The Need for Advice

Transfer Students
1

<p>Hello there,</p>

<p>I think it’s important to say I chose the name “N0madic” for a reason. Allow me to tell my story (a condensed version, I promise), because I need some serious advice on / help with what to do.</p>

<p>I graduated high school in 2008. In fall 2008, I attended Purdue University majoring in chemistry. At this point, I’m not sure what it was that made me hate Purdue (though I can say for sure that my best guess was internal, mental problems), but I left in Fall 2009 and took the Spring 2010 semester off.</p>

<p>In Fall 2010, I transferred to Belmont University. At that point, I was nearly traumatized by a complete 8 months alone and obsessing over what went wrong with MY college experience that I chose a completely different major that I was still interested in (finance), and picked a private Christian school as opposed to another larger state school.</p>

<p>After a while (a semester and a half) I have realized that this is not for me, either. For too many reasons to count (including crappy, disinterested administration, a high-school-like student body, and religion downright imposed on non-believers which I find disgusting), I have decided that it was definitely an internal problem at Purdue, and I would like to attend a larger school again. I have submitted a reentry application to Purdue, and I will know the results in a week or two (which I will also post in here, for the sake of the advice that I hope I will receive). I haven’t started looking seriously at other schools yet, which begins my relatively long list of questions - Where to look? But I will give more details as the story goes on.</p>

<p>This week was the final culmination of quite a few weeks of pondering, soul-searching, and career-finding. I’ve come to the following conclusions:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Accounting is a definite possibility. I have great math skills (700 math SAT, consistent A’s and B’s through Calc III at Purdue, a great engineering school), and I’m a very analytical person (analytical chem was to be my specialty way back when). I took Accounting I and II at Belmont and I loved it (and got an A!) - I could see myself being an auditor or analyst.</p></li>
<li><p>Professional writing / Mass communication is another definite possibility. I have great communication skills, and have always thrived at vocalizing my opinions or views on certain things (in other words, I am sure of my beliefs and am not afraid to broadcast them). I did a radio show at Purdue and it was quite successful (well, as successful as radio at Purdue can be). I have always considered myself to be a good writer, and I’ve enjoyed my English classes in high school and college so far. I’m also one of the better technical writers for my lab reports in any chem class I’ve taken.</p></li>
<li><p>Either way, this is going to take a long time to finish.</p></li>
<li><p>Grad school is what I would like to do either way. I’m either going to go the CPA or MsF/MBA route with Accounting, or a PhD in a social science (or even English?) with PRWR.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>So here are the questions:

  1. This is technically my junior year (5th semester). Purdue said that accounting would take 3 additional years, and by my own calculations management (similar to general business at other schools) and professional writing would take an additional 2 (which I’m fine with). Is that okay?
  2. What are some good schools for accounting that would take my lumps of gen-eds and chem classes and turn them into legitimate credits?
  3. What are some good schools for professional writing or mass communication that would do the same as 2?
  4. Is this even possible to accomplish?</p>

<p>Thanks so much to whoever tackles this large task,
N0madic.</p>

2

<p>If you go back to Purdue, is there anything at all that you can finish in only 3 or 4 semesters? Since you are thinking about grad school in writing, even an “independent major” that you get really good grades in might do just fine. With an independent major, you would be able to take the classes that are most important for your long-term goals, and you wouldn’t necessarily have to follow a program designed by someone else.</p>

<p>Purdue is the home of that great writing advice website “Owl”. Would any of the people who operate that website be able to advise you on preparing for a career in technical writing?</p>

3

<p>Here are the majors that I have considered if I do go to Purdue, and the semesters in which I could complete them. This is in no particular order of preference, because now I’m more focused on getting good grades and getting into grad school:</p>

<ol>
<li>Chemistry (continued from before): 4</li>
<li>Accounting (not much continuation): 5-6</li>
<li>Management (my free electives obviously taken up): 4-5, most likely 4 w/summer</li>
<li>Professional Writing (most of the liberal arts core done): 4 + summer or two</li>
</ol>

<p>For me, I think accounting’s out of the picture. Management interests me (coursework wise) but in terms of getting a job, I really don’t see myself doing what I want to do having a degree / graduate degree in managing things. It’s down to chemistry and professional writing, each of which take 4 semesters, plus a summer or two.</p>

<p>I haven’t talked to the dudes at OWL yet (though I did during my freshman writing course, all seemed very helpful and nice), though I might have to do that soon. I’m currently waiting to see if my organic chemistry and physics courses from Belmont transfer to Purdue. I’m doubting they will accept organic chemistry, since Purdue’s is 5 credits (2 labs/week) and Belmont’s is only 4. They could give me either the lecture portion (3 credits) or the lab portion (2) while I have to take the other one the following spring, which I would be fine with. My physics class has about a 60% chance of transferring.</p>

<p>Is there a graduate degree in which I can apply my chemistry degree specifically to technical writing of which anyone knows? That could narrow my choice to chemistry (with a possible minor in accounting/management), and then going from there!</p>