I Can't Choose a College Major!

[njshadow]

Does anyone have any good suggestions for a GOOD tech related college major? Does anyone have any experience with one? I was thinking Computer Science, but now I'm not sure.

[tribis]

Ugh Computer Science is the one, and than you decide on what you want to specialize in ie. PHP, Software Development, graphics, Systems Analysis etc.

And you try to choose classes based upon that, in the long run it just matters that you know what your doing and if your going to Grad School or a finishing school etc. And dont fret about it, because in your internship thats when you'll receive specific training for what you want to do.

I want to be an MD; a physician in oncology; so Im majoring in Molecular Biology so that I can go to Med School aka my grad school.

I think you need to know more specific what you want to do first though.

[klitzy]

Where are you guys going to college? I am trying to get some ideas.

[rowlodge]

good tech related classes are computer oriented. personally i took a lot of graphics which is'nt the same really but i wish i had gone to a school which specialized in the area. don't go to a bachelors degree mill school. there are alot of schools popping up everywhere that teach stuff like in particular creating games for consoles and the like.

[tribis]

Im going to the University of Central Florida, have my 75% scholarship and all. :D

I should also mention I have a bud who teaches "Game theory" at Lousiana State University, and he always suggest going the University route dont go for stuff like Digipen or FullSail.....resume goes in the trash. Those are good finishing schools, if you want to get more specific in an area of computer science like gaming or animation before becoming an intern.

[abjure]

What would the major be for System Administrator?

[amal8301]

Man I've had this problem for about 5 years now.:confused:

[tokenuser]

What would the major be for System Administrator?For a sys admin you can get away with an AA and a handfull of Cisco certs. With a BS in CompSci degree - you go a lot further.

Seriously. If you are looking at this sort of thing, you need to be in a computer science department, and majoring in software engineering. The language isn't important (PHP? seriously???). Its the concepts learnt and knowing which tool to apply to which situation.

BTW - Yes. I have BCompSci (Software Engineering major). Have had for many years. My wife is a college professor, teaching information science, so many of my friends have PhDs. I am probably the least academically qualified - but can run rings around them in a board room. Sure graphics is fun, but the opportunities are limited. Get a solid software engineering background, and you can pick up the specialisation later, and be far more flexible than the person that specialised on graphics or databases up front, and that is all they know.

[hegemony]

I want to be an MD; a physician in oncology; so Im majoring in Molecular Biology so that I can go to Med School aka my grad school.


That's my major as well. I'm going for a PhD, probably in immunology. Thus I'm planing on the research side of things. I'll leave the dying people to you ;)

[wastern]

I have a degree in Computer Information Systems. Its less math and less programing and more the business end of computers.

I learned more at my job in college more so then in the classes, in relation to what I do now. Kind of an entry level sys admin type job....have to pay your dues I guess.

I'm still not sure what that degree was supposed to get me. haha. Seemed like it'd be good for someone managing in the tech field more so then the one doing the actual work. Not so good when you are just starting out. I'm trying to sort out which road to take with it now.


As for what to pick, don't fret too much. You'll change majors a few times. Everyone does, you'll figure it out. Take some classes, see what you like and what you don't like.

[klitzy]

I have a degree in Computer Information Systems. Its less math and less programing and more the business end of computers.

I learned more at my job in college more so then in the classes, in relation to what I do now. Kind of an entry level sys admin type job....have to pay your dues I guess.

I'm still not sure what that degree was supposed to get me. haha. Seemed like it'd be good for someone managing in the tech field more so then the one doing the actual work. Not so good when you are just starting out. I'm trying to sort out which road to take with it now.


As for what to pick, don't fret too much. You'll change majors a few times. Everyone does, you'll figure it out. Take some classes, see what you like and what you don't like.

Hmm...Sounds something like I want to do. In the tech industry but not necessarily programming any ideas guys?

[masherscf]

Do yourself a favor and don't turn in your papers written all in bold type. That'll only piss-off your professors.

[_sorrow_]

For a sys admin you can get away with an AA and a handfull of Cisco certs. With a BS in CompSci degree - you go a lot further.

Seriously. If you are looking at this sort of thing, you need to be in a computer science department, and majoring in software engineering. The language isn't important (PHP? seriously???). Its the concepts learnt and knowing which tool to apply to which situation.

