Question about College

[drivemytrabant]

For those of you who want to share and have attended college at some point I was just wondering...

was it worth it or a waste of time?

what did you major in and is it helping you in your career today?

would you major in something different given the choice today?

Did you go with what you enjoyed when choosing your major or did you go with what you thought would make you the most money?

Also any advice for someone who is not sure on what to major in would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance guys!

 

[Justified]

It was well worth my time. I enjoyed every minute of it but would do a lot of things differently now. I would have held off a year before I started. I am working in a related field to what I went to school for, but granted I have not finished my degree but it is still in the field that I majored in. I would have followed through on my dreams to study over seas in Spain and not let fear get the best of me. Going to college exposed me to more than academic studies, I learned a lot about life and how I want to live it.

 

[nbcrusader]

I attended college a fews years back (okay, I graduated in '86)

To answer your questions:

Worth it.

Major in Business Administration. I would still recommend taking a broad range of classes - not stuff that is designed to craft you into a specific role.

I would keep the same major, but perhaps take some different classes. I took a year of Japanese. I should have minored in something along those lines.

Honestly, I did not know what I wanted to do for a career during my first couple of years. I would go with what is interesting and challenging.

Bottom line - you get out of college what you put into college. College is an opportunity to broaden your experiences and challenge your understanding of the world. Your effort matters more than the school you attend.

 

[dsmith2904]

I graduated in 1999.

was it worth it or a waste of time? It was not a waste of my time at all, I have very few practical skills (can't draw, sew, build, weld, cook, fix cars, etc) so going to college was always a no-brainer.

what did you major in and is it helping you in your career today?
I majored in journalism and work in journalism today. Though having a degree isn't a requirement for my profession, I think the classes I took did help me quite a bit with what I do now.

would you major in something different given the choice today? Maybe, but if you change one thing, you change everything. I guess if I had known I could have gone to Galway and majored in Irish culture and history, I would have done that (what I would do for a living with that degree is another question).

Did you go with what you enjoyed when choosing your major or did you go with what you thought would make you the most money?

With what I enjoyed. To me, it's more important to do something that makes me happy than to make tons of money doing something I could care less about. Of course, right now I do a job I hate (has more to do with the job than the profession, I am passionate about journalism) and make no money at it, so what do I know?

If you're not sure what you want to major in, take your time, try a bunch of different classes, talk to students and teachers in different majors, you could end up in something you never imagined.

 

[JessicaAnn]

Having just celebrated my 5 year reunion from college this summer, I thought I would add my two cents ...

was it worth it or a waste of time?

Definitely worth it, not just in terms of education, but for expanding my horizons as a person (the people I met, the experiences I had, etc).

what did you major in and is it helping you in your career today?

I majored in journalism (minored in psychology and sociology).

I now work in public relations ... I definitely am using what I learned in college, although I know a lot of people who aren't doing anything related to their major.

In fact I am contemplating getting my masters degree, however I am not sure if I want to do a general MBA or get my MA in communcations.

would you major in something different given the choice today?

No, I am pretty happy with my choices.

Did you go with what you enjoyed when choosing your major or did you go with what you thought would make you the most money?

Unless you're Barbara Walters, journalists don't make a lot of money. I chose journalism because it was something I liked. I would rather make an average salary doing something i loved than make millions doing something I hate.

Also any advice for someone who is not sure on what to major in would be appreciated.

I don't know you so I hate to make a recommendation. One route you could go is to just enroll in the freshman class at the college of your choice and take some of the classes that all freshman are required to take (history, science, etc). You will get a feel for a lot of different classes. This will also give you a chance to talk to different professors and your college's career counselors about picking a major. In fact, I think some colleges don't even require you to declare your major until your sophmore year.

 

[Liesje]

I'm a third year student right now so I'll try my best...

was it worth it or a waste of time?

Worth it so far. I mean, even if I don't know exactly what I want to do, it beats living at home and burdening my parents. College is more than academics - I LOVE living on my own with friends, having my own space, dealing with my own issues, etc. You make lifelong friends, expand your horizons, learn how to make it in the "real world" both socially and intellectually.

what did you major in and is it helping you in your career today?

I started as general science, then Computer Science, then Digital Communications, and now Business Communication. It fits my job pretty well (I'm a computer tech) since I took a lot of additional computer courses when I was doing CS/IS stuff.

would you major in something different given the choice today?

I'm still entertaining the thought of vet tech school, but won't decide for sure until I finished with the Bus Com degree and move to where I want to stay.

Did you go with what you enjoyed when choosing your major or did you go with what you thought would make you the most money?

There are things I enjoy a LOT more thand studying business, but I simply can't afford the amount of schooling it would take to succeed in those fields (vet medicine, atmospheric sciences, for example). I'm more of a person that works out of neccessity and does other more personally valuable things on the side so I'm content doing a job that may not be so exciting as long as I feel I can accomplish my other goals while doing the job well.

 

[U2democrat]

wow NBC you graduated the year i was born...............

i can't offer any advice since i'm currently in the process of applying but i can't wait until i go.

 

[nbcrusader]

Great. That made my day :reallyold:

 

[neutral]

was it worth it or a waste of time?

It was definitely worth it.

what did you major in and is it helping you in your career today?

Well the first time I went, I was an art major. I was really good at what I did and planned to try to make a living at it (I did ceramics) but umm I had a major meltdown my last semester. I decided I liked computers after college and taught myself that. I work in IT and web design now. I've always been able to get IT jobs and no one cared what I'd majored in, to be honest, but most of them did insist that candidates at least have a bachelor's degree.

would you major in something different given the choice today?

Well I'm in school again now, studying Comp Sci stuff, so...yes, I guess?

