How did you choose your major/field?

[irishScott]

Right now I'm a sophomore Computer Engineering major and loving it. However, I'm also into Bio, Aerospace Engineering, and Music with equal tenacity/passion, and I'd like to minor in History, English, and/or Psychology. There's no hard deadline as I'm already declared, but I figure it's time to start choosing what I want to double major/minor in. Obviously a quadruple major is out of the question, let alone with minors.

Problem is I can't choose one or two without negating the others. I suppose I could just skip a formal music major and keep doing it on the side (I've had over a decade of net classical training), but even then I'm left with trying to find a way to combine Bio, Computer, and Aerospace. I have yet to find a field that effectively encompasses all three. I also intend to reach the PhD level, which will require even more specialization. :frown:

I've taken classes in all of said subjects (as well as outside experience) so I have some idea of what they'll entail.

Anyone else ever been in my situation? If so, how did you decide? Were you satisfied with your decision? (regretting what you didn't do and all that).

 

[paulxcook]

I was tricked into mine.

 

[minendo]

I originally went into Purdue studying biochemistry as I had worked a internships in the field during high school. After a year of biochem I decided that it was not what I wanted to do and I started looking around at other programs. I knew I wanted to stay in the scientific field and the food science program caught my interest. So my sophomore year I switched into Food Science and I haven't looked back since. Graduated with my BS in 2004 and now I am working towards my Master's in Food Science specializing in food safety and food microbiology.

 

[SpunkyJones]

I chose mine to be near chicks.

 

[AgaBoogaBoo]

I was in a similar boat. If I could, I'd probably get a minor in everything... but that doesn't really help you get a decent job in the future

I ended up choosing business management/finance for my major, and then will have 2 minors and a bunch of classes outside of my major.

 

[JohnCU]

EE, lots of jobs, job security, and money

 

[Scarpozzi]

Pick a profession that will:

1. Make you money...and I mean the profitable kind. Just because you score a lot of cash doesn't mean you want to necessarily work long hours or pay higher cost of living in larger cities

2. Is transferrable....you want a profession that will allow you to move from city to city as easily as possible. This opens the door to downsizing your life later or moving up if you choose.

3. Something you ultimately like and don't see yourself being bored with in 10 years. This is the tough one, but sometimes taking an aptitude test answers this one the best.

I ended going into business simply because I don't know how much longer I can handle working with computers. I wanted something general that would allow me to go into any field in the future...

 

[darkxshade]

flip a coin

 

[imported_Imp]

My friend was doing mech engineering, I applied, didn't get it, got my second choice. Second choice was cause I pulled it out of my ass 2 years prior for a project.

 

[Vehemence]

Lost a bet.

 

[zerocool1]

Originally posted by: dNor
Lost a bet.

wow! what did you major in?

EDIT: I majored in computer information systems and risk management & insurance with a minor in german. CIS because I didn't want to be a code monkey but I wanted to understand to get into db/networks and risk mangement because its a pretty broad topic and easily transferrable. minored in german because the professor was cool, i had the time, and it was easy.

so over all, i'm trying to get into IT Risk working for a global insurance company that is based in zurich.

 

[JS80]

1) money

 

[drinkmorejava]

Well, um, Bio, Aero, Comp Eng are all sciences, so you're not hopeless. But, if you've taken classes in all of them, I'd say you should be able to decide. They all require different skill sets and interests. Personally, I can't stand Bio/Chem, and I got bored with computers by the end of high school, so now I'm doing Aero. I'm not sure on the intensity of program at your school, but I know that at the end of last year there were 150ish Aero, now, at the end of sophomore year, there are 54 or 58 or something. I think most of those thought it would be cool to build rockets and shit, but just couldn't cut it in the intro classes.

 

[pontifex]

i can't decide. i want to go to college (i'm 28) and get a degree but i have no fucking clue what i want to do. nothing seems to interest me and some of the things that do apparently won't allow me to make much money, which is part of the reason i want to go back - so i can make more money.

 

[irishScott]

Originally posted by: drinkmorejava
Well, um, Bio, Aero, Comp Eng are all sciences, so you're not hopeless. But, if you've taken classes in all of them, I'd say you should be able to decide. They all require different skill sets and interests. Personally, I can't stand Bio/Chem, and I got bored with computers by the end of high school, so now I'm doing Aero. I'm not sure on the intensity of program at your school, but I know that at the end of last year there were 150ish Aero, now, at the end of sophomore year, there are 54 or 58 or something. I think most of those thought it would be cool to build rockets and shit, but just couldn't cut it in the intro classes.

Not necessarily. I'm one of those rare mutants whose interested in everything (some more than others). Those 3 are tied for first (along with music). I was looking into a Bio/CE double major which could turn into biomedical engineering on the grad level, but that nixes Aerospace.

 

[Brainonska511]

I liked chemistry and liked the applications to biology and research, so I decided to be a Biological Chemistry major (which I'm still on course for).

 

[duragezic]

I don't know much about Aerospace Eng and there wasn't a major for it at my school, but very likely you could deal with the mechanical side or electrical & computer side of aerospace engineering.

Oh btw, you could get four majors. I know someone who did that. They were all related though like Chemistry, Biochemistry, Biophysics, or whatever they were chem/bio/physics related things. So it was actually only like 200 credits because so many courses counted for several majors. But I don't really see a big point in doing that.

You could work on aerospace projects with a Computer Engineering degree still. Hell I think I'm technically in the aerospace software department and I have a computer engineering degree. So without getting a several majors and minors, which I'm not sure is really worth it especially those minors, I think Aerospace and Computer Engineering can be fairly closely related so I'd go with either of them, depending of course on your interests/passions and the curriculum of each.

 

[duragezic]

Originally posted by: pontifex
i can't decide. i want to go to college (i'm 28) and get a degree but i have no fucking clue what i want to do. nothing seems to interest me and some of the things that do apparently won't allow me to make much money, which is part of the reason i want to go back - so i can make more money.

How does it go... something like "when there's no more information, it's time to make a decision"