Marketable College Majors 5-7 years down the road

[minkydog]

I would encourage a high school student (and a college student if he/she hadn't done it yet) to volunteer or get a summer job in a field that interests him or her. I know too many kids who majored in what they thought they wanted (or that their parents wanted) without doing so and are very unhappy. A little bit of research can save a lot of heartache and frustration.

I agree. Spending a summer or two volunteering or interning will tell you whether you are really interested enough to commit a lot of time and money toward that career.

That's what i did. I was in nursing school primarily because I knew it was a well-paying job for a woman and I'd always be independent(this was back in the 70s when careers for women were very limited.)I never had any pie-in-the-sky ideals of healing the sick and comforting the afflicted. I worked in the summers as a nurse assistant to make money to continue going to college. Lucky for me, I really fell in love with nursing, and in fact I've been doing that for 32 years.

My son Christian attends a summer daycamp for severely mentally handicapped children. One of the staffers started last summer--he said he wanted to be a teacher so he thought he'd try working with special needs kids. By the end of the summer Jonathan had fallen in love with the kids. He came back again this summer and guess what--he changed his major to Special Ed and wants to work with moderately-to-severely impaired children. and he'll be great at it.

 

[MrsPete]

You would be surprised how common that is. I have a friend who when all the way, 4 years of college(back when you didn't need 4yrs to be a nurse.) She discoverd about 3 weeks into her first job that she just hated nursing. She had a lot of student loans to pay off, so she stuck with it for about 8 months. Then she quit and let her DH pay off the loans. Made me want to shake her and say "how did you graduate nursing school and no know you would be working with sick people?

In my roommate's case, she certainly KNEW she'd be working with sick people. She just had no real exposure to them, and she genuinely didn't know that she wouldn't like being around sick people!

Seem rather stupid? Of course it does -- to an adult! But she made the decision to become a nurse when she was 17 years old and a high school senior. Some exposure to the hospital, perhaps being a candy striper, could've done her so much good!

 

[The Mystery Machine]

In my roommate's case, she certainly KNEW she'd be working with sick people. She just had no real exposure to them, and she genuinely didn't know that she wouldn't like being around sick people!

Seem rather stupid? Of course it does -- to an adult! But she made the decision to become a nurse when she was 17 years old and a high school senior. Some exposure to the hospital, perhaps being a candy striper, could've done her so much good!

Very true.

My dd has stated plainly she does not want to work in the medical field.

My sister's SIL is studying to be a nurse. She works in nursing homes. However she really is not great at it and doesn't really like it. But she is 40yo. Bizzarre.

 

[georgina]

My parents wouldn't help me with college expenses, so I had to choose a major that I would be able to make money at (engineering), to pay off my loans. I liked school, but HATED my job, so I quit after 5 years and have been a SAHM for 19 years. I would never tell my kids what to major in, or refuse to pay for their college if they chose a major I disapproved of. It is their life.

My nephew majored in music. While waiting for his break, he worked as a waiter (made good money), has taught English as a second language, taught some music lessons, and now is playing in an orchestra. He's in his 30's so it took a while to get where he wanted. My DS wants to major in video game design. He knows there is a lot of competition for jobs in the field, and he may have to work at something else after school, but who am I to tell him he can't try to achieve his dream? I think if he gets a 4 year degree with skill in several areas (programming, animation, networks) he will at least be able to support himself.

 

[monkey68]

In my roommate's case, she certainly KNEW she'd be working with sick people. She just had no real exposure to them, and she genuinely didn't know that she wouldn't like being around sick people!

Seem rather stupid? Of course it does -- to an adult! But she made the decision to become a nurse when she was 17 years old and a high school senior. Some exposure to the hospital, perhaps being a candy striper, could've done her so much good!