Did you go with what you enjoyed when choosing your major or did you go with what you thought would make you the most money?

I had no idea what I wanted to do so I decided to just major in something I was good at. I started as a business major because my parents said to, but frankly it bored the out of me.

Also any advice for someone who is not sure on what to major in would be appreciated.

Just take a general liberal arts curriculum for as long as you can. You should be able to work with your advisor and figure out a general course of study while you're undecided , of courses you can probably apply to your eventual major unless you do something drastically different. (like start in lib arts and go to engineering or something.)

 

[Laura M]

I'm halfway through my degree now *insert comment here about time whizzing by* so I hope you don't mind me commenting.

Was it worth it or a waste of time?

I really enjoy my course and would say it is worth it although I expected a lot more from the French dept. I was a bit disappointed but it is the best university in N. Ireland & has a great reputation.

what did you major in and is it helping you in your career today?

I'm doing a joint degree in French & Spanish. My dream job definately involves using my languages.

would you major in something different given the choice today?

No.

Did you go with what you enjoyed when choosing your major or did you go with what you thought would make you the most money?

I went with what I was really passionate about. I love languages. I wouldn't do something I wasn't passionate about and hoped I kinda liked the course. I think you need to be enthusiastic about what you're studying. I actually enjoy writing essays for my subject. Some of my friends who have now left uni found thier course to be a real struggle and hated working for it. I didn't go with what madem e the most money. I could have studied law with 3A's but making a lot of money isn't that important for me. I don't want to be really strapped for cash either.

Also any advice for someone who is not sure on what to major in would be appreciated.

Keep your options open and think carefully about whether your major will helpyou in the future. Study something you really are passionate about. Some people aren't suited for university/ college life but still go on to have great jobs.

 

[U2democrat]

Great. That made my day :reallyold:

awwwww poor NBC.

 

[bammo2]

I graduated with a degree in Media Production in 2000. It was a cool course, but it was very badly delivered as the uni I went to was brand new (it only opened the year before I started) and the staff weren't particularly good. Also, all of the digital equipment (editing gear, tv studio, etc etc) was so new that no one knew how to use it, even the technicians (the uni had a deal with Sony that we could have their brand new unreleased equipment so we could be guinea pigs before it was released to the industry)

anyway, so it was an interesting course, but when I graduated I didn't feel confident enough in my skills to actually work in the industry.

Since then I have been kicking myself that I didn't study Theatre Studies and English Literature (which is what I studied at A level). After that I would have done a 1 year post-grad journalism course.

Instead I am an unemployed marketing assistant

And all of this happened after I took a year out to make sure I was choosing the right course!

 

[*BOOMCHAA!*]

I'm currently at a university and am changing my major as it is not very lucrative.

 

[anitram]

was it worth it or a waste of time?

It was worth it, but not for acquiring practical skills. I think going to college is an invaluable life experience that you simply can't get elsewhere. Also you have to understand that the point of university is not necessarily to learn everything about everything, but to gain the skills necessary to participate in critical thinking.

what did you major in and is it helping you in your career today?

Immunology, and I am currently working in biomedical research in the same field, so yes, it helped in my career in that it directly decided it. But I also enrolled in a post-graduate degree after my bachelor's.

would you major in something different given the choice today?

I always wanted to major in art history, and it's something I would like to know more about. I'm actually going to probably make a career move shortly, because I've been working in research and development (of cancer drugs) and so I've a good grasp of patenting, and I'd like to go into IP law. Essentially I am interested in finishing up a couple of my major research projects in the next 12-18 months and then go to law school. In a way then, my original major will help me, as there is high demand for research scientists in pharmaceutical IP law at the moment.

Did you go with what you enjoyed when choosing your major or did you go with what you thought would make you the most money?

Neither, actually. I studied something which I felt was my greatest strength - science, and I found a sub category within that which I then pursued.

Also any advice for someone who is not sure on what to major in would be appreciated.

There are two kinds of people - those obsessed with professional programs because they just want a guaranteed job with a good income. If you are such a person, go into law, medicine, pharmacy, dentistry, engineering, etc. If you are interested in academics, go to graduate school, but be aware that there is absolutely no money in academia. Then you have the people who don't know what they want to do, and they have to find that out along the way. Most people I know who really gave a lot of thought to what it is they loved and wanted to do did so after graduating and spending some time in the workplace. Don't be scared to go back to school later or change your path.

 

[nbcrusader]

I'm actually going to probably make a career move shortly, because I've been working in research and development (of cancer drugs) and so I've a good grasp of patenting, and I'd like to go into IP law. Essentially I am interested in finishing up a couple of my major research projects in the next 12-18 months and then go to law school. In a way then, my original major will help me, as there is high demand for research scientists in pharmaceutical IP law at the moment.

A solid technical background (education and experience) coupled with a law degree will open many doors in the legal world.

 

[U2democrat]

i'm not exactly sure what i want to do for graduate school. i don't want to go to law school, so i'll probably give george washington university's school of political management a try. though i cringe to think of the cost.

 

[nbcrusader]

Graduate school after work experience is far more valuable than graduate school right after you get your undergraduate degree.

 

[anitram]

Graduate school after work experience is far more valuable than graduate school right after you get your undergraduate degree.

I completely agree, and colleges seem to as well, as many are giving open preference to adult applicants with both life and work experience.

I knew nothing about the real world when I graduated.

 

[drivemytrabant]

Wow this is some helpful stuff guys. Thanks alot and keep it coming!

 

[U2democrat]

Graduate school after work experience is far more valuable than graduate school right after you get your undergraduate degree.

good idea. maybe i could get a job in DC and start off with a decent pay so then i can pay for graduate school myself rather than relying on my parents. we'll see how it all works out.