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<p>Perfectly my viewpoint as well. A terrific literature major is awesome. An engineer who actually likes engineering and whines very little to humanities major that (s)he has it so much harder can be great. A passionate physics major is highly admirable, because as stated earlier, it is probably even harder to do something with than a math major without graduate studies.</p>
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<p>If I were an aspiring math major in a small humanities class, and everyone just got quizzes back, I would be requested to use my tremendous prowess to average the quiz scores for the class. Mentioning that I can hardly add or subtract would then raise eyebrows in a profound way.</p>
<p>Frankly, I think it might be even more difficult to explain my case, because at least a physics major might legitimately be interested in black holes. Averaging, on the other hand, is a different story entirely…</p>
<p>You mean you’re not interested in averaging quizzes by hand?! What sort of math person are you sir? In all honestly I love math majors. It’s just my minor but some of the elegant proofs I’ve seen make me slack-jawed in awe when you consider how much work and hard thinking went into it. Genius.</p>
<p>But I’m glad someone else agrees with me. This generation of students seem to be people that expect to be great based on a few quizzes or a class rank and they get rather shirty when they find out that merely going through the movements won’t net that stellar career that they’ve wished for. Passion and direction is rare and very admirable when you find someone willing to commit and chase their interests rather than just ooze through school.</p>
<p>Black holes are indeed very interesting but the sort of questions people pose are really dumb. Like “Can we travel through a black hole? What if we built a rocket out of superstrings (!?)?” and it turns into a loony conversation. Some people get high-handed and annoyed with it but as long as the person isn’t a twat who can’t string two logical thoughts together, I’m happy to explain. It’s just something I never envisioned happening to me.</p>
<p>The people who assume I’m going to be a high school physics teacher, however, are asking for a kicking.</p>
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<p>It’s difficult when some of one’s distant family relations do this. 
(a) I may not remember who they are, (b) If they are outside of the states, they may have no clue about the differences here. </p>
<p>Despite all longings for either money or conducting thrilling math research, it would be an interesting challenge for me, perhaps for much later in life, to see if I could turn a bunch of high schoolers in AP Calculus from insecure folk worried about their 4.0 and having had one too many A-'s on the report card to people interested in math and with an idea of what math is actually like. Pipe dream? Perhaps.</p>
<p>Miss S wonderfully conveys why I have failed at my major.</p>
<p>My Calculus TA often complains that whenever he tells someone his focus, they ask him “what’s (4950745984579824892 times 129129134654306.)”</p>
<p>Apparently, the general public thinks people in the ivory tower just work on multiplying really big numbers all day.</p>
<p>This is a great thread</p>
<p>I’m in Engineering and I don’t need to attend a week long seminar in order to learn how to get to first base. Although, I am quite an extraordinary exception.</p>
<p>Any major in the social sciences:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>My major doesn’t translate into a job. This is not an A = B game. But no, my major isn’t worthless and it is worth support. It seems very “cool” nowadays to suggest that only math, science, and technology be supported at the higher education level. I’d hate to imagine a world without any well-educated social scientists.</p></li>
<li><p>There is certainly the potential to make a lot of money as a social scientist. It depends what you mean by a lot of money. I don’t need $150,000 per year to be happy. I’ll be perfectly content - more than content - with $60,000 per year. And I’m not talking starting salary. Not everyone goes to college for “the money”.</p></li>
<li><p>Most of us won’t be politicians. Most of us won’t work for the government.</p></li>
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<p>How do you define a “good job”? Not everyone has a massive amount of debt, either - in fact, even as much as $40,000 is quite manageable over ten years. Not everyone lives life to make sure they have a great job. As long as I’m making more than $25,000 per year (which is like $35,000 in the city), I’ll be perfectly content with life.</p>
<p>"I get that those years of college will be fun for someone who majors in something just because s/he loves it. But what about afterward?? "</p>
<p>Why doesn’t anyone think that liberal arts/non-science people don’t have a plan for later? I would think we obsess over it more than the sciences since they are of course ‘guaranteed’ jobs and high salaries.</p>
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I don’t get why people on CC think science majors are lucrative and guarantee jobs. How are most sci majors (physics, chem, bio, neuro, biochem, ecology, environmental sci, astronomy, etc) lucrative fields? As with liberal arts, you need a Grad degree for those fields. </p>