BTW - Yes. I have BCompSci (Software Engineering major). Have had for many years. My wife is a college professor, teaching information science, so many of my friends have PhDs. I am probably the least academically qualified - but can run rings around them in a board room. Sure graphics is fun, but the opportunities are limited. Get a solid software engineering background, and you can pick up the specialisation later, and be far more flexible than the person that specialised on graphics or databases up front, and that is all they know.

Awesome, thats good information to know, thanks. Is there any websites you would recommend checking out to find an outline of (general) computer related majors? I've gotten tons of input, but its hard to keep track of what one person says about CS and what another says about CIS and so on...

I too am trying to figure out what to major in... I've been thinking about comp-sci, and thats fine and dandy so far, but i keep hearing horror stories about too much math, and honestly? I'm terrible at math, so thats not really the stuff i want to be hearing. Right now i'm only in my first (rather late first though) year of schooling, so i should have a while to get it sorted out, but its kind of hanging over my head in an unpleasant way.

My interest is in computers in general, but if i was forced to narrow it down i'll probably end up going for networking...

[njshadow]

Awesome, thats good information to know, thanks. Is there any websites you would recommend checking out to find an outline of (general) computer related majors? I've gotten tons of input, but its hard to keep track of what one person says about CS and what another says about CIS and so on...

I too am trying to figure out what to major in... I've been thinking about comp-sci, and thats fine and dandy so far, but i keep hearing horror stories about too much math, and honestly? I'm terrible at math, so thats not really the stuff i want to be hearing. Right now i'm only in my first (rather late first though) year of schooling, so i should have a while to get it sorted out, but its kind of hanging over my head in an unpleasant way.

My interest is in computers in general, but if i was forced to narrow it down i'll probably end up going for networking...


Yeah! I know EXACTLY what you mean. I wasn't sure how computer science was gonna be and then I started taking a course in high school and..........well it's ok but I'm not really thrilled. I really wan't to get into something in the area of helping on the "User side" not the programmers side. Man, the abundance of computer courses in college can get pretty confusing. I'm just trying to figure out which one is best for my situation. And whether to go for Computer Science or not. But it's great to know that there's someone like me out there.:D

[tokenuser]

My maths ability sucks. I can turn algorithms into code to calculate what I need to do, but honestly can't say I have touched calculus since uni (college :rolleyes: ). If you can handle stats, that is about as deep as you really need to go for CompSci, unless you really want to get into physics modelling, etc ... and you know what? That is just being able to pump numbers into well known formulas, that you can either write yourself, or implement from a function library.

If pure Computer Science isn't your thing, there is a new field emerging called Information Science. It is a blend of technology and social sciences, and looks at information uses and management. My wife has her PhD in Information and Computer Science, and now teaches in an "I School" - a school specialising in information science. She is heavily involved in text mining - and needs to draw upon databases (she teaches databases classes), as well as machine learning/AI ... so don't write it off as being none technical. BUT, these are just tools she uses to get the job done. Ever heard of "informatics" as a field?

If you are interested in iSchool, Penn State, UMich (Ann Arbor), UWashington (Seattle), and UNC-Chapel Hill all have great iSchool programmes.

This is what this is all about - medical informatics, bio informatics, chem informatics, even political informatics ... it really allows people to do interdisciplinary research, and is becoming vitally important. Unfortunately most career counsellors are clueless to this area as it is really pretty new (about 5 years old in its current form).

[samureye]

I seem to be in the same position as NJShadow but I think I am going to go with Communication since it seems versatile and you can go into anything, really, with it, including computers.

[njshadow]

I seem to be in the same position as NJShadow but I think I am going to go with Communication since it seems versatile and you can go into anything, really, with it, including computers.


Hmmmmm. I'll have to look into that and what Communications has to offer.

[noonebutme]

Right now, im looking at a Comp Sci or Comp/Electrical Engineering degree at WPI (Worcester Polytech). If i get accepted to WPI that is. I'll probably apply to RIT as well just in case.


tbh, im in the same boat - i know i want to do something related to computers (Or even electronics-related really) - but i dont really know what i dont wanna do in the field :\

[phatlip12]

Hey NJ, just wondering how old you are? Are you a senior in high school?

[njshadow]

Hey NJ, just wondering how old you are? Are you a senior in high school?


Yeah, I'm a Senior in High School. I'm about to turn 18.

[phatlip12]

Yeah, I'm a Senior in High School. I'm about to turn 18.

