[IAmMe2010]

I just can't decide what I want to major in! I've got like until august before my chance of going to college slips away forever D: (really great scholarship that I qualify for, will pay for practically everything but expires permanently this fall semester) but I don't want to dive in before knowing for sure what I'm going for. I definitely want to go to college, if anything just for the experience and so when I look back at my life 10 or 20 years from now I will have no regrets, but I really don't know what I want to do. I don't want to waste these peoples money but...I just...sigh*

I just don't seem to have any specific skills. Everybody says that I'm smart and have been giving me the "your too smart to not got to college" speech every time we get into college talk but all I end up thinking is, "great, I'm smart, but I just don't have a clue what I want to do" It's driving me crazy >.<

So far I've got about 6 choices:

Anthropology
Psychology
Veterinary med.
Marine biologist
Journalist
creative writer

All of these are careers I would adore! ...but I just cannot for the life of me make up my mind which one I should go into. I'm thinking on possibly starting college with a biology major or social science major...but other than that I'm clueless >.>

Anyone else going through this or has any possible advice beyond, "Just calm down and make up your mind already ya crazy kid! Sheesh." (which is what my inner voice is echoing back to me right now :dry: )

(I put this hear instead of the education and careers section because I wanted purely InFp insight on this, ya know? )

 

[Cable]

I myself would major in English/Creative Witing (due to the advice of one teacher) and minor Psychology.

But I would rather ask you to list reasons why you want to into each field of study.

And some advice that I found in the "30 plus year old thread" is that you have plenty of time to study, and you can always go back to college and study later.

 

[ilovecrack]

From what i know, and what i can imagine, journalist and creative writer would be bad decisions IMO. They might seem like an easy job, but realize a lot of people wake up and say, WOW, i can hold a microphone and ask questions. Why dont i major in that. That would kill journalism. And the sad truth about creative writing is that today we have more people writing poetry than people who actually read poetry. If living out on the streets for the rest of your life is ok with you, than by all means pick one of those. Psychology is a lot of schooling, but i believe it's a lot of competition as well. It's a real interesting field to study, i always wanted to myself, but so do many other people. When your field becomes flooded with qualified competition, you're going to suffer. I'm going to make a claim that anthropology isnt good because i can't really think what field that degree could for. Maybe advertising? but who wants to be part of what is slowly and steadily killing my will to live. Veternary med is a lot of work. I cant really comment on that one, or marine biologist, but i'd say they have the best outlook for your future. But if you just want to go to college to drink every day and meet people, pick something like those other classes since they will be easier. I'd go for the harder ones just to make sure i'm safe, but i'm a guy so I have to be the breadwinner. My order would be, from best to least, marine biologist, pyschology,vet med, and i'd just drop the last two. I put pyschology ahead of vet med, cause you really would need to be driven to go after a career like that

 

[searcheagle]

I just can't decide what I want to major in! I've got like until august before my chance of going to college slips away forever D: (really great scholarship that I qualify for, will pay for practically everything but expires permanently this fall semester)

August is a long way off- you have plenty of time.

but I don't want to dive in before knowing for sure what I'm going for. I definitely want to go to college, if anything just for the experience and so when I look back at my life 10 or 20 years from now I will have no regrets, but I really don't know what I want to do. I don't want to waste these peoples money but...I just...sigh*

Don't go to college just for the experience. If you go to college for an experience, it will be a very expensive one. I'm not saying not to go but go for the right reasons! The average student leaves with $23,000 in debt or the cost of a brand new car. That may not be bad if everything goes right but if things go wrong it will be a term issue.

I just don't seem to have any specific skills. Everybody says that I'm smart and have been giving me the "your too smart to not got to college" speech every time we get into college talk but all I end up thinking is, "great, I'm smart, but I just don't have a clue what I want to do" It's driving me crazy >.<

See above. Go to college if there's something you can gain from it!

