How did you decide your major?

[mmc]

So I'm 22, and this process has been incredibly difficult for me.  I started with business, then went to statistics, and after not liking either one, I've finally decided I'm going to just follow my family and major in accounting, and while my first years of college I was hoping to eventually find something I would be passionate about, I'm more than content now to be doing something that my family can support and help me with and is likely to land me a decent career.

What was the process like for you, did you know right away, or did it take you a few years?  Did your career end up being related to what you studied in college, or did you go a different route after graduating?

[Tank]

I started off as a biology pre-med student. Didn’t really understand until I got to college that things like math and science in high school were a lot more important than I had anticipated. I dinked around for a bit and even took a year off to try and figure things out. Finally had a revelation to 1. study something I liked, and 2. go into an area that I was good at. So I chose Social Studies (a history degree would have required taking a foreign language class for a year at that time, and I would’ve had to stay an extra year of school which I wouldn’t have been able to afford), so that’s why I took a Social Studies major. I also had to take education classes. I managed to graduate on time though I ended up returning the next year to do my student teaching. 
 

This week I'm finishing my 39th year as a teacher and it seems to have been the right path. 
 

so go into an area that you like and do something you’re good at. That’s my advice. 

 

Edited May 28, 2023 by Tank

[m0nkey]

Also went into accounting, through process of elimination.  Family tried pushing me towards the sciences (family full of doctors/dentists), but I had like a 2.3 GPA my first year.  

 

Settled into accounting because I was told it was a safe and stable career.  Definitely not passionate about it and there are more lucrative occupations, but it pays the bills and am happy with my current life.

[AngelsLakersFan]

Do whatever you’re good at.

[arch stanton]

It’s not really fair to expect a 22 year old to know what he wants with his life. Just get a degree that will allow you to travel on the company dime and see what’s out there 

[Don]

I got talked into my major by a bartender.

[katie]

I wanted to be a horse vet so I majored in Animal Science. I am now a Quality Assurance Specialist in pharmaceutical manufacturing. 
But my major was a lot of fun. 

[Catwhoshatinthehat]

I went into accounting because when I was younger it was mentioned as a stable career.  I stuck with it because with the way my brain works it made sense to me.  My only advice if you're planning to major in accounting is advice my auditing professor gave our class - if you're majoring in accounting you should be planning to at least sit for the CPA exam.  Outside of that I would say to major in something you get some kind of joy, satisfaction or whatever else it is you want out of your career because you might end up doing it or something related to it for the next 40+ years.  That said the trick is also finding something you can hopefully make a living off of. 

[Ender]

Went to college as a computer science major because I thought that coding and making video games would be cool.

Boy was it boring and awful (1.8 GPA ... too much not going to class and not caring). Changed after the first year. 

Was at an engineering school and my roommate was an Electrical Engineering major ... thought I'd give that one a go because electricity and lightning are cool.

18 years later, I've been working at the same company and gotten my Master's degree in EE.

[Don]

I started off as a Journalism major and just found the content of the coursework excruciatingly boring. It seemed like every class was a review of the same general advertising concepts with new terms for them. So I switched over to History, mainly because I found the coursework interesting at least. About a year and a half into that I was talking to a bartender at my favorite local place who was also a graduate teaching assistant. He was teaching a Cartography class for the upcoming semester, but he needed a minimum number of students to keep the class from getting cancelled (thus losing him a decent chunk of money), so I agreed to sign up for it. I ended up taking to it really well, and I changed my major to Geography with an emphasis in Geographic Information Systems. Finished with that degree along with a minor in History, and somehow ended up becoming an engineer in my post-college professional life.

[Slegnaac]

On 5/29/2023 at 10:47 AM, m0nkey said:

Also went into accounting, through process of elimination.  Family tried pushing me towards the sciences (family full of doctors/dentists), but I had like a 2.3 GPA my first year.  

 

Settled into accounting because I was told it was a safe and stable career.  Definitely not passionate about it and there are more lucrative occupations, but it pays the bills and am happy with my current life.

You could try to get a position as a Lion Tamer. 

[angelsfan100]

Psychology, because I wasn't quite sure and had plans for grad school anyways. If I could go back, I probably would have gone with something computer-related or meteorology. 

However you cannot go wrong with a degree in accounting. 

[ten ocho recon scout]

I'm the wrong guy to ask, but I'll answer anyway. I majored in Sociology and did a ton of History classes to go with it.

Best advice I can give you....

It's not supposed to be fun. Or something you want to do "when you grow up". You're spending money now to make money later.... so invest in a job field that pays and will pay for years and years to come....

You can always go back to school in later life and get another degree in something you are interested in. But don't waste time and money in something nobody is going to pay you for....

[arch stanton]

4 hours ago, AngelsLakersFan said:

There are a lot of opportunities in that field.

Maybe so but it's ungodly crowded

[katie]

On 6/18/2023 at 3:16 PM, ten ocho recon scout said:

I'm the wrong guy to ask, but I'll answer anyway. I majored in Sociology and did a ton of History classes to go with it.

Best advice I can give you....

It's not supposed to be fun. Or something you want to do "when you grow up". You're spending money now to make money later.... so invest in a job field that pays and will pay for years and years to come....

You can always go back to school in later life and get another degree in something you are interested in. But don't waste time and money in something nobody is going to pay you for....

I say do the opposite. Jobs are looking for a degree and experience. I’m doing nothing related to my major but the last few jobs I’ve gotten do require a degree, and I had a ton of fun in my classes. 

Edited June 20, 2023 by katie

[Dtwncbad]

I was undecided for too long.  I literally ran out of GE courses to take.  So I looked at the fastest path to graduation from there and picked Communications.

It was pathetically easy and good enough to “check the box” of having a 4 year degree in applying for jobs after graduation.

Unless you want to be a doctor, engineer or lawyer (among a few others), I would contend that your undergraduate major probably doesn’t matter that much. . . at least if the context of the discussion is about landing a job.

It’s your performance on the job from there that will matter far more. 

[Vegas Halo Fan]

I started out pre-med (along with half of the University of Florida). I could never grasp calculus, so that ended that. I enjoyed psychology, so I got a BA in it. Found out that you can't do much with it without a Ph.D., and the odds of getting into a program are worse than medical school. Got a nursing degree years later after a series of dead end jobs.

[mrwicked]

There are two categories IMO:

1. fields that genuinely interest you.

2. fields that can help you lead the life you want (consider finances, ability to have a family if you want, stability, growth, etc).

Major in stuff that satisfies both 1 and 2.

Minor in stuff that satisfies 1 only.

[mmc]

Update: very happy with what I chose, did great last semester and I think it’s the right field for me.  I just got accepted into Cal State Fullerton and will transfer there in the fall

[Taylor]

3 hours ago, mmc said:

Update: very happy with what I chose, did great last semester and I think it’s the right field for me.  I just got accepted into Cal State Fullerton and will transfer there in the fall

Congrats! And Fullerton is super inexpensive for the education you get.