I never really procrastinated about it. I was always good at math and interested in computers so I decided for computer science pretty much right away.

Zalfor

United States1035 Posts

October 05 2009 17:14 GMT

#63

do Math/CS/Business

work on wall street

retire by age of 30.

Chromyne

Canada561 Posts

October 05 2009 17:16 GMT

#64

On October 06 2009 02:05 El.Divino wrote:
I decided last year. I'm a senior in High School. Materials Engineering. Taking a couple classes already, and liking it.

w00t represent! We are the future!... Of Materials!

Zinbiel

Sweden878 Posts

October 05 2009 17:24 GMT

#65

Not really applicable since I'm from Sweden but this is the way it worked out for me. I was always good at math and physics so I thought I would study that at uni. But then I went "omfg need $$$" and went med school instead. However, after half a year I decided I wanted to study engineering physics. So I did start that too (in Sweden you can basically do this if you manage to convince the study secretary at the second program that you do have special reasons for taking both), working parts of my ass off for 1,5 year to get the schedules to fit(compulsory laborations etc are everywhere :S) and missing shitloads of lectures. Now however I have realized that medicine is way more fun so I'm gonna stop taking engineering physics this spring and just focus on med school.

Anyway, my point is that following the $$$ isn't always bad, sometimes it will get you somewhere where you enjoy yourself more than you ever imagined.

Edit: grammar fail.

Xusneb

Canada612 Posts

October 05 2009 17:27 GMT

#66

I was pretty apathetic in high school (and I still am lol) so I had no idea what I wanted to do. I enjoyed the sciences though so my parents convinced me to do biochemistry, kind of like a 'one size fits all' major. I really had no idea what a job in biochemistry entailed when I first started university.

To be honest, I didn't really find out until 3rd year that biochem = basic research with a PhD or gruntwork as a technician. However, lucky for me, I managed to get into medical school lol.

In hindsight, I would have done a LOT more research into university programs in high school. I lucked out because I actually enjoyed research but I know tons of people who HATE biochemistry because of labwork and they tell me they just picked it because 'oh, I liked bio and chem in high school!" That's a bad idea! It's hard enough to make it through university but to make it through in a subject you don't like is pure hell.

Meta

United States6225 Posts

October 05 2009 17:30 GMT

#67

I always did well in math and science in high school, but didn't want to do a pure science major because I don't really like the highly competitive world of academia. So I decided to go with engineering instead, because that's where the money is. So far it's been really challenging, but very rewarding. I have about two years left, and don't plan on changing.

edit:
I wanted to do CS, but took a CS course as a freshman and it was nothing like I thought it'd be. Maybe sometime later in life.

Slaughter

United States20254 Posts

October 05 2009 17:43 GMT

#68

I decided mine junior year of HS. I basically just surfed the web looking up things that I was interested in and came across Anthropology, now im a grad student in it :D

NExUS1g

United States254 Posts

October 05 2009 17:51 GMT

#69

I knew what I was going to do when I was 8 and wrote my first program.

cgrinker

United States3824 Posts

October 05 2009 18:19 GMT

#70

I decided week two of my Core Program (classes are grouped into programs at Evergreen. Core are intro programs) .

Computer Sciences.

stk01001

United States786 Posts

October 05 2009 19:03 GMT

#71

On October 05 2009 14:18 ForTheSwarm wrote:
It's all about $$$ man. All about $$$...

Just joking, find something you aren't only interested in now, but feel would be interested in when your 40.

There's actually some truth to this.. as in nowadays it's pretty important to consider what majors will make it easiest for you to find a good job with a decent starting salary. It's nice to major in something you are interested in or enjoy, but at the same time you need to make sure it's something that will actually be useful and allow you to earn a good living. Personally I switched my major over to accounting from finance because I noticed the accounting graduates from my college had one of the highest success rates in landing jobs right after graduation. I had no trouble getting a job after I graduated and 4 years later I'm still working at the same accounting firm and making pretty decent money. Right now I feel it's especially important to consider this due to the high unemployment rates and the state of the world economy.

rredtooth

5464 Posts

October 05 2009 20:00 GMT

#72

make sure you look at the "weird" interdisciplinary stuff too. you sort of have to get lucky with that stuff though but sometimes (as it was in my case) they manage to align perfectly.

