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I have no one else to turn to to discuss this, so I figured I might as well come to the Team Liquid blogs. There are plenty of successful people that have a good education and have already graduated college here on TL, so hopefully someone has gone through a somewhat similar situation.
Currently, I'm a Junior in College majoring in Chemistry. Why Chemistry? Basically, when I was applying for school, my parents gave me a choice. Do some sort of Science or we won't pay. Why a Science? That's quite simple really. My cousin (whom I think is a genius) decided to go with BioChemistry as her degree and my parents basically want me to mirror her every choice in life. I don't really understand their reasoning behind that other than she's a really smart person. She's going to the University of Pennsylvania for her Ph.D. in some sort of Organic Chemistry. I don't see how me mirroring her would make me smart though. My parents also think Science degrees are the only way to go if you ever want to make good money and my parents are very money conscious. They care about it way too much.
I had originally planned to go with something like Business Administration w/ a focus in Finance, but I broke down and decided to try out Biochemistry. I quickly learned that I hated Biology with a passion, so I dropped my BioChemistry major and decided to go for a Chemistry degree. I did this because I actually enjoyed Chemistry in high school and my first year of college. The classes were alright. The labs were excellent (by far my favorite part of Chemistry) and the Professors were great.
As a Junior, I have lost any passion that I had in Chemistry. I still like Chemistry in a Lab setting somewhat (actually doing experiments), but I just don't have any fun at all in any lecture class. I'm not talking about having fun because the professor doesn't make it fun or something, but I'm just not enjoying learning anything in Chemistry. I just can't seem to wrap my head around some crappy theoretical concepts either, which is making Chemistry that much more difficult for me. I'm more of a straight forward person. Give me a problem and I'll solve it. Give me a problem where I have to incorporate theories that I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around already and my problem solving skills struggle, but are still there.
Now, I have a dilemma. Do I continue with Chemistry and skim by classes with high Cs and low Bs and hope that I like what I'm doing when I graduate or do I switch my Major over to Business Administration w/ a focus in Finance?
I know this is a huge switch in majors, going from science to Business, but it is what I was planning on doing from the beginning. I've always liked the idea of working for a big corporate entity and managing some sort of money. I think it's just something that's in my blood. My grandfather/grandmother both ran their own businesses in Portugal for forever (I sort of grew up around the family business) and I'm continuing the tradition by running my own reselling business. Right now, the only thing that's been driving me towards my Chemistry degree is the fact that once I graduate I'll finally be working in a lab setting.
I should also mention that if I switch to B.A. I will be a full year behind all the other students. I would basically be going to college for 5 years for a degree as opposed to the 4 year norm. Part of me is actually scared of telling my parents this. I just don't know how they will respond if I told them "I'm sorry, but I wasted some of your money on science classes and will have to go to school for 5 years and not 4." I can probably assume that there would be quite a bit of yelling, a bit of calling me a failure and a bit of calling me stupid, but they would quickly get over it, hopefully. I could also just take a summer/winter semester and get caught up with everyone making it still 4 years to graduate, but 5 years of schoolwork squeezed in.
What say you, Team Liquid? Do I switch? Do I stay? I have about a week to make up my mind. That's when registration starts for the new semester.
Quick Edits - I do plan on getting my MBA if I do switch to Business and I am not dependent on my parents for tuition anymore. Luckily, my reselling business is running great and I can afford my tuition.
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doing undergrad major in business is pointless imo... If you actually want to continue doing busines as a career you'll need to either take a really huge risk and start your own business and hope it's successful, or get a MBA. People who get MBA have tons of different undergrad majors.
To be honest, I don't think you're going to be able to get a PhD or any good job with high C's and low B's... If you really want to do business, try and pick up a double major in econ, or maybe minor in business. But above all, you need a high GPA to succeed in life. For example, my friend is a biomedical engineer, and he initially planned to go to grad school, so he worked his ass off and has an amazing GPA. Halfway through his junior year, he decided screw grad school and wanted to do business. He kept his major, and he's in his senior year now and just got an offer from Mckinsey and early accepted into harvard business school for a MBA.
It's not too late to do business/finance, but GPA > major when it comes to hiring.
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First of all, how did your parents get the idea that a Bsc in BioChemistry or Chemistry would get you a high paying career? Do they even know what jobs are open for a person with a Bsc biochem? Are you asian?
Now, as for switching or not, I would right away say switch, but your situation is more complicated in that you are totally dependent on your parents for tuition (it seems). I think you'll have to inform them of your intent to switch majors before you actually do.