So far I've got about 6 choices:

Anthropology
Psychology
Veterinary med.
Marine biologist
Journalist
creative writer

Your choices all seem very random, may of which will take many additional years of graduate training in doctorate programs. If you go down that route and don't like it you will dread going to work every day.

You don't know what careers you would adore or what you would hate. I would recommend trying to get into a job shadowing program with some of your top choices. You'll be able to see what the work day is actually like instead of dreaming about what you think it will be. Those will also tell you more about the experience than a college class.

 

[Cable]

From what i know, and what i can imagine, journalist and creative writer would be bad decisions IMO. They might seem like an easy job, but realize a lot of people wake up and say, WOW, i can hold a microphone and ask questions. Why dont i major in that. That would kill journalism. And the sad truth about creative writing is that today we have more people writing poetry than people who actually read poetry. If living out on the streets for the rest of your life is ok with you, than by all means pick one of those. Psychology is a lot of schooling, but i believe it's a lot of competition as well. It's a real interesting field to study, i always wanted to myself, but so do many other people. When your field becomes flooded with qualified competition, you're going to suffer. I'm going to make a claim that anthropology isnt good because i can't really think what field that degree could for. Maybe advertising? but who wants to be part of what is slowly and steadily killing my will to live. Veternary med is a lot of work. I cant really comment on that one, or marine biologist, but i'd say they have the best outlook for your future. But if you just want to go to college to drink every day and meet people, pick something like those other classes since they will be easier. I'd go for the harder ones just to make sure i'm safe, but i'm a guy so I have to be the breadwinner. My order would be, from best to least, marine biologist, pyschology,vet med, and i'd just drop the last two. I put pyschology ahead of vet med, cause you really would need to be driven to go after a career like that

I would like to have anybody interested in their future watch this video. Despite the sarcastic title, it is a very interesting talk.

Larry Smith: Why you will fail to have a great career | Video on TED.com

 

[bromide]

Start out with an exploratory major, take intro classes in the fields you are interested in. The fact is that in the US, the first two years of undergrad are spent taking random classes for the comprehensive experience required in the bachelors degree. A lot of people switch majors at some point in their degrees.

 

[dilletante]

you could start by studying a course catalog and seeing what the required courses are for those subjects, and see which classes are most appealing to you.

 

[Wayfarer]

One thing I would consider when selecting a program is "Can I picture myself studying this topic / area of focus for the next 4-5 years?".

I still haven't completed my undergrad after 7 years, although now that I'm 3.5 of 5 years into my program (Software Engineering), sticking it out seems easier than switching programs, even though I haven't found my own reason for wanting to finish the program - it's just a carrot on a stick that society dangled in front of me, and since it's scarier to consider alternates and start fresh, I'm begrudgingly considering pushing onwards. Then again, that resulted in me failing, being held back a year, and having to repeat a term three times already, so probably not the best option going forward.

I'm currently taking time off school to evaluate if I want to return this fall to continue my degree, and even now I'm still not feeling it. :/

So much for knowing exactly what I wanted to pursue in high school...:dry:

I guess what my advice would be is make the best choice you can given what you know and how you feel.

It's completely okay to change your major - and way easier to do that earlier in your post-secondary journey.

To this day, I'm debating if post-secondary education is right for me - in your case, it might or might not be, even though we're told to believe it's the "right path". Follow your heart, although easier said than done IMO.

I would like to have anybody interested in their future watch this video. Despite the sarcastic title, it is a very interesting talk.

Larry Smith: Why you will fail to have a great career | Video on TED.com

Hahaha, thanks for the link!

If/when I decide to go back to UW, I'll consider finally applying for one of Larry Smith's courses (probably one of the ECONs) - assuming I can get a spot.

 

[Vin The Dreamer]

Are there any areas that you are more interested than the others? Like, I could separate Psychology and Creative Writing into their own group, dealing with internal human matters, while Marine Biologist and Veterinary Med. could belong in another, natural sciences. Anthropology and Journalism could kind of fit in the middle. Would you prefer to study more subjective, internal kinds of things; biological and concrete things; or both?

