College majors and future careers

[bbbamI]

I never had the opportunity to go to college. That's another story.

It's funny, I loved biology and literature; I aced those classes. Math, algebra, geometry...not so much....

I became a numbers gal anyway and was successful.

[Meadbh]

I voted "didn't go to college" because I went from high school into a six year medical school course (in the old country). So my Bachelor of Medicine was my primary degree.

10 years later I got an MD (like a PhD, with a thesis) and 10 years after that, an MBA. So I guess that was a change in educational focus!

Which reminds me, to keep this up I need to get another degree next year....NOT!

[FUEGO]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LOL! In high school I selected a specific major in science. I only applied to colleges that had that as a major.

Now that I think about it, I selected my major during high school early on too. I took classes in high school that I knew would transfer over into the only university program that I applied to. During senior year I actually enrolled half time at the university taking classes towards the degree in the field that I am in now. Even my summer job when I was 16 (land surveying fieldwork) was as close as I could get to my field today (for a 16 year old).

[UncleHoney]

Didn't go to collage but got two associate degrees. One in mechanical engineering and one in electrical engineering. I spent 35 years working in the engineering field.

Here is the kicker....tuition cost...the Associate in Mechanical Engineering cost....< $600 and the Associate in Electrical Engineering cost < $900. The day I got out of school I was broke but didn't owe any money either. Thanks to a part time job and that nice guy GI BILL.
Did it all without a credit card too.

[CuppaJoe]

I was always on a career path called, “retirement.” Yes, of course, majors in French and Psychology were helpful. I didn’t vote.

Seriously, Psych. is helpful in many areas, and I did spend the last 16 years of my pre-retirement life working with clients who were at crisis points in their lives.

[bubba]

My degree is in Accounting, and I'm an accountant in industry after a few years in public accounting.

[Ronstar]

Started college in Engineering. Dropped out in 1975. Worked at 2 civil engineering firms since 1975. Went back to school and got business degree in 1990. My work involves business and engineering, so college focus areas have helped.

[CuppaJoe]

I saw the video of “Revolutionary Road” last week and immediately devoured the book. Set in 1955, the DH worked for a thinly veiled megacorp called Knox Business Machines and he and his DW have a scheme to escape that life and the suburbs that go with it. Well, I worked for a megacorp called [blank]BM and knew beyond a doubt I had to escape.* I remember a friend (at the coffee shop) saying, “it’s not the computers themselves that are interesting, it’s what you put into the computers.” It took me about 15 years to gravitate toward a job a psych. major would enjoy & find interesting, paralegal in family law appeals. The clients there are usually already divorced but can’t let go; I got to see some of them go thru the stages of grief, fall into deep depressions, and do all sorts of nasty things to each other.... A few of them could be helped.
_____________

*Odd coincidence, in the thread about Eugene, I mentioned a kook I knew who moved there; I met him at [blank]BM, and then met him again thru a friend, he was in rebellion against his father who I later met in yet another context. He and I had a nice chat about how we mutually & separately escaped that megacorp.

[Rustward]

BS in Computer Science. Only field I have ever worked in.

Attended the summer between junior and senior high school years. Engr 102 covered general engineering principals, slide rule, and Fortran (using WatFiv). After the Fortran class I knew what I wanted to do (although I have never used Fortran professionally). The university required CS students to choose emphasis with extra courses in math, or accounting, or Computer Science. I did all three. Finished in 13 quarters.

[Purron]

Degree: accounting
Career path: banking then Fed Govt in financial instituion examination and regulation

[Orchidflower]

Got a BS in psych. Either was going to go on all the way to a Ph.D. or go into sales. After a year of deliberation, decided I was more extroverted and to go into sales. So, in some ways psych is appropriate for that career or so all the interviews I had waaaay back then said. I did okay--but only because I'm a workaholic, which put me shoulders above many of my fellow (lazy) salespeople.
If I had to do it all over again, tho, I would get an Econ/Finance degree or go onto an MBA. Ain't hindsight grand?

[kumquat]

Degree: Chemistry
Career: IT

[Sam]

I voted yes because yes is the closest available answer for me.

Chemical Engineering Major - Computer Science Minor
Worked in Software Development since graduation in 1982.

Sam

[Khan]

Don't know if I should vote Yes or No.

Started college in 1968 with a dual major: Math & CS.
I did well in CS class, but never could get a program to run because of those stupid punch cards.
Ended up with BA in Math.

In 1982, took the PACE and was hired by USAF to be a computer programmer; they trained me (much better card punch machines).

Retired in 2004.