Choosing a Major

[Disney=Love]

I'm heading into my senior year of high school and I'm stuck between majors. There's Elementary Education because I love kids. But there's also Communications because I think that would give me more options and probably a higher paying job. Anyone in one of those majors?

 

[wdwgirl03]

I'm an elementary ed. major. I really like it...the kids are awesome (well, most of the time!).

But in all honesty, if you're more interested in the money, then I wouldn't pick education as your major...

 

[Disney=Love]

I'm an elementary ed. major. I really like it...the kids are awesome (well, most of the time!).

But in all honesty, if you're more interested in the money, then I wouldn't pick education as your major...

I don't want to make it sound like I'm a money hog, it's just that if I can do something I enjoy as much as working with kids and get paid more, I'd rather do that. My main concern with elementary ed is that it's hard to find a job.

 

[juligrl]

I'm heading into my senior year of high school and I'm stuck between majors. There's Elementary Education because I love kids. But there's also Communications because I think that would give me more options and probably a higher paying job. Anyone in one of those majors?

It depends what you want to do in communications. Both my husband and I have degrees in communication. I went for PR concentration and he went for Journalism. If you are considering working in the newspaper industry, reconsider as the long term prospects for the newspaper industry are questionable since they haven't figured out an effective way to earn revenue from internet readers. My husband equates the industry to where the US steel industry was in the 1970s.

A lot of your financial success and job opportunities depend on your willingness to move. We have a lot of friends who graduated as el ed majors, but are not willing to go where the jobs are. Also some that do find it hard to afford to live in those areas.

DH is actually back in school right now working toward his CPA and an MNA. This is 7 years of life experience after he went through college the first time. He has a knack for financial planning and would consider getting into a field like that.

 

[Disney=Love]

It depends what you want to do in communications. Both my husband and I have degrees in communication. I went for PR concentration and he went for Journalism. If you are considering working in the newspaper industry, reconsider as the long term prospects for the newspaper industry are questionable since they haven't figured out an effective way to earn revenue from internet readers. My husband equates the industry to where the US steel industry was in the 1970s.

Actually, I was thinking of taking the path of PR. I would love to work for a TV channel or something in entertainment, but I know that's not a guarantee. Mind me asking how you like your job?

 

[princesspiglet]

I am not in college anymore, but I do have a degree in Communications with an emphais in Television Production. I live in PA. Shorley after college, my first job was working as a copy editor with a newspaper...I was making about $25k per year. I stayed there for 2 years until I could find a position in TV. I worked for a CBS affiliate in Pittsburgh as an associate news editor and made $43k per year. I absolutley loved that job, but I also worked alot of long, hard hours. Sometimes coming in at 4am and staying until midnight. I then had my daughter and stayed home with her for 2 years and attending college on the side for a Human Resources degree. I just came back to work in 2004 and started out as a Communications Analyst with a healthplan and made $45k per year. After 6 months, I bid on another position with the same company and became the HR manager, where I am now. I currently make $75k per year. Point of the story is, you can make decent money in Communications and it will open alot of doors. However, high paying jobs are hard to find and usually require long hours and travel ( which I could not do and was not willing to do again with my daughter.) I knew if I wanted to make a higher salary and work normal hours, I had to go into another field.

Good luck with your decision!

 

[Disney=Love]

I am not in college anymore, but I do have a degree in Communications with an emphais in Television Production. I live in PA. Shorley after college, my first job was working as a copy editor with a newspaper...I was making about $25k per year. I stayed there for 2 years until I could find a position in TV. I worked for a CBS affiliate in Pittsburgh as an associate news editor and made $43k per year. I absolutley loved that job, but I also worked alot of long, hard hours. Sometimes coming in at 4am and staying until midnight. I then had my daughter and stayed home with her for 2 years and attending college on the side for a Human Resources degree. I just came back to work in 2004 and started out as a Communications Analyst with a healthplan and made $45k per year. After 6 months, I bid on another position with the same company and became the HR manager, where I am now. I currently make $75k per year. Point of the story is, you can make decent money in Communications and it will open alot of doors. However, high paying jobs are hard to find and usually require long hours and travel ( which I could not do and was not willing to do again with my daughter.) I knew if I wanted to make a higher salary and work normal hours, I had to go into another field.

Good luck with your decision!

Thank you, that was very helpful information.

 

[LilyWDW]

Not exactly what you are asking about, but I want to give you another option...

Don't decide on a major right away. Get your core classes out of the way before you declare. I would even suggest taking the into classes for the majors you are thinking about to see if that is what you would really want to do.

Let me explain why I say this. When I graduated High School I was 100% sure I wanted to do emergency medicine. I knew it didn't pay well, but I felt like I could really make a difference there. Well, after 2 years of school, I realized it wasn't my dream and had never been. It had been pressure from my family that made me THINK that is what I wanted. So, I made the rounds of majors for the next two years... history (which I would still be in if I could specialize in ancient, but my school does not offer that), philosophy, english, and criminal justice. I am now an interior design major, starting my 6th year of classes total, and won't graduate until next May.

 

[juligrl]

Actually, I was thinking of taking the path of PR. I would love to work for a TV channel or something in entertainment, but I know that's not a guarantee. Mind me asking how you like your job?

Actually I'm not currently working in my field. I did, right after I graduated and then for about three years, work in advertising. It was a fast-paced, crazy world, perfect for the single college grad. I enjoyed it at the time, but ultimately left to pursue other interests (got married and we wanted a family).

It sounds more like you're interested in the tv side of things. A PR emphasis won't help you out much there. Find a school with a good television production emphasis but still get a well-rounded communication education experience to make yourself more marketable (PR classes, journalism classes, etc.). And definately get an internship or two (the sooner the better). You will find out if the path you are taking is truly the path you want to take and the connections you make are worth it.

 

[LuckieGW]

Pick something interesting. _Coming from a second year college student (me) who switched his major from Computer Science to Computer Game Design and Programming, it's much easier to pick something that you're comfortable with, but in the long run it may not have been the best choice. I have always been great with computers and programming and things like that, but when push came to shove (actually, when push came to code) I wasn't very interested in things that I already knew and there was no room for my creativity in C ++. I'm now getting a Bachelor of Arts and taking a ton of art and 3d courses rather than a Bachelor of Science.

In a nutshell, the "logical" choice is always the right one. Creative and Intelligent people usually end up successful no matter what they're degree says (or with no degree at all - Bill Gates) so you should do what makes you happy. If your like Journalism or you like getting in on television work there are now great opportunities on the internet in the form of blogs and vodcasts and podcasts and with the right enthusiasm, you don't need that co|\/|unications degree to get the job (good pay not likely - but good experience).

It comes down to a big choice for you. I think no matter you choose, you'll find a way to gravitate in the right direction.

(Sorry about the _ in my post. For some reason the Dis does not allow me to enter URL's yet and starting the next sentence after a period with the word "Coming" recognised it as a link >.< )

 

[Cape Pirate]

hi! I am an elementary ed major and LOVE it! But if you are also interested in the communications aspect, my roomate is a Communication
Disorders major. Her aim is to work with children who have communication problem (speech, etc.) She might earn a higher salary (depending upon where she works) but she also gets to work with children, which she loves. Just another thing to think about...