If you DO get to switch into Finance, does your school's business school have good placement/employment outcomes for finance majors? Nevertheless, even if the business school isn't Wharton or NYU finance, as long as youre keen, work hard, network, and market yourself well, you will probably find a job (I don't know the situation fully in US for fresh finance graduates as I am Canadian, so take this with a grain of salt).
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On December 05 2010 19:50 darkponcho wrote:
doing undergrad major in business is pointless imo... If you actually want to continue doing busines as a career you'll need to either take a really huge risk and start your own business and hope it's successful, or get a MBA. People who get MBA have tons of different undergrad majors.
To be honest, I don't think you're going to be able to get a PhD or any good job with high C's and low B's... If you really want to do business, try and pick up a double major in econ, or maybe minor in business. But above all, you need a high GPA to succeed in life. For example, my friend is a biomedical engineer, and he initially planned to go to grad school, so he worked his ass off and has an amazing GPA. Halfway through his junior year, he decided screw grad school and wanted to do business. He kept his major, and he's in his senior year now and just got an offer from Mckinsey and early accepted into harvard business school for a MBA.
It's not too late to do business/finance, but GPA > major when it comes to hiring.
I knew I forgot to mention something.
If I do plan on doing BA, I do plan on getting my MBA. I don't plan on just doing my undergrad and calling it quits. I'll be going back to school.
As far as the grades go, that's what I think I'll get in the classes. I'm just not motivated at all with Chemistry and I can't really pin point why I'm not. In my Freshman/Sophomore year, I was pretty much acing all my Chemistry courses because I was actually motivated to study, but that quickly dissipated towards the end of my Sophomore year.
On December 05 2010 19:54 Entropic wrote:
First of all, how did your parents get the idea that a Bsc in BioChemistry or Chemistry would get you a high paying career? Do they even know what jobs are open for a person with a Bsc biochem? Are you asian?
Now, as for switching or not, I would right away say switch, but your situation is more complicated in that you are totally dependent on your parents for tuition (it seems). I think you'll have to inform them of your intent to switch majors before you actually do.
If you DO get to switch into Finance, does your school's business school have good placement/employment outcomes for finance majors? Nevertheless, even if the business school isn't Wharton or NYU finance, as long as youre keen, work hard, network, and market yourself well, you will probably find a job (I don't know the situation fully in US for fresh finance graduates as I am Canadian, so take this with a grain of salt).
I don't know where they got that idea. I think that someone they know has a son with a degree in BioChem and he makes a good living, so they think that science = money. I'm Portuguese, btw  .
I'm not dependent on my parents for tuition anymore. I was when I first started going to school though. My school does offer a co-op program and I believe they also work with some companies in the area for internships. I'll have to double check the internship part though.
Edit - I'm gona go to sleep now... Hopefully some more people weigh in tomorrow and I'll make my decision then.
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Really dude.. Switch. If you don't you'll be regretting this forever.
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You should switch if you don't enjoy your current major, especially if its scienced based. It technically doesn't matter what you major in, but if you want to work for business in the future it'd be useful to have some knowledge of finance rather than nuclophiles and electrophiles lol
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If you don't start standing up to your parents and calling them out when they're wrong - when will you ever be able to stand up to anyone in life?
You and i are very different - i hate labs, it feels like an administrated Easter egg hunt to me. Like the kids searching high and low while the parents stand there smugly knowing where the eggs are hidden. The practical application of science is just an unfortunate necessity - a confirmation of the theories crafted by truly great minds. But that's my opinion..
Anyways, the longer you wait - the deeper the hole you're digging. If you stay in Chem you're gonna feel like "well i could always switch" but at the same time you'll see your total time in college stacking up and desperation will set in.
Just switch.
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"What say you, Team Liquid? Do I switch? Do I stay?"
Switch. Imagine what it would be like to study chemistry for yet another year. I think you know in your heart what the answer is, trust yourself in that regard. If you feel guilty about the money your parents needlessly paid, you should offer to pay them back.
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Poll: (see the OP) Switch!!!! listen to yr heart and everything will be made right (10) 91% DONT SWITCH!!!! more money = more bitches hehehe (1) 9% 11 total votes Your vote: (see the OP) (Vote): Switch!!!! listen to yr heart and everything will be made right
(Vote): DONT SWITCH!!!! more money = more bitches hehehe
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Money has nothing to do with luck and money has nothing to do with which occupation you choose.
