What major to pursue today in America

[lostness]

Another thing I see at the university. Students who've discovered their passion only to be strongly discouraged from pursuing it because the jobs may be 'better' in another discipline.

That happened to me early in my junior year of college. I paid a visit to my advisor to talk about graduate schools. He basically told me to forget about grad school because the only job I could get with my degree was a manager job at McDonalds....

 

I hear nanotechnology, biotechnology, and geospatial technology are hot fields these days.

 

Do what you love, love what you do!

[tsap seui]

theres only 2 jobs worth going for- plumber or lawyer , both big bucks and no reall accountability, just depends on how much school you want to do.

 

Accountability???

 

Now wait a jest a gal'dang minute Rob. If the plumber can't get the lawyer stuck in yore dain pipe to become dislodged...you are gonna keep calling the plumber until he gets the lawyer out...but if the lawyer can't get the plumber off the hook, the plumber is jest sh1T out of luck...so to speak...and out of his money.

 

There is a lot more accountability as a plumber.

 

tsap seui

[Guest Rob & Jin]

theres only 2 jobs worth going for- plumber or lawyer , both big bucks and no reall accountability, just depends on how much school you want to do.

 

Accountability???

 

Now wait a jest a gal'dang minute Rob. If the plumber can't get the lawyer stuck in yore dain pipe to become dislodged...you are gonna keep calling the plumber until he gets the lawyer out...but if the lawyer can't get the plumber off the hook, the plumber is jest sh1T out of luck...so to speak...and out of his money.

 

There is a lot more accountability as a plumber.

 

tsap seui

 

 

thats true

[Christopher]

Just took my stepdaughter to an orthodontist this past week for an evaluation of her teeth. The guy is very well thought of here in Las Cruces. His office is an amazing place. After the evaluation I found out why he could afford such an office.

 

If you have a kid who can get through school for this career they will do very well.

 

My aunt was an orthodontist. She and her (now deceased) husband operated their office in a small Indiana town for about 25 years. I know that she is a millionaire, how many times over I have no idea. But she lives on a 100+ acre farm, fends off cold calls from stockbrokers every day and is studying for a BFA at a 4 major state university.

[Guest WenDylan]

I chose criminal justice, because crime will never go away. So even if I'm poor and not making much money, at least I have job security.

[yemmie]

Hello everyone,

 

Once again I want to thank all of you for your input. Many of you, I believe, have me pegged fairly accurately. I am not writing about what I want here, I am trying to carry out the wishes of my soon to be wife. I come from a family in which all of us are college educated, but none of us have been made rich by it. My passion was music when I was young, but I was/am self taught and never did learn to read music. I obtained two degrees in college, later went back to school and got a technical certificate for audio recording, later went back and got a high school history teaching certificate. I do not really use any of them. I work for the U.S. government. (I'll talk about what I do some other day.) Unfortunately, music did not pan out. Some day, I will try again on the internet, but my girl and her son come first. My point is, it would be wonderful if my girl and her son could identify something that is a good money maker, but in which they also really have a deep and abiding interest. So, I sought the advice here to identify good marketable fields. I agree with some of the folks here that college is not necessarily right for everyone, but my girl is set on it. I can understand that because my parents were the same way. However, they also had two friends that they met when my father was in medical school and my mother in nursing school whose parents were pushing them to be doctors. They could not stand the pressure and ended up commiting suicide. My parents did not want their children to feel such pressure, so, while they insisted on a college education for all of us, they did not specify any particular fields. Believing that I would one day be a successful musician (rock star), I made stupid major choices in college. I got my degrees (comparative religions and sociology) as I had promised my parents, but I could not use them. Anyway, I find myself stuck in the middle now. I still believe that you should pursue your dreams in plan A, but I also believe you need to have a good sensible plan B. The lucky ones choose a plan A that is also sensible. Hence, I am going to try to guide and advise, but I don't want to dictate. I couldn't even if I wanted to, because my girl would not let me for all of the reasons stated by others in this thread.

 

This thread shall be presented to both of them when they arrive here. I think it will help them enormously.

[r2y]

I am a univeristy professor and I see students come and go. I see students that love university life and the academics that go with it, and I see students that don't want to be here and are here because of their parents. By this age, they should be able to choose what they want to do. I also have a radio station, a television station and a production studio. I hire university students to work in different positions. It is amazing to see the work ethics of some of these students. Some students love working at the studios, this is what they want to do with their lives, others are just here for the money. Overall, it is fun working with the students that want to be here and learn both in the academic classroom and hands-on productions. Do these jobs make you rich? Not really, but they sure are fun as you make a documentary, or movie, or television show. To see something come from nothing to completion that others will enjoy. To have someone come up to you and say I saw you on television or your voice sounds familiar, I heard you on the radio. There are so many job opportunities with a college education. I am the first person in my family to get a college education. As my mother told me, "they can't take your education away from you." I believe that education could be college, but most important is the education of life. All of us are learning and hopefully learning something new throughout our lives.

[Don]

I got my degrees so I could work. I pick areas that i liked, but also provided good employeement. I am not sure that I feel a degree is just to educate us, i think it should get us ready to work in some occupation. I can and do educate myself on mnay topics, but they are my responsiblity i am not sure I would want to go to schools just to learn a basic background in some clasic area.

[david_dawei]

As much as I hate to say it.....is college always the right choice?

 

I must also agree with that. Some people are not cut out for structured education that provided in higher education. But I will also add that a degree can sometimes be the deciding factor, and is once again starting to appear as a requirement for many jobs that have traditionally not needed it.

 

Yes... the issue often discussed is: "what major is the best...".

 

Yes... the issue often ignored is: "what is the perceived degree needed by the market place..."

 

It's not a need in reality... but in perception... and it's a shame that even the need for a BS in some fields is becoming a need for an MS... maybe this is part of the economy bubble which thinks that a balloon can be blown up bigger and bigger and not thinking of a pop at the end.

 

There are alot of no-degree jobs; alternate education; trade work which the country cannot operate without.

 

I just heard this about the next generation: They are shifting from individuality and job jumping to low risk maneuvers. They want internships at an alarming rate where the past didn't... who knows what long term shift that will produce.

 

In the end, if you have a good business idea, have the capital to attempt it.... or an alternate education path.. or a trade... you can make it. It's a bit existential, but we're back to what those stuffy fellows thought: You are responsible for your destiny and are always 'becoming' something. Go for it...