How did you choose your major?

My current major is computer science. I picked it because, when I was applying at my college, I thought they offered an information security major. They didn't, and so computer science seemed close enough.

So far it's more math than I would have thought or would like. Still, all my professors have been cool.

I kept changing it and then just chose non-profit management because I enjoyed helping people out. Ultimately I didn't get a job with it. I work in recruiting now.

>>17410094
>I don't know what I'll do but I like genetics so I'll do cell bio
>Year 2: "fuck this neuro is cool"
>End of Year 2: "fuck science is a bitch, fucking bio, but math is ezpz. Econ is ez too. I'll do applied math and become an actuary"
>Year 3: "this is great but linear algebra sucks ass (still pulled off a B and an A for the two parts)'
>Year 3 summer: "wow insurance wants to make me off myself! My god why would anyone do this?"
>Year 4: graduated with applied math degree. Get job through long time girlfriend's dad

In my experience a lot of people take similar roundabout routes to their degree and career. Just pick something and don't be afraid to change.

In my last year of high school, I was really interested in crime, especially serial killers. From there, it was a no-brainer that I studied criminology. I'd also read that sociology and psychology were related, so in my first year, I took psych and sosc papers. I ended up really liking psych, so I dropped psych and now I'm double majoring in criminology and psychology.

Neuroscience, rising freshman

decided in senior year to do neuro
was also interested in general bio and CS

I chose to study math in order to become a quant to make money
I am now working as a quant

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Japanese language studies

>>17411548
weeb

My major is political science. I chose it because I want polisci and international relations to form the basis of my academic foundation. Then I want to earn a Masters and PhD in Public Administration so I can have the option of contributing the the field as a researcher, teacher, or by applying my education through public service directly.

>>17411548
why do you need to go to college for this

There's plenty of way cheaper resources outside of college to learn on your own, and it's probably way quicker to do it on your own too. Do what I'm doing and take a degree in something useful and then join all the Japanese clubs and make some Japanese friends. Then stick to watching your faggot animes and setting all your electronics to Japanese and doing flash card reps on your free time.

inb4 weeaboo yeah I am one and I consider suicide every day.

Freshman, Information Technology and a Cybersecurity cert. I really like it so far

CS/Math major
Philosophy minor
rn Im at an internship doing front end web development and I feel like Im wasting my time there. Not really applying anything I learned so far.

I much prefer low level stuff as well, so Im not too happy with my job.

I want to go to grad school, but I have no research experience.

Dream job is becoming a philosophy and/or math professor

I'm majoring in Art History and I'm not confident about it in the slightest but it's what I enjoy and I'm never confident about anything anyway. Dream job would be a museum curator or something

I'm blessed to have a college fund already set up for me, but I'm not as smart, motivated, or passionate as my younger brother and I feel bad that someone who would benefit more from free college than me isn't getting it but I am.

18 here
6 days from orientation and I still no have idea what major to choose
I was thinking Film but then realized how impractical and stupid a decision that could be in the long run
now I'm leaning towards STEM (initially I thought maybe CS, but I'm shit at math)
can anybody offer some advice?
I just want a degree that's reliable in the job market

My college career was a complete clusterfuck and honestly even now I don't have any concrete plans for the future but

>Start out pre-vet because I liked animals and did good in high science classes
>oh wow I fucking hate school and it's expensive why would I chose a career that would have me do 8 years of this shit
>Switch to just regular bio
>Oh wow I fucking hate math and chemistry and there's a lot of it here maybe I should get out of the sciences
>Switch to anthropology(lol) cause I've always been interested in other cultures and shit
>I'm never going to get a job with this shit what am I even doing
>Switch back to Biology
>Switch schools
>Continue with education, honestly by this point just trying to graduate
>Never declare an emphasis

I did eventually graduate but even after all those years I had no idea what I wanted to do, and honestly everything that happened after up to today was pretty much just luck. I had kind of gotten close to this one professor, and she was doing bird banding during the summer, and since I was already a bird nerd I jumped on it so I'd have "experience" and something to put on a resume. I ended up loving it, she and other students told me about some field work focused job boards. I then spent the next 5 months fruitlessly applying for jobs but never hearing anything back, until last January when I got an email from a job that I wasn't really qualified for and had just thrown a resume at out of desperation. They had gotten a funding infusion and had room for an extra person on their crew, and since I had experience banding birds they chose me. A moth later I was on Hawaii crawling around volcanic rock doing all kinds of shit, which lasted until 2 weeks ago. Now I'm back home and looking for my next gig, hoping things will be a bit easier this time around.

