What should I major in?

[Haphazard]

I want to do something that can actually be useful but I can derive at least some modicrum of joy from. This means anything medical is absolutely out of the question.

Any other ideas, though?

 

[heart]

What do you enjoy? What are you good at? What do you think would force you to expand areas of yourself that need expanding? What do you want/expect out of a college education?

 

[Haphazard]

What do you enjoy? What are you good at? What do you think would force you to expand areas of yourself that need expanding? What do you want/expect out of a college education?

What I want/expect out of a college education is the means with which to pay it back and maybe some life in the future.

I enjoy... I don't know what I enjoy. At home I enjoy writing and knitting and drawing, but I doubt that counts for anything. I also like languages in a way they don't teach in school. I'm good at history and math and some writing. What about me needs expanding... probably sciences. Because every science teacher I've ever had was horrible.

 

[highlander]

It's a difficult question. You might consider reading the following two books:
- What color is your parachute (do the exercises)
- Do what you are

You might be able to come up with some ideas on potential careers and then work backwards from there on a major that would align.

The practical answer is to major in something that is in high demand and aligns with your interests but it is difficult to know what you want to do when you're starting college.

 

[Haphazard]

It's a difficult question. You might consider reading the following two books:
- What color is your parachute (do the exercises)
- Do what you are

You might be able to come up with some ideas on potential careers and then work backwards from there on a major that would align.

The practical answer is to major in something that is in high demand and aligns with your interests but it is difficult to know what you want to do when you're starting college.

What is in high demand?

 

[highlander]

Well, I have not researched it lately but this turned up in a Google search.

The Ten Hottest Careers - college graduates - fastest growing occupations

 

[Haphazard]

Well, I have not researched it lately but this turned up in a Google search.

The Ten Hottest Careers - college graduates - fastest growing occupations

I do not know if I could do any of those things...

 

[Asterion]

What about me needs expanding... probably sciences. Because every science teacher I've ever had was horrible.

I'm not sure what you mean here, do you not like science? I would have recomended a straight forward BSc simply because it has an incredible amount of possibilities and value. I don't know if there's much out there that combines maths and history.

What about Law? Or anything in the arts (but those jobs are less available). Maths and Business usually go hand in hand, you can't really go wrong with business, the only problem is that it's courses might be tedious.

Really, you're not likely to love your job, it's probably not a good idea to get attached to a job anyway. I think you should be looking at what you'd hate least .

 

[Haphazard]

I'm not sure what you mean here, do you not like science? I would have recomended a straight forward BSc simply because it has an incredible amount of possibilities and value. I don't know if there's much out there that combines maths and history.

What about Law? Or anything in the arts (but those jobs are less available). Maths and Business usually go hand in hand, you can't really go wrong with business, the only problem is that it's courses might be tedious.

Really, you're not likely to love your job, it's probably not a good idea to get attached to a job anyway. I think you should be looking at what you'd hate least .

I have had personal vendettas against science teachers. I swear to God there is something about them I hate. I have no idea why, because at this level it's all memorization and I've been able to do work with lots of memorization quite easily (most history and social science classes), but for some reason, I just. can't. do. science.

Law is expensive. Arts is also expensive. I can think of a couple things that combine math and history: demography and statistical archaeology.

If I hate it more than school I want it to at least be less stressful than school. And I'm going to admit right now that I don't hate school an awful lot.

 

[sofmarhof]

What I want/expect out of a college education is the means with which to pay it back and maybe some life in the future.

In that case, I would suggest a public university (maybe you're already going to one). What you major in is not as important to the question of whether your investment will pay off as how much you spend in the first place is.

 

[surgery]

Do you have a vision for yourself that is not contingent to practical aspects? Imagine who you want to be ideally. From there, I would suggest asking what could you do realistically to live life in a way that brings you closest to that. You already seem to have pretty pragmatic view of life, so that should be too difficult. Lastly, ask what you can do efficiently. What are your strengths? What allows you to focus best and be the most productive?

Some people say the marketability in searching for a career comes less from your major and more from your experiences. For example, a classics major, you could still go into an archeological field (I think most study anthropology) if employers see you've had exposure to ancient from a study abroad experience in Greece.

Those are just generalizations. I am only a university sophomore, so I haven't got it totally figured out either.

 

[miss fortune]

if you like languages you might be interested in state department or un work... that would involve studying foreign relations (writing!) and at least one other language

 

[Venom]

here are the no BS answers...

If you want a job the moment you graduate:
--Accounting

If you want a job the moment you graduate that makes a lot for a young kid, but peaks earlier in the late career:
--Engineering

If you want to be little miss marketing/advertising SJ who thinks shes actually really creative:
--Marketing/advertising

If you want to indicate to the world that you're practical and ready to be a lil worker bee at corporate:
--Business Administration

If you want to be part of the east coast elite:
--Finance (then to ibanking)

If you want a major thats worthless without more schooling:
--Biology, Psychology

If you want a major thats worthless
--Sociology

If you want to be seen as someone who is part of the on-avg smartest major:
--physics/math

If you want to be known as that fucking crazy girl who takes the hardest classes from everyone else's majors:
--Biomedical engineering

If you want to be an excellent bullshitter:
--Political Science and History

If you want to have a major that "looks practical" to those not in the know, but is really just as ivory tower as sociology:
--Economics

If want a lot of unrewarded hard work:
--Chemistry

 

[Haphazard]

if you like languages you might be interested in state department or un work... that would involve studying foreign relations (writing!) and at least one other language

What's "un work"? Is that like undoing other peoples work? Because that sounds kinda mean...

 

[ergophobe]

Whatever your major, get a minor in creative writing. That way, you'll always have the option of working for
1. the editorial side of a newspaper/magazine
2. a press, looking at manuscripts
The above could be good ways of paying the bills while you work on your own writing.

Get to college and explore a little. Identify some potential majors that interest you and work from there. You'll have to take science classes anyway along with everything else (likely) but don't force yourself to take something you don't enjoy to build competence. It may push you to get over a block but making a career in a subject that you strongly dislike is asking for many years of misery.

Consider studying linguistics or a foreign language vof your choice - interpreters are always in demand for government and international NGO work as Whatever said, in relation to the United Nations/WHO etc etc...Do a peace corps stint if you can.

 

[sofmarhof]

What's "un work"? Is that like undoing other peoples work? Because that sounds kinda mean...

United Nations

 

[swordpath]

I want to do something that can actually be useful but I can derive at least some modicrum of joy from. This means anything medical is absolutely out of the question.

Any other ideas, though?

A major that's useful but probably boring as shit: Business

Majors that have limited application but that would be/are fun and interesting:
Law/Criminal Justice
Sociology
Psychology

 

[Metamorphosis]

A major that's useful but probably boring as shit: Business

Majors that have limited application but that would be/are fun and interesting:
Law/Criminal Justice
Sociology
Psychology

This is absolutely true. I have a degree in Political Science and International Relations and I loved every second of it. I'm now a Business graduate student and it is "boring as shit." Economics is interesting. Finance, to a lesser degree, is somewhat interesting. "Business," in general, blows...especially management. It's memorizing a bunch of ways that guys over the past centuries have quantified shit that I learned innately by the time I was out of high school.

Some disciplines teach you how to think and some disciplines teach you what to think. With that said, I have a shitty job largely because of my choice of undergrad major.

 

[highlander]

I do not know if I could do any of those things...

If there is more info on your type than COLD, I may have more suggestions.

 

[haag261390]

how about being a humanities major and give that a try?