Choosing a major/ career.

thekonkoe
Sun, 20 Apr 2008 16:32:08 +0000

I’m not sure if this place for this kind of thing but here it goes.

First off I’ll be at Caltech in the fall. I know I don’t need to choose a until my second year. For a long time I’ve thought that I’d major in ChemE or if not that then Chem. But I’ve always known that I’d put the decision off and might change my mind. Over the last few months I’ve read various articles on Speleology (caves), Geology, and Astrobiology. More recently I’ve been looking more into it, reading up on what info I can find, looking at the different fields and the overlap etc. Over the last few days it dawned on me that I’m more enthusiastic and excited about this stuff than ChemE. May be its only a short term obsession, my exposure to all is not too in depth, but its really shaken my confidence in wanting to study ChemE.

So the questions:
Are such changes common among Caltech students when trying to choose majors?
How important is choosing a undergrad major in determining a path of study and a career (in various fields)?
How much should I consider job opportunities and finance in making my decision? What about my ability in a given field?
If I wanted to go into Speleology or Astrobiology what should I study at Caltech? Anyone have ideas on how to build spelunking experience (I have none, although I have limited climbing experience)?
Any other tips for me or for others choosing a Major?