<p>Given today’s complex global economic times and knowing what you know now, what would you major in if you were starting college today?</p>
<p>…finance</p>
<p>Art history. ;)</p>
<p>OK…finance so I would know how much I REALLY could spend on the arts :)</p>
<p>I’d do what I really wanted to do, what everyone says that I’d have been really good at, and what I gave up on because of life, and finances, and lack of confidence. </p>
<p>That something would have been veterinary medicine.</p>
<p>I am seriously interested in some wisdom here. I have always considered engineering, but worry about long term prospects in the global economy. I have also considered medicine, but it seems to be next on the chopping block, like NASA. Finance might be an idea for grad school, but I like science, it inspires me more. Art history is out of the question. I am not the next King of England, just a hard working, strong math / science student.</p>
<p>There’s an old saying that goes something like this “if you do something you love, you will never feel like you are working.” That being the case…do something you love.</p>
<p>If you think you’ll ‘like’ engineering then do it. Almost any path you choose will have some forks along the way that you’ll get to choose between. Exactly what you do will likely morph along the way or at some point you might even decide to do something completely different because your interest areas have changed or because an opportunity presented itself. </p>
<p>Global economy issues seem to hit almost all areas so that’s nothing to use as a variable as to which career to enter. Besides, no one knows what the economy will be like in 5, 10, 20, 30 years from now.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t hesitate to head down the engineering path again and in fact both of my kids ended up in engineering (CS) and are doing fine and I have no qualms about their career prospects.</p>
<p>Just one word, Benjamin. </p>
<p>Plastics.</p>
<p>Well done, coureur.</p>
<p>Plastic surgeon specializing in tattoo removal and fixing gauged ears (judging by the posts in the tattoo thread, you will not run out of patients :)).</p>
<p>Just one word robots: robots</p>
<p>and I say that in all seriousness…as stated before, “follow your bliss”</p>
<p>You didn’t mention in your initial post that were you really asking what you should major in.</p>
<p>And my comment about “art history” was a joke, because it’s so impractical.</p>
<p>I thought you were asking us parents what we’d major in if we could do it over again.</p>
<p>As for you – major in what you’re good at and what you enjoy. It will lead to a job you enjoy and are good at, as well.</p>
<p>Music history (and comparative literature). (Actually, I was an English/Comp. Lit. major, and it opened up many, many doors.)</p>
<p>That is good to know, mini! My rising junior D is an English major.</p>
<p>I never lacked for work, and I’ve had a very interesting and varied career, wrote lots of books, traveled around the world, ended up with a great family (and family all around the world), and never went hungry.</p>
<p>I was really hoping for some reasonable insight and creativity here. Oh well, I guess I should major in environmental engineering and figure out how to deal with all of this plastic. Please some more ideas. I fear doing what you love is a luxury no longer afforded my generation. I hope I’m wrong though…</p>
<p>robots, following your interests and passion will always open doors for you, as long as you remain open-minded, flexible and willing to learn and try new things even if it means reading up on subjects that you are not very fond of. Chasing fads is like chasing the proverbial rabbits - there are so many of them that you might not catch a single one. IMO, the posters who mentioned plastics are correct - the fields of environmental engineering, bioengineering and polymer/materials science are where the future of science lies. Good luck!</p>
<p>If you can write well, and present yourself well, you will never lack for good work.</p>