I always wonder how true that is, that some exposure to the field will let you know if that's what you want to do or not. I'm in my third year of medical school now, and I did the shadowing and the hospital volunteering, but nothing will let you know if that's what you want to do. You may love helping the sick and all that, but if you can't handle 13 hour days and somebody constantly yelling at you telling you that you're doing everything wrong and dealing with ungrateful anappreciative patients that only want pain meds, then you really don't know if this is something you want. All the shadowing and volunteering in the world won't prepare you for that.

Granted, some exposure is still better than none, but I don't think you can really know what it's like until you are actually in that position. One of my friends has spent countless hours in the OR observing, but now, she's having a tough time on rotations because when you're just a volunteer or observer, nobody is criticizing you for not knowing something, nobody is expecting you to have all the results on your patients the second they're available, and if they're not available, nobody expects you to go to the lab or argue with the radiologist to find out why they're not available. And she's having a really tough time dealing with all this now. She didn't go straight from college into med school either, she's now in her 30's, so she's had some time to think.

 

[antmaril]

My son graduated from college in May. He majored in Biology. Didn't really have a clear plan, except that he would probably do something health care related. At first he thought he might want to be a pharmacist. Decided against that and considered physician assistant. He took an EMT class this summer and is waiting to get licensed in our state. He took the EMT class because PA school requires many, many hours of direct patient care experience. After thinking about how much time it will take, he's now decided to apply to nursing school. It is a one year Second Degree Program. His ultimate goal is either nurse practitioner or nurse anesthetist.

We shall see what happens.

 

[powellrj]

What DH and I have found the last few years, is that we are both in careers that we use to LOVE. I mean we use to be the poster children of loving what we do. Now we both pretty much hate what we do. The perfect career can become the not so perfect career in the blink of an eye.

I know what my DS is majoring in right now may not be a perfect one for job stability, but 10 years ago who would have dreamed teachers would be out of work.

 

[dizzana]

Also, never, never, never major in pre-med or pre-law. These majors are viewed very poorly by elite medical schools and law schools, respectively.

There is no such major as "pre-med" or "pre-law"....now you could major in biology, chemistry, biochem....Med schools do not care what your major is, as long as you take their prerequisite courses and complete an undergraduate degree.
or for law you could choose business, political science, international studies, English, psychology, math, engineering....and the list goes on and on....Students are admitted to law school from almost every academic discipline.

 

[Caradana]

There is no such major as "pre-med" or "pre-law"....now you could major in biology, chemistry, biochem....Med schools do not care what your major is, as long as you take their prerequisite courses and complete an undergraduate degree.
or for law you could choose business, political science, international studies, English, psychology, math, engineering....and the list goes on and on....Students are admitted to law school from almost every academic discipline.

1) There absolutely are undergraduate institutions that allow undergrads to lead with a pre-med or pre-law major, exclusive of any other major.
2) Med schools care deeply about your major, as well as the rigor of where you went to school, and your GPA relative to that rigor. They want to see evidence of you putting yourself to the test.

 

[minkydog]

In my roommate's case, she certainly KNEW she'd be working with sick people. She just had no real exposure to them, and she genuinely didn't know that she wouldn't like being around sick people!

Seem rather stupid? Of course it does -- to an adult! But she made the decision to become a nurse when she was 17 years old and a high school senior. Some exposure to the hospital, perhaps being a candy striper, could've done her so much good!

I always wonder how true that is, that some exposure to the field will let you know if that's what you want to do or not. I'm in my third year of medical school now, and I did the shadowing and the hospital volunteering, but nothing will let you know if that's what you want to do. You may love helping the sick and all that, but if you can't handle 13 hour days and somebody constantly yelling at you telling you that you're doing everything wrong and dealing with ungrateful anappreciative patients that only want pain meds, then you really don't know if this is something you want. All the shadowing and volunteering in the world won't prepare you for that.
QUOTE]

I don't know how nursing school is run these days(I've been in 32yrs) but when I took my ASN we had 2 years of hands-on nursing care. Believe me, it doesn't take long to figure out what nursing is all about when you're spending 3 full days a week in the hospital bathing bed-bound patients, dressing nasty wounds, debriding burns, collecting body fluids for testing, and shuffling bed pans. Anybody who graduates from a rigorous nursing school will encounter all this and more.

