briane777

I tried majoring in bio but I hated it. I really like political science and history and was thinking about double majoring in those. I've always been smarter than most people and I know I can handle majoring in whatever I want. Would it be completely stupid for me to major in what I like when I have the potential for a lot more? I'm scared I won't be able to get a job and will regret my decision. I know I want to get my masters and I just want to make like $50,000 a year

b@r!um

What would be your alternative? Bio majors are no more employable than political science majors, so you are not "losing" anything by switching. Just make sure to start building a resume with relevant internships and summer jobs, so that you have some employable experience by the time you send out those job applications.

Scientificmind

If you want to pick a double major for Poli Sci, the best route to go is Economics. Those two majors go hand in hand. A lot of things in Economics has to do with Economic policy. Whether it's the Federal Budget, Unemployment, Industry Growth, inflation, etc. The other good thing about economics is that you can also enter the Finance sector, whether it be Investment Banking, Commercial Banking, Real Estate, Day Trading, or even something in the public sector, like state budget analysis, Federal Reserve, IMF,etc.

ANDS!

50K, depending on what kind of life you want for yourself, isn't much.

I echo the comments of the fellow above me; pair it with something a bit more quantitative. Perhaps minor in statistics, if you enjoy Poli Sci, I can not imagine you would completely hate statistics.

Context is everything. Assuming the majority of people are working within their fields, bio majors are hardly doing bad.

briane777

I'm in macroeconomics right now and I am not really liking it. The statistics minor is not a bad idea though. Thanks.

briane777

I just wanted to double major in history because I like it and would always have the option of becoming a history teacher.

b@r!um

What context? Biology majors without advanced degrees don't seem to be doing all that well compared to other college majors. According to payscale.com, bio majors earn on average less than literature, philosophy or political science majors, both early and mid-career. http://www.payscale.com/best-colleges/degrees.asp

A bio major is profitable when it serves as a stepping stone for a career in the health professions or biotechnology. That's not a path that the OP seems to be interested in though.

riku92mr

The problem with your logic is that there are very very very few openings in social studies education right now across the country.

XaviFM

You're kidding, right? There are literally thousands of schools. She's bound to find a job somewhere.

briane777

Well also my logic is that I won't be looking for a job for quite a few years. I am a college freshman. I want to get a Masters and would need a teaching credential. That takes awhile. The economy might just get better in that amount of time. Also, teachers do retire. It would just be nice to keep that option open.

briane777

B@r!um: I wanted to become a veterinarian because I love animals and didn't just want to find a job with a BS in biology.

riku92mr

@XaviFM - No, I'm not kidding. The social studies education field is extremely saturated, and even veteran teachers are having trouble finding positions. This is all across the country, too. Math and science have the best job prospects. I'm going into education, I know what's going on.

OP - I'm also concerned that you see teaching as a "back up plan". The education field is a very demanding one, and if you're only going into teaching because you think it's a safe back up (to which I say good luck with that...), I think you should re-evaluate your plan. However, if you're keeping teaching as a backup because you're genuinely passionate about teaching, then more power to you!

briane777

Teaching is not my back up plan. I want another option I can turn to that I like if I decide that working in the state department or something similar is not something I want to pursue. For most of my life I wanted to become a teacher. I think I might actually try to become one of the economy gets better in like 5 yrs. i really like history and would really enjoy teaching.

XaviFM

@riku92mr: two points (1) at UW job fairs they're actively recruiting as far away as the East Coast trying to pay more and more to get people to work as primary teachers. Tons of jobs. People in WA State aren't lacking for jobs. Also (2) Center on Education and the Workforce - Georgetown University Education gets jobs. Not good jobs. But they all get jobs. There's some private schools offering to pay $15,000 up front towards a M.Ed. here in Seattle to recruit teachers.

Also, slight note. Something cannot be extremely saturated.

ABC260

Go for what you like, but go with a broad rather than specialized degree to maximize your options for graduate studies and jobs (e.g. biology instead of cognitive neuroscience or history instead of Southeast Asian prehistory, etc, you get the idea). You have to spend all day 5 days per week doing it, so you might as well major in what you like to get a job you would like rather than something that offers more money or more flashy titles.

I agree that there are many opportunities for teachers out there from what I've seen.

The saturation comment made laugh.

Hope you pursue what you enjoy and find it works out well!