 

[IAmMe2010]

August is a long way off- you have plenty of time.

Don't go to college just for the experience. If you go to college for an experience, it will be a very expensive one. I'm not saying not to go but go for the right reasons! The average student leaves with $23,000 in debt or the cost of a brand new car. That may not be bad if everything goes right but if things go wrong it will be a term issue.

See above. Go to college if there's something you can gain from it!

Your choices all seem very random, may of which will take many additional years of graduate training in doctorate programs. If you go down that route and don't like it you will dread going to work every day.

You don't know what careers you would adore or what you would hate. I would recommend trying to get into a job shadowing program with some of your top choices. You'll be able to see what the work day is actually like instead of dreaming about what you think it will be. Those will also tell you more about the experience than a college class.

My choices actually aren't that random, they pretty much tie into my basic interests:

Literature
Human/animal behavior
Basic Biology

Anthropology is more like a toss out, it is the basic study of the human race, why it does what is does and I think it would be pretty interesting though I don't hold out much for it as far as a career goes.

Psychology is something I think I would find fulfilling. It centers around my interest in human behavior and also would lead into a career in counseling. For some reason a job centered around listening to people and helping them work through there problems seems like something I would be able to succeed in.

Veterinary med. is that little "passion" I have. Its the job I actually really really really want, the career I feel that I am most suited for but both my parents have discouraged me from pursuing this. They have pointed out that although I love animals(I mean like the kind of love that is tempered with logic. I know my way around a critter and am usually the first to point out that somethings wrong with a creature even if it's not my animal) I'm not good with math...like at all >.> I mean, I'm not terrible at it and was usually in the honor's courses but I always pulled through those with C's :/

Marine biologist...this is more like that career that I'm really curious about. It would involve diving to collect marine specimens, study the health of the reefs and how they are progressing, and taking data on the ocean it's self. It would be a really neat job but most likely a low paying one...so my interest is cautious.

Journalist is definitely near the bottom. I just thought it would be a good career because I love hearing about peoples lives and stories so naturally a job that would involve collecting information on that, asking good questions, and writing a story about it afterwords would be wonderful...I just don't think I'm aggressive enough to make it as one >.>

Creative writer is actually the bottom of my list. It would be the easiest probably the most natural course to go into and will probably be my minor no matter what I major in. I'm not a great writer of course, I mean I love writing, but I'd never survive as a writer and I'm well aware of this but if nothing else is available it would be what I would go for...

So you know, I have my reason's for wanting to be in all of them and my reason's for avoiding them. The one thing I'm best at I would never be able to keep a family with and the one thing I want the most would require at least 8 years of schooling and then there's no promise I will even have the funding I need that long you know.

I guess all I can do is start out with general studies and work up from there...or I could just go for Vet Tech. which is basically nursing in the animal world. It wouldn't be a bad career and would actually open up prospects in the biology field(like marine biology) It only takes two years of schooling as well...hmmmm....perhaps...I know there was a reason I was avoiding that one but I can't remember it at the moment :/

(I think the advise to join a job shadowing program is really awesome I'm definitely looking into that one, thank you )

 

[refugee]

I just can't decide what I want to major in! I've got like until august before my chance of going to college slips away forever D: (really great scholarship that I qualify for, will pay for practically everything but expires permanently this fall semester) but I don't want to dive in before knowing for sure what I'm going for. I definitely want to go to college, if anything just for the experience and so when I look back at my life 10 or 20 years from now I will have no regrets, but I really don't know what I want to do. I don't want to waste these peoples money but...I just...sigh*

I just don't seem to have any specific skills. Everybody says that I'm smart and have been giving me the "your too smart to not got to college" speech every time we get into college talk but all I end up thinking is, "great, I'm smart, but I just don't have a clue what I want to do" It's driving me crazy >.<

So far I've got about 6 choices:

Anthropology
Psychology
Veterinary med.
Marine biologist
Journalist
creative writer

All of these are careers I would adore! ...but I just cannot for the life of me make up my mind which one I should go into. I'm thinking on possibly starting college with a biology major or social science major...but other than that I'm clueless >.>

Anyone else going through this or has any possible advice beyond, "Just calm down and make up your mind already ya crazy kid! Sheesh." (which is what my inner voice is echoing back to me right now :dry: )

(I put this hear instead of the education and careers section because I wanted purely InFp insight on this, ya know? )

That's a good list you got there.