You should do what I am doing right now. Go to community college for two years and bust all your general credits out of the way and then transfer to a university. This will save you a TON of money, it will be close to your home now (Im guessing), and its also nice not having to worry about SAT's . ;)

By going this route it would also make it pretty easy to take a bunch of computer related electives so you could get a glimpse of different areas of computing. You may take a class and photoshop and find that you really like it and may want to pursue a degree in graphics & design or a class in Java and find that you do want to indeed do CS.

Also keep in mind that nothing is set in stone. Most college students change their majors SEVERAL times. My plan as of now is that CS degree but who knows, that may change. Its only my first year in college so anything can happen. Im still scared to death of the math involved in getting the degree but its something I want so Im going to give it my all.

[wastern]

You should do what I am doing right now. Go to community college for two years and bust all your general credits out of the way and then transfer to a university. This will save you a TON of money, it will be close to your home now (Im guessing), and its also nice not having to worry about SAT's . ;)

By going this route it would also make it pretty easy to take a bunch of computer related electives so you could get a glimpse of different areas of computing. You may take a class and photoshop and find that you really like it and may want to pursue a degree in graphics & design or a class in Java and find that you do want to indeed do CS.

Also keep in mind that nothing is set in stone. Most college students change their majors SEVERAL times. My plan as of now is that CS degree but who knows, that may change. Its only my first year in college so anything can happen. Im still scared to death of the math involved in getting the degree but its something I want so Im going to give it my all.

I have to disagree.

Unless money is really hard to come by (and even then, there are loans, grants, etc) I would go right to college. Get out of the house, live in the dorms (for at least a year), get all you can out of college. As it is, 4 years is too short.

Most of your learning is done outside the classroom. I wouldn't trade those times at college for anything, I learned so much and grew so much as a person just being there. That is also where I, and most people meet some of their life long friends. You don't realize the impact it has at the time, but looking back, its huge.

If you want you could take a few CC classes at a CC near the university, just be sure your college will transfer the credits. You could take some non-major classes at a lower price to help guide you.

Also, most colleges will offer some test you can take to help guide you into a job you may like and be good at. I took many of them. They didn't cost all that much and it can really help out.

And I'll repeat once again. don't worry about changing majors. very few people leave college with the same ideas of what they want to do that they enter with. You'll go down many paths...I think I changed majors 4 times. Some do it more, some less.

[_sorrow_]

Phatlip12, i'm mostly on the same boat as you are -- although, i'm 22, so i guess i'm a little late, haha. First year of college, going to a community college taking both CIS and CS classes (and other random pre-req's), and not knowing what i really want to do with myself. Oh, and i'm pretty freaked out about the math part too :eek:

I think that the community college advice is a really good point, both in regards to saving money and getting out and about. I don't know the statistics of it, but i think a 2 year CC is a great idea for most people not completely sure of what they want to study.

But, Wastern also makes a great point: get the heck out of the house and / or your local region. I've always had what i call "itchy feet" and travel at every opportunity -- hel*, i just moved to Washington state from upstate NY! But, yeah take some CS classes to get the feel for it... and if your not very confident that you want to study CS, maybe knock off some electives early in the game and who knows what you may stumble into.

One thing i'd recommend too, is check out the National Outdoor Leadership School (www.nols.edu). I'm not sure if you're into the outdoors, but if you have any interest in it, this can really be a life changing experience -- granted, they are very expensive, but I did a 30 day course and learned more about myself than i did throughout all of high school :rolleyes:

Oh, and btw NJ: are you sure you want to go to school? I know a bunch of people who went to college as soon as they graduated high school, and within a year dropped out, realizing that they had no interest, what-so-ever in going back to school yet, especially if its optional. Thats another great way to save yourself money: Don't go until you're ready for it!

[phatlip12]

I have to disagree.

Unless money is really hard to come by (and even then, there are loans, grants, etc) I would go right to college. Get out of the house, live in the dorms (for at least a year), get all you can out of college. As it is, 4 years is too short.

Most of your learning is done outside the classroom. I wouldn't trade those times at college for anything, I learned so much and grew so much as a person just being there. That is also where I, and most people meet some of their life long friends. You don't realize the impact it has at the time, but looking back, its huge.

If you want you could take a few CC classes at a CC near the university, just be sure your college will transfer the credits. You could take some non-major classes at a lower price to help guide you.

Also, most colleges will offer some test you can take to help guide you into a job you may like and be good at. I took many of them. They didn't cost all that much and it can really help out.

