Advice on switching majors

[AGDee]

Most of you seem to have missed this section:

Starting Small
With all of the benefits of a liberal arts major, there's little wonder why these degrees are so popular. Students earning associate's and bachelor's degrees in liberal arts disciplines far outnumber students studying in mathematic or scientific fields, according to data from the U.S. Center for Education Statistics.

And this large supply often means entry-level salaries for liberal arts majors plummet far below those offered to their quantitatively-focused classmates.

Starting salaries for this year's liberal arts graduates average around $30,300 – well below the $52,000 offered to electrical engineering grads and the $43,800 for accounting majors, according to a spring 2005 salary survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

McLeod says the nature of liberal arts majors' skills also prevent them from earning immediate career success. "Everybody can read and write, and everybody can talk," she says. "That's why it takes so long for the people who do that to differentiate themselves."

Dee

[preciousjeni]

It also says that LA degrees take you further in time whereas specialized degrees don't provide as much upward mobility. Anyway, starting out with a humble salary is better than starting out with nothing at all!

By the way -- 2005 is a better job year for new graduates than MANY years thus far!!!

[epchick]

Wow! Thank you everyone for all your advice. I really do have a lot to think about this summer.

Just a couple things to clear up:

--I was only considering being a lawyer mainly for the fact that I like to argue

--I do well in English and History classes, but to me they are boring and something that I probably wouldn't choose as a major.

I'm not too much into liberal arts major (which at my college is Englihs/History/Criminal Justice/Political Science/Psychology/etc)

I have talked to my mom (since she is a teacher) and she has told me that if I chose an education major to do something in general fields because they are more sought after...and like someone said I might like to teach band...but they are the first to get cut from schools.

Since I really want to move from my city once I graduate I should look at places that I would like to live and see what jobs are needed.

Again, thank you all for your advice....keep it coming! lol

[kddani]

Originally posted by preciousjeni
By the way -- 2005 is a better job year for new graduates than MANY years thus far!!!

Lol, not for most people I know, myself included!

Also, while engineers/sciency people may not have the writing skills (though in general those people are smarter than your average college student, as those are very demanding majors)- they also have better analytical and problem solving skills. These are invaluable skills in the real world. A lot of student with a science/engineering background really do well in law school and elsewhere because of those skills

[kddani]

Originally posted by epchick
--I was only considering being a lawyer mainly for the fact that I like to argue

Lol, that's pretty much the worst reason to want to be a lawyer!

[epchick]

Originally posted by kddani
Lol, that's pretty much the worst reason to want to be a lawyer!

Oh yeah..i've known that for a long time! lol. Its just funny because when I argue with someone they'll usually end up saying wow...you really like to argue, have you ever thought of being a lawyer? lmao.

[AGDee]

Originally posted by preciousjeni

By the way -- 2005 is a better job year for new graduates than MANY years thus far!!!

I believe this varies greatly by region. In Michigan, with an unemployment rate of 7% + and companies announcing more salaried layoffs daily, I'd say almost all new grads will have a tough time here. Except RNs. RNs are in such demand they can pretty much name their price as well as get sign on bonuses.

[preciousjeni]

Note I said "better" not "good."

[GeekyPenguin]

This is why I think there's an advantage to going to a school like mine where there was a strong core curriculum - I have an economics degree that I can get a job with if I hate law school, but I have tons of philosophy and theology and english credits that built up reading/writing/analytical skills as well.

I think economics was a great major for me but you have to do what you're good at. I started as an engineer and switched to econ.

[AXOhottie]

Originally posted by Taualumna
Many math and science majors haven't written a proper essay since their generalized courses in first or second year, or even since high school!

I have to completely disagree with this statement as a chemistry major. I am required to write several, detailed research papers each term. These include papers about the research/lab work I am currently working on as well as about topics that I have to do formal research papers on. In several of my classes we are required to give formal presentations, something I never have had to do with my music major. Last semester I had to give an hour long presentation on Mycobacterium tuberculosis. That was no easy task. I will have to give several more presentations in my upcoming classes. So to generalize that science majors do not have to worry about "measly" things such as English, grammar, papers, and presentations is not a good idea (calling these things measly is sarcasm because clearly they are important to any college graduate). Every single science class offered at my school has a large writing component to it. There are a few classes required for all science majors that are only based on writing papers and giving presentations.

Majoring in the sciences allows students to graduate with marketable skills for obtaining well-paying jobs after graduation with merely a bachelor's degree. We are extremely disciplined from the result of studying so much. We have marketable lab skills as well as writing and public speaking skills. There are plenty of ways to move up within companies once science majors have obtained jobs. Students can attend graduate programs, move into teaching jobs, or work their way through the company ladder. I feel like there are so many more things I might be able to do with my chemistry degree than I will ever be able to do with my music degree.

[smiley21]

I will say this (I did not read the entire thread, so I may repeat something, but I think that it is good advice) : it seems that you are interested in a wide range of careers/majors. Personally, I changed my major 8 times. One thing I learned is that when you are indecisive or have a lot of interests, find a major that covers more than one career choice. Don't limit yourself. By the time senior year comes around, you may be more sure of yourself.

[Taualumna]

AXO,

I would say that it depends on what kind of sciences you're taking and what your school requires a science student to take in order to graduate. My cousin is an Civil Engineering grad. In her class, there were plenty of foreign kids who had very poor writing skills. Sure, they passed TOEFL to get into school and sure, they passed their reading and writing test during their first week of school, but they still had poor skills. They still managed to cruise along and graduate with a respectable GPA. And I doubt they were allowed to write reports in their native language either, not that they necessarily were good writers in that.

[AchtungBaby80]

I just want to say one thing--don't stick with a major just because it's the quickest road to graduation. If you don't like it, switch to something you do like. I realized during my senior year that I really didn't want to manage retail or be a buyer when I grow up and that I would really rather be a teacher, but my parents were pressuring me to hurry up and finish so I stuck with my fashion merchandising program. Guess what? Now I'm working on my master's in education, and I am thankful every day that I do not work retail anymore.

[preciousjeni]

Originally posted by AchtungBaby80
I just want to say one thing--don't stick with a major just because it's the quickest road to graduation. If you don't like it, switch to something you do like. I realized during my senior year that I really didn't want to manage retail or be a buyer when I grow up and that I would really rather be a teacher, but my parents were pressuring me to hurry up and finish so I stuck with my fashion merchandising program. Guess what? Now I'm working on my master's in education, and I am thankful every day that I do not work retail anymore.

*clapping*

[SAEalumnus]

I only switched my major once, but the timing of it cost me a couple of extra years in school.

The field I started out in and the one in which I graduated are very similar through the first couple of years of the curriculum. It wasn't until my third year that the differences became apparent. I decided to switch in March of my third year, knowing full well which course I'd need to start with in my new field, but not realizing that said course is only offered in the winter quarter. I had to wait until my fourth year to start over in my new field.

I don't regret the extra time though. I would certainly have graduated some couple of years earlier had I stuck it out with the original major, but I would have been locked into a career in a field in which I had zero personal interest, as I discovered. I decided I would much rather spend an extra couple of years in college completing a degree I could use and in a field I really enjoy, than to graduate sooner, but be miserable for the next several decades of working life.

Another point to consider, too, is that many entry-level positions don't require a degree in any specific field, only that you've completed a degree. If you find yourself moving toward that kind of career, it doesn't really matter (to your would-be employer, anyway) which major you choose.

The bottom line, though, is choose whatever major you most enjoy, and if you need to switch majors, do so sooner rather than later.