I'm considering changing my major, but I'm unsure...

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Cyanide
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17 Jun 2009, 2:52 am

Right now I'm ending my sophomore year as an Economics major. Don't get me wrong, I still love Econ. It's just that school makes it feel like a chore, and my actual major classes make up less than 50% of what I actually have to take there, so going to school mostly feels pointless. Not only that, but you have to go to grad school if you want to do anything worthwhile. I'm about 95% sure that I don't want to go through another 6 years of school (I hate school enough as it is).

I'm thinking that maybe I should go into Mechanical Engineering. It sounds kind of interesting, and you only need a Bachelor's in it to have a decent career. I can't be absolutely sure if I'll like it, though. It'll also take me at least an extra 2 years to graduate if I start in it right now (I don't have most of the pre-requisites).

The school I'm transferring to has (good) programs in both. I don't know whether I should just get my B.S in Econ while trying to do pre-requisites for Mechanical Engineering, or if I should just take the plunge, hope I like engineering and possibly risk losing a year of school...



sgrannel
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17 Jun 2009, 3:19 am

Aren't most of the classes you take up into the sophomore year general requirements anyway? Mechanical engineering sounds like a great idea, if you have some background for it. A friend of mine majored in Econ. and he couldn't get a job without also getting a Master's in it, and he still struggled at that. Employability is a significant concern, trust me, I struggle with being employable, and marriageable, too even with science degrees.


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ViperaAspis
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17 Jun 2009, 5:01 am

Quote:
I'm about 95% sure that I don't want to go through another 6 years of school


And I'm about 95% sure you should switch :)

Don't sweat it, though. You're more the norm than the exception if you switch majors. I did it plenty of times. Besides, it's a good economy to be a student in right now.


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Awesomelyglorious
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17 Jun 2009, 10:36 pm

You could go for a business degree. Those work better with econ coursework, and they are reasonably employable, at least compared to the average undergraduate degree. Not only that, but some schools have business economics degrees, or allow for easy double majors between business and economics. I mean, econ/finance is probably the easiest double degree, but it is currently the sector hurt worst by all that has happened in the economy, but it still can work.



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17 Jun 2009, 11:00 pm

If you have the funds, then it is fine to stay in school. I am currently an audio major, but I really don't like it that much anymore. I would rather be a broadcasting major, but my school doesn't offer that, and transferring is out of the question because, I am in my third year, and changing now would be foolish. School is expensive, and I just want my piece of paper, at this point, at least I could say I have a bachelor's degree, and with an audio degree I could still get into broadcasting.



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17 Jun 2009, 11:01 pm

Engineering could be good, and it pays well. Engineering degree programs tend to have more demanding coursework requirements, so check to see what the graduation requirements would be. If you stayed in economics, what would you do as a job?


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ruennsheng
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18 Jun 2009, 12:54 am

Economists can be also good --- but for Aspies, without adequate social and entrepreneurial skills, perhaps the only way out is... teaching? If not, can we really handle the pressures of the corporate world? Or really, you can consider stay many more years in school to become another Vernon L. Smith (Nobel Prize Winner in Economics, also an Aspie).

On the other hand, engineering requires less social skills and more technical skills for Aspies to succeed. And seriously, such high-end skills are so much more in demand always no matter the state of the economy. Good bet.



Cyanide
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19 Jun 2009, 12:42 pm

Awesomelyglorious wrote:
You could go for a business degree. Those work better with econ coursework, and they are reasonably employable, at least compared to the average undergraduate degree. Not only that, but some schools have business economics degrees, or allow for easy double majors between business and economics. I mean, econ/finance is probably the easiest double degree, but it is currently the sector hurt worst by all that has happened in the economy, but it still can work.

If I did Business/Econ, wouldn't that just get me a job as a desk jockey?... Ugh, that's not what I want.

Orwell wrote:
Engineering could be good, and it pays well. Engineering degree programs tend to have more demanding coursework requirements, so check to see what the graduation requirements would be. If you stayed in economics, what would you do as a job?
If I stayed in Econ and somehow mustered up the will to get my PhD, I'd likely become a researcher. If I only got my Bachelor's in it, the best I could do would be accounting.



Orwell
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19 Jun 2009, 3:04 pm

Cyanide wrote:
If I stayed in Econ and somehow mustered up the will to get my PhD, I'd likely become a researcher. If I only got my Bachelor's in it, the best I could do would be accounting.

But you said you'd rather not spend more time in school... and I don't think being a researcher in anything really pays a whole ton, once you consider the extra investment in education to get those jobs. Accounting pays well, but I imagine it would be rather tedious.


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