<p>Unless by “science” you meant just Engineering/Comp Sci. But that’s like pretending all arts majors get paid like Econ majors. Most people see sci as impractical unless it’s nursing, engineering, or there’s plans for dental, med, or pharm. They consider “practical” degrees to be business, finance, accounting, marketing, management, comp sci, CIS, architecture, engineering, nursing, education, tech-related, etc. They’re pre-professional and teach skills rather than just theory.</p>
<p>That last part was sarcasm. I thought the of course and the guaranteed in quotes was enough to show I wasn’t serious. xD I really don’t care what sciences make what. And I also know that bio majors have a crappy chance at getting a job without an advanced degree. That was in response to someone failing to see that people who pick something they love (usually directed at liberal arts majors and non-engineering) aren’t just frolicking through college planning nothing about careers and how they are going to pay off their loans.</p>
<p>I am not looking to get into a debate about how bio and chem aren’t the same as engineering and whatever.</p>
<p>Touching on what applicannot spoke of, I think it’s funny that some people on CC seem to have the mentality that if you aren’t making $60,000 right after college, then you’re doomed and wasted your time in college. Seriously, have you ever heard the phrase ‘starting from the bottom and moving on up’? Just because you start out with a lackluster job doesn’t mean you’ll be doing that for the rest of your life.</p>
<p>@ comic - I’m not trying to argue with you, I’m really just curious because so many people on this forum mention sciences are more lucrative, and I just don’t get it. I quoted you because you posted last, but I could’ve found 30 other comments just like it. either this site is filled with pompous engineers or i’m missing something lol…my question was addressed at everyone in general.</p>
<p>happycow - most CC people go to private college and don’t want to be in debt for nothing lol…I mean, electricians make 40-60k on average without college, so after half of CC graduates and aren’t making as much, they’ll feel let down :D</p>
<p>Alix, you’ll quickly realize that this site is filled with pompous members but I love their snobbish ways anyway. LOL</p>
<p>Oh well that’s why I said that science thing. I felt targeted. I was in quotes. xD </p>
<p>“I love their snobbish ways anyway”</p>
<p>I don’t really. I am sort of getting tired of know it all ‘freshmen’ who havent even started classes yet and who ask for advice and then argue with you. It’s kinda funny yet kinda sad.</p>
<p>Education</p>
<p>Its not only about teaching students…but communicating and molding future lawyers, doctors, scientists, and other different walks of life</p>
<p>Is there an unwritten rule that says computer science/engineers have to be good at video games? Because I suck at video games.</p>
<p>Chemical Engineering:
<p>Psychology:</p>
<p>-No, it is not a fluff major. You take Statistical Methods, Experimental, Test and Measurement, Cognitive Psychology, and Physiological Psychology and THEN you can speak.</p>
<ul>
<li><p>No, not everyone, or even most people, are mentally ill. They may have some abnormal behaviors or thought processes, but not everyone has some mental disorder.</p></li>
<li><p>No, I cannot diagnose you. See me in 8 years when I can at $150 an hour (lol…yes, I always say this…)</p></li>
<li><p>Crazy is NOT a Psychological term, nor is anyone “crazy” or a “nut case” or a “whack job”…do not use these terms in front of a psych major…we will correct your vocabulary!</p></li>
<li><p>I do not want to be a Psychiatrist. I do not care about prescribing medicine…I do not want to go to med school. I want to help clients correct abnormal behavior and thought processes so that they get better through psychotherapy…not just write scripts all day. If they might be a candidate for drug therapy, I will then refer them to a Psychiatrist. (I always get asked why become a Psychologist over a Psychiatrist who makes more money…)</p></li>
<li><p>I am not in the field for the money. I highly doubt any of us are.</p></li>
<li><p>No I cannot “pick your brain”.</p></li>
<li><p>And for the last time…I cannot diagnose you, your family, or you friend. Quit asking. I am not a clinician.</p></li>
<li><p>Yes, a lot of us are in the field because we have “something wrong with us”. There is a high chance that either we have been in therapy or have someone close to us that has. That is what usually motivates us to go into the field. That does not make us any less competant in the field…in fact, it likely makes us more competant and empathetic.</p></li>
<li><p>No, I am not a Freudian. He is respected in the field of psychoanalysis, but what he has done is taken with a grain of salt and is taught as a theory. We do not all believe that your childhood has been ruined by your parents and you will have to be in therapy for the rest of your life to correct it. Nor do we believe that you “want” your mother/father (whichever is applicable).</p></li>
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<p>Haha, I hope not. I suck at video games.</p>
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<p>That’s pretty cool. I actually used to want to go into childhood education (I think that’s what it’s called for elementary school teaching? I really forget) but then, after shadowing/aiding a teacher during my freshman year, I realized how much I can’t stand children.</p>