I seem to have come across a fork in the path that's slowly turning into a rut.

Bare with me here if this turns out to be a lengthy post.

See, I think I could possibly be one of the most confused individuals ever when it comes to future plans. It took me about 2 1/2 years to freaking choose a major at school only to change it again now after a year later. After a lot of swinging back and forth (and every other which way) I've been dabbeling between both Architecture & Pharmacology. I wanted something that would provide me with financial freedom and stability with a good outlook on job demand down the line. Therefore, these two seemed the way to go. (especially since I've been drawing as far back as I can remember & really enjoy science[math is also slowly working it's way up from tolerable to just fine]).

Despite my research, I still have a good chunk of questions left unanswered. Of course I don't expect to recieve THE ABSOLLUTE DEFINITIVE advice here that'll leave no room for pondering. In fact, I doubt advice like that exists at all. I'm probebly gonna have to gather information from everywhere I can and just keep on looking at all of them again, and again together untill I myself come up with the answer for me. However, If some of you out there are studying any of those two fields in school currently, are in any of those two fields professionally, or curretnly have parents that are, I'd greatly appreciate your input.

With architecture comes physics. With pharmacology comes chemistry. For those who have taken these classes, how do you like them? If you've taken both, which one do you prefer and why? Which schools (across the nation) do you recommend?

For those of you who have knowledge or experience on the professional side (with either one of the two fields in question/or have parents or older siblings that do), What do you think? How stressful does it get? How do you like the pay? How easy or difficult was landing a job in the field after graduation?

With pharmacology, do you still work seven days a week even if you're on the research side in a lab as opposed to a pharmacist? Is it also true that you don't actually get a decent pay untill or unless you actually discover some sort of a cure?

With architecture, is there a stable salary or is it freelancing? Is it also true that most architects never really get to actually create lavish structures such as huge airports, mega-malls, museums (etc.) and just remain stuck creating regular apartments & small office buildings due to the extreme competition?

I realize that I may be posting this in the wrong place. Yeah I kind of turned the thread/the quite place, into a career-center/counseling area. But, with the ridiculously vague and minimal information that the career center at my school provided me with, I kind of have to pretty much use up, try and search every resource I know of for more info. Especially considering that I'm 20 and still at a community college. I need to really get things moving and start focusing.

Thanks again for any help.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

My dad is a pharmacist and my uncle is an architect. I will inquire both of them about the specific questions you have for these fields. If you have any more specific ones, ask away, so that I can deal with them all in one fell swoop.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

I'm in the pharmacy program right now and I can tell you that chemistry is a killer. You practically take every science course known to man -_-'. There's also something about having to memorize 200 to 300 drugs sometime around 3rd year. But I think it's really fulfilling if you keep up with it (If i survive chemistry and yes you also have to take physics anyway, and calculus). If you're on the east coast there are four good schools, USP in Philadelphia, Temple (in Pennsylvania), St John's in New York, and Rutgers in New Jersey. Rutgers is probably the cheapest of them all but its practically the best on the east coast.

As for after graduation, I've talked to some of my pharmacy friends and they say that research starts out with a lower salary but they get raises quicker. Retail starts with a higher salary but raises are somewhat on the low side. Whatever you choose, as a pharmacist, you'll still be underpaid for all your work though. It is also unlikely you'll be working in research. About 10 % of a graduating class usually goes into research (you need a ph D), about 70% go into retail and hospital pharmacy.

I hope this helps, though I am a little biased for pharmacy

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

Wow Fjordor you're insigt's exactly what I need! XD (Thanks in advance for the answers and help. Answering all of the questions asked above should be enough. I never imagined getting all of those Q's answered here anyway)

Oh and sleipner, I never realized how little of the graduating class goes into research. I'm assuming having a ph D doesn't really solidify your entry into the research field?

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

Originally Posted by Technophile

Wow Fjordor you're insigt's exactly what I need! XD (Thanks in advance for the answers and help. Answering all of the questions asked above should be enough. I never imagined getting all of those Q's answered here anyway)

Oh and sleipner, I never realized how little of the graduating class goes into research. I'm assuming having a ph D doesn't really solidify your entry into the research field?

Having a PhD doesn't guarantee your entry into the research world, but not having it makes it really difficult. Unless you do something remarkable or outstanding that distinguishes yourself above every other undergrad, your chances of getting a research job without a PhD are rather slim. That is generally how the acedemic/research world works in general though.

Also, I can answer your chemistry versus physics question.
Architecture would generally require knowledge about statics and large-scale failure analysis. This is more of an engineering type thing than a physics thing though. In regards to physics specifically, I think fizzix is absolutely awesome and easy. I totally dig it. But then again, I am an engineering major.
I do not like chemistry so much. To me, there are things aobut it which make it ridiculously unintuitive. However, the challenge of this alone can drive some people to excel in that field.
I have taken both general chemistry and general organic chemistry, and I have taken a crapload of physics related classes, and I can definitely say that I like physics. ^___^

I was speaking idiomatically.

Personal advice goes in angst.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?