<p>Ok, i figured that since you’re all adults who’ve had real world experience this is the best place to ask. </p>
<p>If you had to pick between these, which would you choose, especially if for the time being you were planning on just getting a bachelors degree? If mostly you wanted job security and being able to pay the bills. These are all majors i think my parents would be ok with. </p>
<p>Earth Science (this is something im actually kind of interested in)</p>
<p>Physics (i think id be ok in it)</p>
<p>Biology (i have heard that unless you want to be a doctor this is a pretty wasted major)</p>
<p>Economics (my dad thinks this is a wasted degree and probaly wouldnt let me take it)</p>
<p>I am not super good at science but if i am a history major then i dont know what kind of real job i could get with that besides like historian. </p>
<p>I am undeclared right now but when i start college in the fall i want to declare a major. and i am so lost right now.</p>
<p>ad.bc, take everyone else - parents, etc., off the table for now. Given all available majors, what are YOU interested in?</p>
<p>A major by itself will not give you job security. Your passion, drive, commitment, interest in learning, ability to get along with others, etc., combined with ability to create or at least recognize opportunities within your chosen field will bring job security.</p>
<p>I would never suggest that anyone “go against” their parents on surface, I was asking you to share some detail about subject matter that is of interest to you. In my opinion, the “best” major is the one you like the best, and that is of value to you. Obviously, some majors lead to more initial employment options than others, but, it makes no sense to complete, say, a biology major, if you have zero interest in biology, when there are certainly dozens of other majors to choose from and a few of them may be of interest to you.</p>
LTS is right - figure out what YOU are interested in. I think it’s a good idea to be practical and consider jobs/pay, etc. but you need to do it within the context of your interests or else you’re not going to be real thrilled with the result. You can’t pound a square peg in a round hole. Note that sometimes parents just need to be educated regarding employment opportunities for certain majors. This is especially true for parents who might have immigrated here (I don’t know about your parents). Do some research and present facts to your parents.</p>
<p>Many students begin undeclared, take courses in a variety of subjects that sound somewhat interesting to them, meet some professors in the department, see how they like doing the readings in that field…and THEN decide.</p>
<p>check this out:
Career Interest Survey This form can assist you in determine what type of person you are and that interest that you have. After completing the form, a summary of your interest and some potential majors/careers will be returned.</p>
<p>As I said to my S, part of this process is finding your passion in life. You may be tired of exams, tests, the application process right now. With the help of your dad, you have some expressed areas of interest or at least intent. Take a variety of classes, try to find the inspirational professors, look at the majors that are strong at your particular school. Many start undeclared because it is an evolving process over the first year or two of college. You’re in the process of building a life YOU will be happy to live. </p>
<p>That aside, my S had two friends who majored in economics, who have found the most professional jobs of any in his HS crowd. Banking and investing. A biology major is working in a lab, quite happily.</p>
<p>Biology is a fine major for research scientists too, but I don’t have the feeling you are interested, so I don’t recommend it for you. I don’t think you should declare a major in the fall. I think you should take a wide variety of courses in subjects that look interesting, including perhaps ones that aren’t offered at all in high school. I agree with great lakes mom, try to take some courses that are taught by the great professors at your college. Perhaps you’ll find a burning interest in anthropology or art history or sociology. They can all lead to perfectly fine jobs. Your Dad is wrong about economics, it’s a very marketable degree. You’ll find something that you will enjoy, but only if you listen to yourself, and not just your parents. It’s your life ultimately.</p>
<p>What kind of job can you get with a history degree? How about salesman with a wine distributor. That’s what my friend’s S did with his history degree. His dad just wanted him to finish college and at the end of junior year the kid still didn’t have a major! So the dad went to the school with the S, had a meeting with whoever would know this stuff and said “What can my S major in and graduate next May?” The college administrator said the kid had enuf credits where he could graduate in history if he took XYZ credits his senior year, so that’s what he did. Then he got a job at a restaurant, became a manager, worked closely enuf with the wine distributor to like that better, joined the company and is still there. My guess is he had enuf credits after 3 years cause he kept taking classes he was interested in and they were mostly history. A college education is good preparation for life. There are tons of jobs where all you need is a degree and they don’t really care what it’s in.</p>
<p>Now if you want job security and a good salary and guaranteed employment anywhere in the country, plus the oppty for lots of flexibility, go to nursing school and become a nurse. I couldn’t convince any of my kids to do this, but I thought I’d throw it out there if you just want to be practical and don’t care what you do. Seriously, though, stay undeclared as long as you can and take a wide variety of classes. College classes are often much more interesting than the same subject was when taught in hs, and you may find a passion sparked in an unexpected place. Then follow it. Good luck!</p>
<p>Please don’t think you need to declare a major freshman year. Most students don’t know what they want at that point, and many of those who think they do end up changing their minds. Take some classes in areas that interest you & go from there. One of my good friends ended up getting a PhD in chemistry … she had no interest in chemistry when she began college. After taking a chem class & finding out she was good in it, she took another. After awhile, she realized that she really liked chemistry. That’s how it goes sometimes. My own D started college this year thinking she wanted to do one thing … and now she is going in a completely different direction. Whatever she does is okay by me. It’s her life. If you take a variety of classes & find something you really like, I think it’s in your best interest to pursue that regardless of what your parents think. That’s not to say that I think you should be disrespectful to your parents. You can quietly pursue your interests without telling them you don’t care what they think. As you continue to do well in your areas of interest (and get internships or co-op jobs, if possible), your parents will most likely warm up to the idea of whatever it is you decide. Most parents really do want their kids to be happy.</p>
<p>Of the people I can think of who were history majors, two are history professors, two are lawyers, one joined the foreign service and one is in school administration and one is a journalist for the New York Times.</p>
<p>Tell your dad to read the UW-Madison alumni magazine article about the economics majors who went far- I’m not posting any links since I recycled the info and the important part is that econ majors have access to some high paying/ranking jobs. You do not need to declare a major for years, don’t worry about one now. Do not pick courses leading to a major you think you should do, especially to please someone else. Include courses in something that interests you as a major, they will either lead you to more courses or at least fill some breadth requirement if you discover the field isn’t for you. Once you get to school you will have access to many resources to help you decide. For now, plan your fall courses and remember that calculus is needed for many fields these days, including economics (ie plan to take it if anything you may major in requires it, there will be multiple semesters). You will have an advisor, use them.</p>
<p>Re: What kind of a job can you get with a major in __________ ? In most cases, the major that leads to a particular kind of job leads only to that job. That’s passe for the 21st century. The kind of job you can get with a history major (for example) is the kind that involves communicating and pulling information from multiple sources to develop an informed opinion. In other words, an executive or leadership-oriented job with prospects for career flexibility.</p>