I guess if I could give any advice it's that no matter what your major is, experience is everything and throw a resume at every job, even if you're not qualified.

>>17412024
>I just want a degree that's reliable in the job market
Most degrees are fine. A lot of it is more about the skills you build up, rather than the actual knowledge you obtain.

>>17412019

>>17412029 here, my best friend graduated a year before me with an Art History degree and she kind of had an easier time than me. It was funny because she got two back-to-back internships, both in national parks-one in Yosemite and one in Alaska- while I, the bio major, was sitting at home on my ass. She's since started graduate school and gone to Europe for more internships. That being said, she's really social and great at networking, which has been a huge help. The point is there are things to do out there with the degree, but it's a major you have to be proactive about and do a lot of volunteering/internships/bullshit for before you start getting actual jobs at museums.

>>17412076
I had a feeling, it's just a matter of doing stuff is the scary part to me. So I walk into the art museum, then what? Just walk up to someone and be like "Hi can I have an internship?" I just don't know what to do or what questions to ask

>>17412098
>it's just a matter of doing stuff is the scary part to me
Not that anon, but you get out what you put in

>So I walk into the art museum, then what? Just walk up to someone and be like "Hi can I have an internship?" I just don't know what to do or what questions to ask
You get chatting to people there, ask if they're looking for someone to help out or volunteer, and go from there. Don't just abruptly ask, you have to build up a rapport and ask organically.

Civil Engineer major here. Graduated at the end of 2013, worked in coal mining for 2.5 years and now work as a Works Manager for a local government.

You gotta have a clear idea on what you wanna do and have a good solid idea on how you will achieve it if you want to make the most of college. Networking is vital, if you don't network you might as well not turn up

>>17412116
I have mech engineer friends and all they do is shit on civil engineers. Sorry, man.

>>17412124
I'm kicking myself I didn't do mechanical. What's done is done though

>>17412098

I feel you on it being scary, it was really hard for me as well. I would definitely start by looking into volunteering at your local museum, they should have something about it on their website but if not just call and ask. That way you get to know people and are around other students, and can start networking and get ideas from them. Also talk to a professor you like or your adviser about resources for internships, basically just tell them you're unsure where to start looking and they should be able to help you.

I know there is a job board for art history stuff, my friend uses it, but I can't remember the name of it off the top of my head, unfortunately.

>>17412100
>>17412135
As someone as paralyzingly terrified of their own future, I appreciate the advice, thank you

International relations and German major, with a minor in mitary science. Also in ROTC and am a CIA intern.

Shoot for the stars I guess.

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I'm going to enroll next semester for graphic design. I want to do corporate branding, design packages for products, web design, design magazines, etc. All of that and it will give me a good day-to-day artistic outlet. I'll have to go to a shitty cheap community college, at least at first, because I graduated high school four years ago. Took some time off to work and travel instead and now I'm broke. I guess I have a slight concern that maybe me going to a shitty college will hurt me but it's probably fine if I have a good portfolio, right?

..right?

I fell for the meme and chose electrical engineering for the security. I'm in my final year now and I regret it. Think about what you're good at and what you like and try to combine the two. If you're a driven student it shouldn't matter too much what your major is, as long as you put in the effort to achieve well and intern in your field (volunteer if you have to). If you really have no idea do a business degree or something. If you're not a high achiever, do your research and find a balance between enjoyment and security. Just make sure you keep up your hobbies and get involved in things outside of study so you seem like a well-rounded person. Also, for the first two years into your major never think it's too late to switch.

Went for petroleum engineering, #1 factor was obviously money. I wanted to go into energy but nuclear's not going anywhere soon, mining's dying, and renewables are dependent on subsidies.

Right now I work as a reservoir engineer and make 6 figures after taxes. People who graduate in the 2014-2016 range are in trouble but after that you should be good.

Graphic design, graduated in June. Been seeking job for only a week though, but did some smaller jobs during education. But so far I've learned that clients are shit, the business are shit and will take every opportunity they can to scam you in order to save money (although they will brag about how good they are for saving the environment by only using eco-friendly materials). Asians will do what you do for less money and keeps the 99designs, fiverr, freelancer-inspired sites going.