+ Show Spoiler [if you are interested in my major] +

i wanted to do something where i could learn psychology and statistics in order for me to better guess the behaviors of other people (think 'Lie to Me' or any mafia game haha). yet i'm fascinated by philosophy and was seriously considering that as a major. unfortunately those things don't get jobs so like many of the other people i just looked for a major that would apply in everyday jobs and decided on political science - a topic that interests me but not to the extent that i would major in. one day i was browsing through the carnegie mellon website and noticed that they didn't have a politcal science major but had something even better: Decision Sciences

The interdisciplinary field of Decision Science seeks to understand and improve judgment and decision making of individuals, groups, and organizations. Carnegie Mellon University is one of the leading centers in the world for the study of Decision Science.

These theories draw on insights from a diverse set of disciplines, including cognitive and social psychology as well as economics, statistics, and philosophy.

its also connected to the policy and management major so i get experience in political sciency stuff as well (to an extent). i don't know what school you're wanting to attend but i highly encourage considering the often-overlooked majors. people have no idea what my major does ("what is decision sciences?" "uhhh... the science... of decisions...") but it managed to fit every interest i had.

ghostWriter

United States3302 Posts

October 05 2009 20:49 GMT

#73

The first year or so can just be core classes if you got those and you don't have to choose a major until later, although it might be hard to fulfill all the requirements on time.
I figured I would be a chemistry major by 11th grade and I stuck with it. It's nice because it's not as hard as physics (the math is much simpler) and it's not as much memorization as biology, so it's a happy medium for me. Also, with a Chemistry degree, there's a lot of choice: I can apply for pharmacy school, medical school, dental school, etc. or go to grad school and then work for a pharmaceutical company or hospital as a researcher or become a professor or something.
Science majors give you a lot of leeway and opens up a lot of opportunities in what you can do, but if you don't want to work in an area that has to do with your major, you might be saddled with a lot of knowledge that isn't applicable in your life.

FortuneSyn

1826 Posts

October 05 2009 20:51 GMT

#74

CS = computer sciences?

powerbygood

United States54 Posts

October 05 2009 20:58 GMT

#75

well, i've been just taking mostly ge classes along with math classes n eng classes to get an aa or as degree. if i choose to decide to do cs or comp eng wat difficulty would i have to be able to transfer to a uni by next year? also, i would like to have input of people who took cs or comp eng classes or have careers in this field and tell me how it is. it would be helpful. i come from a family that is borderline poor and money is a huge deal for me as i am the first one of 8 children in my family to attend college. i want to do those majors as they have decent starting salaries to support my family, but i dont no how grueling all of the work tat leads up to the degree is.

captainwaffles

United States1050 Posts

October 05 2009 21:01 GMT

#76

I have no fucking idea what i should major in, im pretty apathetic to everything, I'm god awful at math (even failed my 10th grade geometry class) I can do English pretty well but what kind of job can I get with an english degree? I'm not big on money, I have no real dream job and I'm not passionate about any field.

So far, I'm thinking just get a liberal arts degree... maybe work somewhere where I can be social with people or be outside... I really have no fucking idea what I want to do with my life.

Canada4732 Posts

October 05 2009 21:10 GMT

#77

I kinda took my major because I thought it sounded hard on the selection list.

Rotodyne

United States2263 Posts

October 05 2009 21:13 GMT

#78

On October 06 2009 05:49 ghostWriter wrote:
The first year or so can just be core classes if you got those and you don't have to choose a major until later, although it might be hard to fulfill all the requirements on time.
I figured I would be a chemistry major by 11th grade and I stuck with it. It's nice because it's not as hard as physics (the math is much simpler) and it's not as much memorization as biology, so it's a happy medium for me. Also, with a Chemistry degree, there's a lot of choice: I can apply for pharmacy school, medical school, dental school, etc. or go to grad school and then work for a pharmaceutical company or hospital as a researcher or become a professor or something.
Science majors give you a lot of leeway and opens up a lot of opportunities in what you can do, but if you don't want to work in an area that has to do with your major, you might be saddled with a lot of knowledge that isn't applicable in your life.

Are there any options that don't involve further schooling?

illu

Canada2531 Posts

October 05 2009 21:39 GMT

#79

On October 05 2009 21:39 HeaDStrong wrote:

Show nested quote +

i have noticed this too.
maths in first years is easy- take this algorithm and apply- problem solved. but damn these ppl will be disappointed after a short period of time when they'll have to think for themselves. (again im talking about ppl who chose maths just because it's the easiest)

Well, it's still the easiest. All you need to do is to think, that's it, and other people judge you solely on how well your logic is. There is no problem with labs going unexpectedly or people having biased opinions about it.