Most of my nursing class also moonlighted at hospitals. I worked in teh summers as a CNA filling in for vacations. I worked in ER, ICU, L&D, Oncology, Geriatrics, and Ortho. As a CNA I was doing the grunt work, stuff the nurses were happy to let me do. I got a lot of experience working with people who were cranky, hurting, uncooperative, and stinky. I can't imagine graduating nursing school and being surprised to find out that Holy Cow! I have to give enemas and catherize old men?

Monkey, there is a good reasons I didn't go to medical school. You listed most of them. I saw no reason to put myself and my family through that. Nursing has been a very rewarding and lucrative career for me. And when I go home at night, nobody calls me to get an order for Xrays that should have been ordered 2 days ago.

 

[dizzana]

1) There absolutely are undergraduate institutions that allow undergrads to lead with a pre-med or pre-law major, exclusive of any other major.
2) Med schools care deeply about your major, as well as the rigor of where you went to school, and your GPA relative to that rigor. They want to see evidence of you putting yourself to the test.

1)Sorry but you are wrong on this. Pre-med or Pre-law is a program, not a degree. There are no such majors. The majors I listed are the common ones students will take if they think they want to go to med school or law school. A student may refer to themselves as pre-med or pre-law because of their career choice....ultimately their degree will be in their major.


2)Wrong on this one too.....Medical schools are less concerned with your major than the quality and scope of your work. MCAT scores are your biggest worry next to that, beside your recommendations. You must perform well in the required science courses....I think that is pretty obvious. As long as you take the required science courses (e.g., as electives)as I stated in my previous post and perform well in them (which is a given), you can choose any major that you find interesting. For example, it's not uncommon for Psychology students or even those with majors in the humanities to take the required science couses as electives in order to apply to medical school.

We have several family members who have become doctors and attorneys that have attended such schools as University of Virginia, Johns Hopkins, Cornell and Fordham for their undergraduate degrees. Their degrees are in their majors.

 

[SunFloridaDisney]

My oldest DD loved art from little on, and always knew she wanted to do something with art. I'm practical, I kept trying to guide her into something that would have a paycheck, like, be an art teacher, or art therapy in the medical field, or something along those lines. She wanted none of that.

She went to art school, has a BFA, and continues to create art. She has a show coming up next month, but to pay the bills, she has a job at the reference desk at a library, and another job at a gift/bookstore.
Literature and language have always been a close second, and she is now considering going for her masters in Library Science, but again, with the economy and libraries having their funds cut, this might not be smart.

I think you have to do what you're good at, but you also have to work that into a marketable job.

My other DD is a junior in high school, she wants to major in Exercise Science and go on to physical therapy. She currently helps out with a kids soccer team, and has shadowed at a local hospital. I think she's realistic and adaptable, and she's got great grades, so she'll do well no matter what she decides to do.

 

[christineann]

monkey, I don't think the point was that volunteering or shadowing is the same as working in the field. Many find it very informative and helpful in choosing their majors, and I know several in the medical, legal, education and law enforcement professions who did so when they were younger.

 

[Caradana]

1)Sorry but you are wrong on this. Pre-med or Pre-law is a program, not a degree. There are no such majors. The majors I listed are the common ones students will take if they think they want to go to med school or law school. A student may refer to themselves as pre-med or pre-law because of their career choice....ultimately their degree will be in their major.


2)Wrong on this one too.....Medical schools are less concerned with your major than the quality and scope of your work. MCAT scores are your biggest worry next to that, beside your recommendations. You must perform well in the required science courses....I think that is pretty obvious. As long as you take the required science courses (e.g., as electives)as I stated in my previous post and perform well in them (which is a given), you can choose any major that you find interesting. For example, it's not uncommon for Psychology students or even those with majors in the humanities to take the required science couses as electives in order to apply to medical school.