>>17412175
More experienced design femanon here. While it is good to know how to do multiple things, choose one category to specialize in or everyone you show your portfolio to will believe you are a newb at everything. And learn how to whore yourself out, because this business is just a fancier sales pitch.

A good solid portfolio goes a long way, but it does not need to be more than 6 designs and honestly it's the way you sell it to the employer that will get you the job. And get off the computer and design something, snap a pic of it. Because employers are fed up with only computer-based designs and it literally shows 0 creativity.

>>17412397
And get off the computer and design something, snap a pic of it.

Like lettering and the like? Thank you fellow femanon, your post was helpful

My major is food science and technology. Originally, and at heart, im a chemistry major. I transferred to my uni from CC as a food science and tech major because chem was impacted, and my plan was to simply switch to chem later on. I took the intro to food science class and I absolutely fell in love with it. Certain aspects are heavily based on chemistry, which is,why I excel in my dept. I always had a firm command over chem, o chem, analytical chem, and all my,skills and passion transferred over seemlessly.

Anyway, one day in highschool, the 1st day of chemistry class, i was reading the intro chapter of the chemistry textbook. I was reading about the general overview/big picture of,the subject and it suddenly,hit me like a brick wall. From that moment I decided my,life was going to be devoted to,chemistry. I dont know why that thought came,to my head, but im glad,it did.

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>>17412400
Not like lettering, do you know how many people are good at lettering? But sure, if you want to dedicate ten thousands of hours learning the craft and getting better than most of them, go ahead.

I'm talking doing things differently, I had a friend who made GoT posters with utensils. Think outside the box, I can't stress this enough. Part of creativity is to take an object and not use it for its intended purpose.

>>17412355
Almost fell for the meme myself, I was cruising through physics in high school without touching homework, while people did extra work on it every day and still failed, but I actively despised the subject, just-so much. I didn't even know that it was possible to hate a subject so much and yet be good at it.

>"but the meme says it's one of the only ways to make money"
>"wait but the place is full of the suicidally depressed, some with crazy societal views"
>"and doing physics does make me want to off myself"

Now I'm studying English with a minor in Comms, I hope to get into the field of advertising/marketing/copywriting. No ragrets.

>>17412424
Oh alright, your pic and example made that much clearer. I get what you mean. I'm actually more of an illustrator trying to transition over so this makes perfect sense. Thank you!

>>17411868
>inb4 weeaboo yeah I am one and I consider suicide every day.

Wtf? Why? I'm the biggest weeaboo I know (approaching native level in Japanese) and I make several times in salary the average person. Never understood this shame about it

Wanted to be a nurse
Majored in Nursing
Now work as a Nurse

>It should be that easy.

>>17412429
If you are good at illustrating, keep it up. Lots of positions wants good illustrators (keeps them from hiring illustrators and save money), but might need to show some diversity in your work.

>>17410094

Data science.

>>17412355
>for the first two years into your major never think it's too late to switch.

Imo it's never too late to switch, but I understand not everyone is comfortable taking a long time to get through college. I agree with the rest of your post though.

>>17412427
I hated physics in high school too. I started out in a community college and made sure it was the last class I could possibly take because I didn't want to be bothered. Then I took it and wound up falling in love. I changed my major and my career has never been better. I presented at conferences, participated in two internships, became a published author, and now I'm starting grad school at the ivy league for physics doing research I love. I wish it was as easy for everyone to find their passion and be successful in it.

The only advice that I have to give is don't be afraid to take longer to get through school (as long as you won't drown yourself in debt). An extra year or two is nothing on the scale of your life, especially if it means you'll wind up in a career you're passionate about.

Computer science. I was going to go to art school for the longest time and then I took some AP studio class in Highschool and it was miserable. I cant make deadlines work with art and I'm glad I realized it then. I just hope I can get the joy back some day, That class killed it for me entirely. I also took some AP CS class that year and it was the easiest shit in the world and I liked it so I ran with it. Getting harder as I go through college but it's not bad at all. Logic is lit. I still feel like art school would've been more fun though.

>>17412355
Wait what do you hate about electrical engineering? I think it's pretty cool, its the second best engineering behind chemical for me.

Majored in music with the goal of being an audio engineer. Interned at a study for a while before/during college and now after college I'm working there for 20/hour. Things are good so far, hoping to get to the point of being a mix engineer.

>>17412770
>interned at a study
studio*