From an INFP perspective, I'd want something where I can pursue my ideals and have some level of autonomy, as well as the chance to develop my skill set and knowledge base.

Every job is gonna require a learning curve, and there's always gonna be politics, so I leave that research to you. One person here has already mentioned that academia is full of cutthroat, pompous, conceited people who would love to see you fail. But if you have the passion, that shouldn't deter you. You should kick their asses with your zeal for truth.

You should also look at your Enneagram if you haven't already. It'll give you a "second opinion" on your preferences and desires.

Concerning your list, for some reason, Creative Writing, Psychology and Anthropology stood out. I think creative writing would yield the most autonomous of the bunch, but it would probably be the most financially risky.

 

[Marimeli]

@IAmMe2010:

Go to college. You have a free ride. If you do not take it now, you will regret it later--I know so many adults who wish they had, but I've never heard a single person say, "man, I wish I'd neve gotten a college degree."

Psychology: is interesting to study, but if you want to do anything with it you will have to get a Ph.D. If you don't relish the idea of being school for the next decade or more, I would recommend choosing a different major.

If veterinary medicine is what you're super passionate about, give it a shot. Don't Let the math scare you. There are lots of resources on college campuses to help struggling students, and you don't have to wait till you're in the hole to use them. If you seek out aq tutor from the get-go and be proactive, you'll do fine. I this it's sad that your parents are assuming you'll fail right off the bat at something you haven't even tried.

Finally, as someone above mentioned, the first two years mostly are dedicated to taking a general curriculum anyway. You will have to take English, math, science, foreign language, cultural studies and a bunch of other stuff (philosophy and psychology too) before you really delve into your major areas. It's not like that in all programs--pharm d programs can be extremely highly structured because students have to complete so much coursework within 6 years, for example. But universities have courses that everyone is required to take, so start with those and explore the programs, talk with professors, and see what your options are.

I really hope you go--I teach at a university and the conscientiousness you show about your future is encouraging and inspiring. I have students who are graduating and have no idea what they really want to do with their lives, so you've got time. But if you don't try, you won't have the option of deciding to go to college later, necessarily.

 

[refugee]

I was just reading this article here:

1 in 2 new graduates are jobless or underemployed - Yahoo! News

Here were some highlights:

While there's strong demand in science, education and health fields, arts and humanities flounder. Median wages for those with bachelor's degrees are down from 2000, hit by technological changes that are eliminating midlevel jobs such as bank tellers. Most future job openings are projected to be in lower-skilled positions such as home health aides, who can provide personalized attention as the U.S. population ages.

According to government projections released last month, only three of the 30 occupations with the largest projected number of job openings by 2020 will require a bachelor's degree or higher to fill the position — teachers, college professors and accountants. Most job openings are in professions such as retail sales, fast food and truck driving, jobs which aren't easily replaced by computers.

College graduates who majored in zoology, anthropology, philosophy, art history and humanities were among the least likely to find jobs appropriate to their education level; those with nursing, teaching, accounting or computer science degrees were among the most likely.

Granted, these statistics are subject to change, but it looks like the arts and humanities are in the dumps right now. Based upon this data, I would recommend Vet Medicine. Now that I think about it, it could be a very shrewd choice, especially in this market. Furthermore, since everything is trending toward highly personalized services (a la Netflix, which could go out of business soon), combined with a degree in Vet Medicine could yield something very attractive. And besides, people are always gonna need a pet doctor, and you could be the one giving personalized advice on it. Basically it has to be a service where robots cannot replace the human touch.