And I'll repeat once again. don't worry about changing majors. very few people leave college with the same ideas of what they want to do that they enter with. You'll go down many paths...I think I changed majors 4 times. Some do it more, some less.

I get what your saying, I guess its a little different for me. I go to CC but I live about 10 or 15 minutes away from the University of Delaware so I am always hanging out around there. So I guess I am getting that sort of college experience to some degree.

I still live at home but my parents are pretty leanant (for the most part). That and I can continue to work at my job (which is close to both my house and school). Its also nice being around my friends still (most of them got jobs right out of school or are also going to CC or commuting to school)

[njshadow]

You should do what I am doing right now. Go to community college for two years and bust all your general credits out of the way and then transfer to a university. This will save you a TON of money, it will be close to your home now (Im guessing), and its also nice not having to worry about SAT's . ;)

By going this route it would also make it pretty easy to take a bunch of computer related electives so you could get a glimpse of different areas of computing. You may take a class and photoshop and find that you really like it and may want to pursue a degree in graphics & design or a class in Java and find that you do want to indeed do CS.

Also keep in mind that nothing is set in stone. Most college students change their majors SEVERAL times. My plan as of now is that CS degree but who knows, that may change. Its only my first year in college so anything can happen. Im still scared to death of the math involved in getting the degree but its something I want so Im going to give it my all.

Yeah, I see EXACTLY what you mean. I'm about to go the same route. Right now, I'm getting set up for a scholarship that will pay for my first 2 years (4 semesters) of college as long as it's at community. Then I'm probably gonna transfer to an actual university.

[nownot]

didnt read it all but computer engineer is kinda fun

[_sorrow_]

Ok, Klitzy's new thread about what college reminded me of this thread, and having made of a degree plan yesterday / today, (including Southeast Asia :D ) I got to wondering something about my current plans.

The way i have things (tentatively) drawn up right now, instead of getting a certificate in networking, i plan on getting a "direct transfer degree" in computer science.. does anyone have any input / thoughts / ideas about that?

It's rather annoying, but just getting that certificate would have tacked on 2 or 3 more semesters... but part of me thinks that it should be a priority..?

[masherscf]

What are you good at?

What do you enjoy doing?

Picking out a career is tricky. You have to pick something that you're gonna do everyday, you have to enjoy it.

Don't overlook the value of a great liberal arts education. A broad schooling could prepare you for a number of careers.

You've got four college years in order to indulge yourself. Don't waste it by focusing too much on one thing. You can always specialize later. What college is good at is teaching you how to learn new stuff. Chances are, you'll learn most of what you need on the job anyway. A person with a broad education will be a more creative thinker and go farther no matter what the job is.

I had no idea what I wanted to do until after I got my BS degree. As it happens, a degree in physics wasn't really the thing for me after all. Indeed, I don't use that degree at all. However, I wouldn't trade the experience.

[decemberfall]

I have a BA in Computer Information Systems and I got hired in at my job for a dollar less than a guy that just got hired and is GETTING his associates in something computer related... personally i'd go into a different field... business, accounting, something else, more opportunities.

[decemberfall]

I have a BA in Computer Information Systems and I got hired in at my job for a dollar less than a guy that just got hired and is GETTING his associates in something computer related... personally i'd go into a different field... business, accounting, something else, more opportunities.
oh yeah, i forgot to mention it's an honors degree.

[_sorrow_]

Awesome, thanks for that perspective Masherscf.. Thats really the kind of thoughts / information that i'm looking for -- and December, i have to admit that must have been frustrating as all hell!

I especially like the light you put on the liberal arts degree; i've always thought of that as something that i don't want to do, because it wouldn't really benefit me all that much, so that was good for me to hear.

Part of the problem i've been going through lately is, i'm taking all these boring entry level CIS and CS classes at my college, and not only am i learning relatively minimal new stuff, but i also have not really gotten my feet wet with the stuff i think i want to do, so i'm left hoping that my intuitive interest in networking will actually follow through when i get to the real thing, but so far its mostly been a shot in the dark :cool:

But having browsed back through this thread earlier, Token's comment about not being that great at math (or really enjoying, if i remember correctly), but still having little to no problem with computer science, that seems to have more appeal in the sense of really getting down in it with programming and that whole cup of tea... decisions decisions! :eek: Good thing time is on my side for now...

[starscream80]

Computer Science, Computer Information Systems, Electrical Engineering and Software Engineer.