We have several family members who have become doctors and attorneys that have attended such schools as University of Virginia, Johns Hopkins, Cornell and Fordham for their undergraduate degrees. Their degrees are in their majors.

With all due respect, top-tier US schools don't, but other American colleges do, though at a decreasing rate as people "get smart" to this. I picked out a few universities that do offer sole concentration in pre-law: Newbury, Pfeiffer, and until this year, Michigan State would actually let you do it, too. You'll find other examples if you research it.

Second, obviously, many factors go into medical and law school admissions - we all know there are TONS of resources, books and websites, devoted solely to this topic - but yes, your undergraduate curriculum - what you choose to study, how hard you pushed, how much you simultaneously managed - does factor into play. Obviously, you don't need to be a science major, however, top performance in 300+ level science, math and other analytical coursework shows off your intellectual power and can only help your transcript.

To say that admissions boards don't care about a major is sort of like saying that they don't care about your undergraduate institution. Can students get into medical school from just about any undergraduate institution? With the right combination of factors, sure. But all else being equal (extracurriculars, MCATs, prereqs, etc), does the math major with a 3.5 from Harvard have an advantage over the psych major with a 3.5 from Hofstra? It's interesting. I guess it depends on whether you believe that classes at Harvard are harder than classes at Hofstra, and classes in math are harder than those in psychology ...

 

[dizzana]

With all due respect, top-tier US schools don't, but other American colleges do, though at a decreasing rate as people "get smart" to this. I picked out a few universities that do offer sole concentration in pre-law: and until this year, Michigan State would actually let you do it, too. You'll find other examples if you research it.

Second, obviously, many factors go into medical and law school admissions - we all know there are TONS of resources, books and websites, devoted solely to this topic - but yes, your undergraduate curriculum - what you choose to study, how hard you pushed, how much you simultaneously managed - does factor into play. Obviously, you don't need to be a science major, however, top performance in 300+ level science, math and other analytical coursework shows off your intellectual power and can only help your transcript.

To say that admissions boards don't care about a major is sort of like saying that they don't care about your undergraduate institution. Can students get into medical school from just about any undergraduate institution? With the right combination of factors, sure. But all else being equal (extracurriculars, MCATs, prereqs, etc), does the math major with a 3.5 from Harvard have an advantage over the psych major with a 3.5 from Hofstra? It's interesting. I guess it depends on whether you believe that classes at Harvard are harder than classes at Hofstra, and classes in math are harder than those in psychology ...

The top-tier is what will get you into med/law school and those schools are where the best and brightest are going to/coming from..don't know the numbers of grads in the schools that you mentioned that have gone on to med/law school but since their most popular majors are business and marketing my guess is not many.
Don't think that the Harvard/Hofsta comparison needed to be explained as it is quite obvious......
You need to re-read #2....I didn't say that the admissions boards don't care about a major, I said that they are less concerned with your major than the quality and scope of your work.
Well, that's about it for me, not going to beat a dead horse on this...
(oh, I had to remove the links from your orginal post as the site would not let me reply to you with them included because of my post count.)

 

[englishteacha]

My recommendation to anyone is to become fluent in a second language. I'll never forgive myself for not keeping up with my French. I'm so rusty now! Going back to high school, I should have taken Spanish, as it would have proven more useful in the long run.

I got my bachelors in 2002. I'm a teacher, with a major in Education/concentration English, with a theater minor. The theater minor has been pretty useless, though I do run the drama program in my school. I should have minored in something that would enable me to teach a second subject like social studies or science. (at the time, though, to my credit, you needed at least a minor in theater to teach drama. That is no longer the case)

My advice to anyone considering education as a major: spend some time in a classroom before you go for your masters! Most school districts will pay for your degree, and you'll know if you actually like teaching.