Your biggest problem here is ignorance. Ignorance is actually the cause of every single problem that currently exists. You should choose the line of work that you get the most PSYCHIC SATISFACTION FROM, meaning the occupation you would enjoy working in the most. Whether this is flipping burgers at McDonalds or being a CEO at a big oil company. Your occupation is completely irrelevant to your potential income. This is because there are two ways to make money. One of them is working for money, and this is the method you are most likely familiar with. The second way to make money your friends and family probably are not too involved in, and therefore you didn't learn much about it growing up. So unless you want to be financially set up like your friends and family, I would recommend you give the following ideas serious consideration. The school system also doesn't get too involved in this way of making money. However, this second method of making money is light years more effective than physical labor. And the method is: PUT YOUR MONEY TO WORK FOR YOU TO MAKE MONEY.
To do this takes virtually no physical effort by you. All it requires is a decision to follow a precise financial plan that you will attain through meeting a competent financial planner and sticking with the plan with the most PERSISTENCE your will can handle.
You see, people don't make plans on how they can stay broke. Rather, they fail to create plans of how they can become financially independent. Whether they want thousands, hundreds of thousands, or millions is completely irrelevant. All you need is to make a DECISION to create a FINANCIAL PLAN made by someone with SPECIALIZED KNOWLEDGE IN MONEY with PERSISTENCE and DEDICATION.
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On December 06 2010 01:54 tryummm wrote:
Money has nothing to do with luck and money has nothing to do with which occupation you choose.
Your biggest problem here is ignorance. Ignorance is actually the cause of every single problem that currently exists. You should choose the line of work that you get the most PSYCHIC SATISFACTION FROM, meaning the occupation you would enjoy working in the most. Whether this is flipping burgers at McDonalds or being a CEO at a big oil company. Your occupation is completely irrelevant to your potential income. This is because there are two ways to make money. One of them is working for money, and this is the method you are most likely familiar with. The second way to make money your friends and family probably are not too involved in, and therefore you didn't learn much about it growing up. So unless you want to be financially set up like your friends and family, I would recommend you give the following ideas serious consideration. The school system also doesn't get too involved in this way of making money. However, this second method of making money is light years more effective than physical labor. And the method is: PUT YOUR MONEY TO WORK FOR YOU TO MAKE MONEY.
To do this takes virtually no physical effort by you. All it requires is a decision to follow a precise financial plan that you will attain through meeting a competent financial planner and sticking with the plan with the most PERSISTENCE your will can handle.
You see, people don't make plans on how they can stay broke. Rather, they fail to create plans of how they can become financially independent. Whether they want thousands, hundreds of thousands, or millions is completely irrelevant. All you need is to make a DECISION to create a FINANCIAL PLAN made by someone with SPECIALIZED KNOWLEDGE IN MONEY with PERSISTENCE and DEDICATION.
hehehe you sound like one of those guys on infomercials 
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I'm going to advise you to get out now.
For starters, was someone tripping on acid when they told your parents that chem BSc = high paying job? Just wondering.
I can say with 90% certainty that you'll need a PhD to get the ~high-paying~ job your parents seem to want you to have. To do so will involve tons more suffering than undergrad, and it requires an incredible level of love/dedication for the subject, else you'll just burn out (currently going for my PhD, so I would know..).
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Your current grades are indication that you are not going to succeed in a science program unless you brush up your study habits. Furthermore, a B.Sc. is really bad if you can only manage Bs and Cs.
Also, (in most cases) PhD is extremely low in earning potential.
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I guess it's pretty much just switch. Now that I've had complete strangers weigh in on the decision, I feel better about it =P. Thank you everyone. Now, I just need to tell my parents this. I'll find a way to break it to them and not get them pissed off. If not, then oh well.
Just want to address a few things. My parents think science = money because of one person they know with a degree in BioChem. How did they come to the conclusion that everyone makes money with just one person to use as an example? I have no idea, but whatever.
Right now, my grades are alright. High Cs/Low Bs is what I expect to get if I continue with Chemistry and actually get into it more. My GPA right now is a 3.4. Not the greatest, but I can live with it. I should see my GPA go up a bit once I start taking more B.A. classes. I took one this semester just to see if I would like it and I loved it. It was refreshing and an interesting course to be honest.
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You should have went with what you liked in the first place, otherwise it's going to be a long 30+ years of hell.
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First of all a science based degree does not necessarily mean more money. Especially at just an undergraduate level. Going to graduate school can open some doors though. IMO i would switch if you are not happy. Who cares if you are in college for another year anyways? College is fun. I can tell you i have an MS in Civil Engineering and the job market isn't exactly the greatest right now anyways even with a science/engineering degree.
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EPT
