I need help about my terrible choice of major

[The Trendsetter]

So, I have a thread up in general chat, I believe, about if it is good to be an english major. The answer was a resounding no. Now, I find myself almost distraught by the fact that I am wasting my precious dollars on an education that I will not be able to find a job in.

Here is the thing. I don't know what else I would major in though. Do I just sacrifice my personal happiness and major in something that offers awesome job outlook after I graduate? I need direction and I know the whole 'you have to figure it out for yourself' thing but I need some sort of advice. I really have no idea what to do in this situation.

And if you do think that I would be best to just change my major to something else, what majors have good career outlook without having to go to graduate school? I'm not necessarily ruling out grad school, I just don't want to HAVE to go to grad school in order to get a decent job.


Let's hear it

 

[Tck13]

Do what you enjoy.

If you want to major in English and really enjoy it and want a degree, then do it. If not, then don't.

Stop worrying.

 

[sonlegoman]

Find something else you enjoy and become a technical writer in that field. You'll still be an English major and do something you enjoy.

 

[Don Carlos]

Your major doesn't matter nearly as much as people here say it does. I was an English major and do finance. I know a lot of History majors who are ballers at law firms, banks, and consultancies right now. And so on.

If I had the choice to go back and do it over again, I'd pick CS in a heartbeat. But hindsight is 20/20, so what can you do? The fact that I'm not the tech badass I could have been has not really affected my quality of life.

Don't assume an English major locks you into "English major" jobs like writing, teaching, or law. No major, aside from CS or something on the pre-med spectrum, is ever a necessary requirement for a certain career path.

 

[Duff_Man]

Originally Posted by Don Carlos

Your major doesn't matter nearly as much as people here say it does. I was an English major and do finance. I know a lot of History majors who are ballers at law firms, banks, and consultancies right now. And so on. If I had the choice to go back and do it over again, I'd pick CS in a heartbeat. But hindsight is 20/20, so what can you do? The fact that I'm not the tech badass I could have been has not really affected my quality of life. Don't assume an English major locks you into "English major" jobs like writing, teaching, or law. No major, aside from CS or something on the pre-med spectrum, is ever a necessary requirement for a certain career path.
+1, BAs really don't mean that much as far as specialization goes. That said, a History might actually be more useful than an English degree, and may not stray too far from the liberal artsish field that you enjoy.

 

[Don Carlos]

It's not as if people need rocket-science-level math skills in the workforce, anyway. Give me 5 hours and a laptop, and I can teach a rhesus monkey to model **** in Excel.

 

[kungapa]

Originally Posted by Don Carlos

Your major doesn't matter nearly as much as people here say it does. I was an English major and do finance. I know a lot of History majors who are ballers at law firms, banks, and consultancies right now. And so on.

This of course assumes that he goes to a good school. We don;t know if he is at some state college somewhere slugging away.

Op - what school/type of school are you attending?

 

[Master-Classter]

see if you can use your electives to branch out into other fields of interest. I did a Psych degree but when I talk to HR people for recruiting I'm always telling them about this one course in Industrial Organizational psych I took and how interesting recruiting looks, etc... My math courses were useless, but then again my philosophy course actually taught me a lot about the basic structure of arguments and logic, which I use quite often.

 

[Douglas]

Unless you plan to do something technical, the connection between your degree and your profession is overrated. It will help for you to round out your major with some electives like 300-level econ and/or math, but in the grand scheme, don't sweat it.

 

[cross22]

Originally Posted by Tck13

Do what you enjoy. If you want to major in English and really enjoy it and want a degree, then do it. If not, then don't. Stop worrying.
Terrible advice.

Originally Posted by Don Carlos

Your major doesn't matter nearly as much as people here say it does. I was an English major and do finance. I know a lot of History majors who are ballers at law firms, banks, and consultancies right now. And so on. If I had the choice to go back and do it over again, I'd pick CS in a heartbeat. But hindsight is 20/20, so what can you do? The fact that I'm not the tech badass I could have been has not really affected my quality of life. Don't assume an English major locks you into "English major" jobs like writing, teaching, or law. No major, aside from CS or something on the pre-med spectrum, is ever a necessary requirement for a certain career path.
You are generally correct but your examples are exceptions rather than the rule. History majors do not typically become ballers at law firms and OP should not count on that. OP, these were the best jobs in the US in 2010 (based on certain criteria). It might give you some ideas. Pay attention to the 10-year growth forecast. http://money.cnn.com/magazines/money...ist/index.html

 

[kungapa]

Originally Posted by cross22

You are generally correct but your examples are exceptions rather than the rule. History majors do not typically become ballers at law firms and OP should not count on that.[/url]

They do... if they go to Harvard.

 

[cross22]

Originally Posted by kungapa

They do... if they go to Harvard.

Are you marsupialed?

 

[kungapa]

Originally Posted by cross22

Are you marsupialed?
No. Are you? I came through an Ivy, and have a lot of friends who studied history, comparative literature or english who are doing very well in the financial field. I do not see it as the exception to the norm - quite the opposite. The very heavy recruiting done by banks and consulting firms at such schools means a lot of people end up in the finance profession - and do well there - regardless of their major.

 

[downwithianbrown]

If i am correct the OP goes to a ****** state school. Is going through some life crisis and has been seeking guidance on sf for a few weeks. My advice is to chill out. You are not going to figure out your life in a few weeks. Stop wasting time trying to navigate an uncertain future and work hard in what you are doing.

 

[dragon8]

Originally Posted by Tck13

Do what you enjoy.

If you want to major in English and really enjoy it and want a degree, then do it. If not, then don't.

Stop worrying.

Yes, do something you enjoy.