Which brings me back to your other choices. All your other choices seem to be in the short term more interesting to me. But nowadays, you can learn all of those things on your own. It really comes down to where is your passion and long term vision. Don't let statistics sway you from your passion, because as you know life is unpredictable.

 

[ilovecrack]

I would like to have anybody interested in their future watch this video. Despite the sarcastic title, it is a very interesting talk.

Larry Smith: Why you will fail to have a great career | Video on TED.com

If everybody took his advice, we'd all be ninja's. Passion doesnt exist for a job... It's a job. It's only a tool to help you live out all the things that really are your passion. Hiking, helping the poor through volunteer work and charity, surfing, these are passions. They connect you with the world around you. Being a writer or filmmaker or other kind of artist only takes in the world and rehashes it into a bitesize portion. Your explaining the world to people, yet aren't paid well enough to where you actually know how the world is. Thats why every movie is the same, and there is barely any innovation.
Predictable Yet Popular Movie Poster Designs | So Bad So Good

Its a bunch of low paid writers making these stories, getting bought by the hollywood fat cats for low money, and then being sold for high profit. The reason this happens is because the writer can only experience life through their television. They learn the facts of life from the television show the facts of life.

How i see it, you dont really need a degree to write a book. Lets say writing is my "dream". right now i'm going to school for electrical engineering. If i can pass, and make a decent bank roll, who says i cant stop and write a book some time. I have the ideas in my head, and everytime i pick up a book, i dont ask if the author graduated from an elite art school. I'm just saying why put all your eggs in the one basket.

 

[IAmMe2010]

Hey Thanks for the advice guys.

I've thought it over(even prayed a little) and I suppose I'm just gonna go ahead with Vet Med. It's the one thing I'm passionate about and I think it will give me skills I would really love to have...it's just that thing, you know? That one career I've wanted since I was maybe 8 XD Not that our dream careers at 8 are always very realistic but I don't know, I think 8 year old me had it figured out. I'm gonna go for it and like a couple of you said I can always change my major in the future so why not?

Anyway, I went back and looked at all the paper work, I qualify for one of the best universities around me and I'm kinda excited XD (It's not even all that far from home )

Again thanks guys, I think I needed an open ear more than anything XD

 

[Marimeli]

Hey Thanks for the advice guys.

I've thought it over(even prayed a little) and I suppose I'm just gonna go ahead with Vet Med. It's the one thing I'm passionate about and I think it will give me skills I would really love to have...it's just that thing, you know? That one career I've wanted since I was maybe 8 XD Not that our dream careers at 8 are always very realistic but I don't know, I think 8 year old me had it figured out. I'm gonna go for it and like a couple of you said I can always change my major in the future so why not?

Anyway, I went back and looked at all the paper work, I qualify for one of the best universities around me and I'm kinda excited XD (It's not even all that far from home )

Again thanks guys, I think I needed an open ear more than anything XD

On the subject of 8 year old wisdom:

As an 8 year old, I always wanted to be a writer. Then I thought about it and realized it could be hard to make a living that way, but if I became a TEACHER I could write in the summers. I grew up and got a teaching license and the writing part fell by the wayside. Five ears in, I realized something was missing, so I went back to school. Not I'm about to earn a Ph.D. And be a literature professor--teaching and writing are oth part of the job I'm paid for. It took me till my 30s to listen to my inner 8 year old, who was so right on.

I trust 8 year olds more than adults, for that reason

 

[Vin The Dreamer]

I remember when I was about 7 I wanted to be a firefighter (the red Power Ranger was my inspiration!). Over time I learned that it wouldn't be a good job for me, especially since I am no good at physical fitness, but I still had a strong attachment to the heroic personality. And I had this childhood fantasy of saving the world, and I guess during high school it sparked my interest in International Relations. So I guess childhood dreams can give some us some direction after all. ^^ I support your decision all the way @IAmMe2010! Good luck at that big university of yours! :wink: