are you really passionate about graphic design? How far are you willing to go for it? I knew some people back in high school who were passionate about art. One girl aspired to be a famous graphic designer, but gave up before getting to college because she wasn't confident in her abilities. Another girl I knew aspired to be a great artist, but she wasn't very talented back in high school. But she was passionate about it and stuck with it. She's an art major in college right now and her current artwork is absolutely stunning... jawdropping, really. She wasn't very good in high school, but she was willing to stick with it. She became a great artist, but I have a feeling she's only getting started.

4. If you're uncertain about anything, do research. Coming to a forum is a good place to start, but here we can only give you ideas. Go to the library and really start researching this stuff. Ask your teachers, your parents, anybody!

Hope this helps,
Calc

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Originally Posted by Summonmaster

"taking business in post-secondary education wouldn't be too good, since you really learn business by going out into the real world and doing it yourself. Textbooks and theory can only take you so far, but real world experience is what the most successful businesspeople have."

Basically, if you want to challenge yourself, stay away from an undergraduate business degree. In my opinion, getting an undergraduate business degree is more of a routine than an actual learning process (unless you're going to a good school). It's not uncommon for top business graduate schools to pick, say, undergrad physics degrees over undergrad business degrees :P.

A typical business class won't make you think. And if you want to be an entrepreneur, you've got to think.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Originally Posted by nabhan

I laughed a little when I read this. Talk about elitism.

thanks :P

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'False comfort of employability'?

Some pre-college students tend to think in terms of employability and base it on bad assumptions. Most of these students have never looked inside the Occupational Outlook Handbook; essentially, their comfort in choosing, say, a business degree for employability is a false one.

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Tell that to all the students who try, try, and try again to get into med school. The ones who did a BSc just so that they could get into med school because they wanted to help people. The ones who get a masters degree, try again, and still don't make it. Most of them probably don't even like sciences! Woo, comfort.

I was exclusively talking about the people who go pre-med from an employability mindset.

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Ok, business. Broad category there. Yeah, there are people who go into Marketing, or end up franchising a Starbucks. There are also those who take huge gambles going into Investment Banking, Trading, Private Equity, or Hedge Funds. The people who get degrees in the same field as the guy in Marketing, but after graduating slave away in analyst positions doing 100 hours a week. But no, this isn't sweatshop labour. These guys worked their asses off to get the job and went through maybe 10 interviews with one employer before they got it.

After their two year contract? They might work for a bit, go from an IB to a PE firm for another 2-3 years. Where do they end up though?? Wait for it...

Graduate school. Like you.

Of course, after that there's no guarantee that the Private Equity firm or Hedge Fund will even hire them again. It's not as if those jobs are minimal risk, everyday operations either. Traders are essentially spending millions of dollars that don't belong to them. Any shit that comes from it is on them. The PE firms put immense stress on the associates because they're investing billions of dollars into companies. I mean, since when has Investment Banking been known for job security?

Job Market and Job Security may not be identical, but in the end come down to the same basic point.

Yes, a career in business can be challenging (and exciting). I hope I wasn't implying otherwise. A good friend of mine, who was a fellow physics major, went off to grad school in business. We talked about business (as big as the subject is) often, and I've given thought to going to a business school myself.

Double Post:

Originally Posted by Trigunnerz

I love your chauvinistic views.

cool

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It never occured to you that people also major in business, engineering, architecture because maybe they enjoy the subject? Maybe they wish to you know, expand their knowledge in those areas.

Point me to where I claimed otherwise. There isn't a single field of study without students passionately pursuing it for the sake of their own knowledge and interest. Did you honestly get the opposite impression from my post?

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Nowadays, it's recommended that most undergrads also attend grad school. People majoring in business usually have to go to grad school if they wish to pursue further into their careers. Yes, and business students never use their brains. Yes.

People recommend lots of things.

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What the fuck? You're implying that physics majors has so obscure enlightening job ready for them? You think just because you're a business major or computer science major, a job is guaranteed?

I don't think that a business degree guarantees a job. But so many people do...

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Where the hell have you been? You've never seen people who go to a dozen interviews, join various clubs, network, go to grad school, and such just to get a job?

Yes I have seen those people. I'm confused at what you're trying to prove.
[/quote]There's so much more required of students to do then you know, just study.[/quote]
Nothing's really required of a student, except for money to attend the college.

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Hmm I guess you sort of forgot why these people go to college in the first place. They wanted to become doctors to maybe help people.

Thanks, detective.

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Sure, many do drop out of the pre-med program, but many also persist on, spending hours and hours studying, trying to pass their MCATS and get into grad school.

How enlightening. I didn't know that.

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Every major is challenging in its own ways.

I know. :eyebrow:

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You may say, "oh but business majors have it so easy though!

I won't say that.

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All they do is memorize some theories (ie supply and demand curve, supply goes up, price goes down) and stuff." Has it occurred to you that those theories, like many of your physics theories, are just the basic concepts, and that it requires a hell of a lot of more work and computations when applied to real life?

I wouldn't say quantum mechanics is a basic concept.

So you tried to prove to me that business is a difficult subject. Well, first, at most schools, it simply isn't. It can be challenging, especially if you do your part to load up on upper level courses and overload classes each semester. But at a typical American school, an undergraduate business degree is hardly difficult. On average, this is true, but I'm not making a generalization.

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God. Don't give me that bullshit. I think most people, including people who are majoring in business, computer science, etc, go to college because they have a passion for what they learn.

Actually, many students hate school. They go because they feel like they have to. They hate classes, they hate homework, etc.

Some students don't hate school, but they're hardly passionate about what they're learning. I have nothing against any of these people; they live how they want to.

And yes, some students, regardless of their concentration, are passionate about academics. I wasn't refering to people in this category in my original post.

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Live courageously and passionately. Hah! So you're saying that someone like an accountant doesn't live courageously and passionately? Accountants whose ethics are constantly tested? Accountants who are moral enough to not cheat on tax returns, or audits, or financial statements? Accountants who know the loop holes to cheat the system and make millions for themselves, yet don't because it's not the ethical thing? Accountants who spend their careers trying to stop such things like Enron or WorldCom from happening again?

Ok, wow... your generalization detector needs work.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Originally Posted by EmmDoubleEw

Hahaha, wtf?????

Maybe some people, like me, absolutely love computer sciences in the way you love physics?

Seriously, dont' make assumption like that.

Reading comprehension 101:

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Some people like to go the path of least resistence in life.

EmmDoubleEw, do you fall into this category?

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These people tend to get "normal" degrees like business or computer science--that is, degrees where there's a clear, obvious job market for.

Notice how I started with "these people," refering to the people I described in the previous sentence. If you answered "yes" to the above question, then I'm talking about you. If you answered "no," then I'm not talking about you.

Obviously, you love computer science (as do I) and are pursuing it for reasons of interest and passion.

If you passed my reading comprehension 101 course, you should now be able to deduce that I wasn't saying all computer science majors go into computer science because it has a clear-cut career path. Rather, I was claiming that some students pick degrees such as business or computer science because they assume that a history/math/physics/art/music degree can't easily get them a good job. For people who think like that, this is probably the case. But creative and proactive people tend to rise above this aforementioned crowd and find their own ways to be successful in life.

I was speaking idiomatically.

When I write on forums I never reread, review, or edit, which I do extensively in other situations. So I have a bad habit of putting down my thoughts as quickly as possible...

So you're right... there's a tendency for ambiguity

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?