Need help deciding on a college major

[Automaggin2]

Hmmmmmm.........I am applying to schools and I can't decide on a major. What do you all think?

[atcer]

Come to UND and be an Air Traffic Controller. Hottest job in the US right now. Starting pay a guaranteed 32k. controllers in metro areas are earning in the 100k+/yr area. i know someone in NYC TRACON who graduated three years ago making about 180k. (plus its fun!)

[RenagadeOfFunk]

you come to "US" to ask what to be...omfg you are an AO slave...do what you want and go with it...

[trevorjk]

yeah you get to make plains crash if your one of those traffic controller dealy people

[impostal22]

pick the "undecided" major..lol. it's the only way to fly baby!

ps- air traffic controllers are one of the most stressful jobs out there as well..have fun!

[Collegeboy]

I would go undecided, for if you change your major later on and it involves switching colleges (like saying going from the school of Arts and Sciences to the school of Business) it could be a hassle and might involve taking classes you do not need.

If you know you are going to stay in one college then it doesn't matter, but looking at your choices it seems you are not sure.

I started off as an engineer major, had all the math up to Dif Eq. I worked one summer at a civil engineering firm and decided I did not want to design roads all my life, I also did some work in other engineer fields and really didn't like it. So I switched to history, (along with Russian and economics all added along the way) which in itself can be a useless degree. But combine that with a degree in anything else and you have a good combo. Also if you plan on going to law school, a history or English degree is the most desirable (unless you are going into corp law then a business degree). As to ploy sci, I once had a teacher tell me that the Poly Sci degree has become just about useless, everyone in their brother is a poly sci major, and she is a teacher of comparative politics.

I would advise to go undecided and take your electives in the fields you think you are interested in, talk to your teachers and see what made them decide on their fields, and any info you can before you officially declare a major.

[PyRo]

Make better paintball guns

[Koosh]

need a college major, eh?

How about the study of Dirty Band Aid Re-use

or: Birth Control Researcher

Hrmm... i think the country needs more Hobos... maybe you could go to school to learn how to do that.

Go into Scatology, you know, the study of wildlife Excrement.

.........

But seriously, we can't help you. Decide what you want to do, then do it. Be "undecieded" if you need us to choose for you.

[davidb]

Trust me, if you're reusing dirty Band-Aids, you have no need for birth control.

[Collegeboy]

He is asking for people who have chosen one of those majors to tell why they chose it. He is going to make the decision on his own, he, like all of us probably, is asking others their opinion before making one of the toughest and most important decisions of his life. I could not imagine picking my major without asking around, that is why I got roped into engineering, for I did not ask.

[Albinonewt]

Well, I went in as a Criminal Justice major at first, figuring I'd give law and order a good run. Later I decided against for a variety of reasons and switched to accounting. It's a great field to get into now and base wages for entry level have increased 20% in just the last couple of years (after I got out thank you very much ). But, it's a field where you have to pay close attention to detail, and if that's not your thing then it's not for you.

I would go in udecided if I were you, if you aren't sure. Take as many of the "generic" courses as you can to get them out of the way and maybe sample the things you're thinking about taking. You've got at least a semester or two before you need to worry about declaring. (some majors have so many pre-reqs on their courses that you need to start fairly early just to have time to take them all back to back)

[Tuff]

Go in undecided for the first year, and decide then. Definately the best way to go. Trust me, I've been there (I'm STILL there) and I wish I could re-do the entire thing because I screwed up a lot of stuff.

[Automaggin2]

Originally posted by Collegeboy
He is asking for people who have chosen one of those majors to tell why they chose it. He is going to make the decision on his own, he, like all of us probably, is asking others their opinion before making one of the toughest and most important decisions of his life. I could not imagine picking my major without asking around, that is why I got roped into engineering, for I did not ask.

Exactly. Everyone I talk to gives me a different opinion. My parents, my guidance counselor, friends, family.



But most people I know do not have a degree in any of the fields I am interested in.

[Albinonewt]

Well, unless you plan to go further then a four year degree I'd say that the History major and the political science major are pretty limited in practical applications. Most people I know that have history degrees either go onto teach or further their education. And a political science degree is kind of like a philosphy degree. They're good for getting jobs in a 4% unemployment atmosphere, but not so much in a 6% atmosphere. But, by the time you graduate the economy could be in another up swing similar to the 90's, and it's pretty difficult to predict.

Computer science is always good and business is typically a safe bet as well.

[Kevmaster]

the major you pick before you go to college means little to nothing at most places. They will give you a 'pre-major advisor' who is a prof in the department you chose and he will help you pick your classes and such. They know you are going to change your major ten times over. Pick the major you think is most akin to your likes and interests. I would strongly recommend NOT going in 'undecided'. If you choose physics for example, you'll get a physics prof who can help you with even some related fields (eg: Math, Chem, CS, Engineering). If you go in undecided you'll get who-knows-who from -who-knows-what department. Trust me, I've been in the undecided and it is NOT the palce to be. Luckly I talked with a prof in the Engineering department who could give me some REAL advise. I do NOT recommend taking an undecided route to college.