To all those in college or university:

[esfdhtfy]

I'm a second year undergraduate university student and am finding myself torn between passion, stability, and realism.

On one hand, a business degree (from the top school in the country, that I have been accepted to) would do wonders for my resume and future career paths. I am somewhat interested in business, but only on the marketing and advertising side of things.

My passion lies within the fields of Forensic Psychology and Law, but those don't pose very realistic career paths. I could get my Ph.D in Forensic Psychology and remain in academia, as a professor, but those jobs are slim. I could go to Law School, which is likely my future path.

I guess, I just can't bring myself to forget about the potential of having a business degree from the top school in the country =/

________

So my question for you:

What is your college/university program? What is your intended career path? How/why did you pick the program and career path you did?

[TheCrowing]

I also wanted to study Forensic Psychology for a while..
Right now I'm in a great engineering school, studying electrical engineering. I originally wanted to do something with music, or psychology.. but realized that those career paths aren't necessarily stable.. and I like stability.

I chose engineering because I like math and science, it's a respectable field, and salary is nice if you can handle the work. I always thought that I could always do something with music on the side, or work with music technology.

If you don't mind the fact that stability isn't going to be a guarantee for your major, then you should do it. But if you do care, then try to find something that meets up in the middle of passion and practicality.

[esfdhtfy]

I need to have stability, I think. I just cringe at the fact that I may be sacrificing my passions and learning something I don't really enjoy, only to get a stable job at the end of the day.

[Kate*]

If your heart isn't in whatever you're studying you will hate it and probably end up changing your major anyway even if you go into if for stability. I got my degree in psychology with hopes of going to grad school for counseling (still trying to get in). I kind of wish I had minored in business, but you can't go back. You can always double major or major in one and minor in the other. Psychology can be applied in a variety of jobs because it gives you an understanding of human behavior. I knew a few people who got psych degrees and then went to law school and someone else minored in criminology and went to grad school to be a criminal profiler. If you can't see yourself happy studying something long enough to get your degree study something else either instead or at the same time.

[Lottie]

It's best for you to look at both of these choices in great detail. Because you need to make sure that you're doing something you enjoy. Otherwise, you'll just end up giving up.

For me I started off doing Child Development Psych. I hated it. Now doing nursing with intent to do a masters/specialise in Emergency care or Oncology. I obviously plan to be a nurse and am already a health care assistant.

[Trickmatic]

I think just because your passions are in fields that aren't thought of as high employment sectors, doesn't mean you won't get a job in them. You could go to law school or to the business school and pursue your studies in law or psychology.

Whatever path you choose, I think it is most important to choose what you do feel passionate about because you'll do better in your career if you enjoy your work.

[Dopey]

Don't just choose a degree because you think it will get you a good/stable job at the end of it. If your passions lie with forensic psychology and law, then that is the route you should go for. I did a degree in Chemisty because I thought it was the sensible choice, I hated it. I wouldn't say it was a waste of 3 years, but I will probably will never use the degree. And forensic psychology and Law still do offer some good career opportunities.

[OMFG!You'reActuallySmart!]

Originally Posted by PurpleMustang

What is your college/university program?

My focus is medical and rehabilitative sciences, with emphasis in neuro- and electrophysiology, molecular medicine and cancer research.

Originally Posted by PurpleMustang

What is your intended career path?

I'm applying for my Masters in the fields listed above. My plan is to do a combination of research and clinical work, or get my Masters degree then go to medical school, although with everything considered, the first plan is the one I'm focusing more on.

Originally Posted by PurpleMustang

How/why did you pick the program and career path you did?

I always got high marks in high-school for sciences, especially chemistry, math and biology, so I wanted to work in the medical field. I applied to the chemical and physical sciences program, then transferred after my first year to the health/life sciences program. After doing several courses in physiology and neuropsychology, I found neuroscience, neurophysiology and electrophysiology to be extremely interesting and understood it quicker than most of the other students. I was interested in biophysics but my physics background was shaky so I found interest in molecular medicine and cell physiology, which is one of the areas where I'm currently doing research.

I did a major in psychology because I initially wanted to be a criminal profiler after watching so many episodes of Criminal Minds. I did a course in forensic psychology and several socio-law courses but didn't find them as interesting as the medical sciences courses.

If I were you, I'd stick to the field you like the best, forensic psychology and law. Once you have you degree and if you choose to do a Masters or PhD, you want to explore a field you actually like because it will become enjoyable. Even in my third year, I found the physiological courses very interesting and was actually eager to go to lectures and labs, even if it meant doing a ridiculously long lab report that I fumed and cursed over.

[Stargazed.]

What is your college/university program?
Psychology - I'm working on my Associate's right now, then going to get my Bachelor's, then idk. Gotta figure it out.

What is your intended career path?
Clinical psychologist specializing in special needs (specifically Austism).

How/why did you pick the program and career path you did?
I love Psych and my sister's Autistic. I want to learn more and do something with that.

[TheBabyEater]

I'm in a 5/6 year Masters program in Music Therapy, I'm only a freshie now so it'll be a few years before I finish school and am ready to move on out into the real world.

As for why? I love music, and I love helping people. Two and two make music therapy.

[Lugez]

Originally Posted by PurpleMustang

________

So my question for you:

What is your college/university program? What is your intended career path? How/why did you pick the program and career path you did?

I did a double major in Criminal Justice and Sociology.

I never really had an intended career path. Law school was on my mind, as was just anything involving my majors.

I picked it because it was the most tolerable thing to study at the time.

Now, I really don't know what to do. Here I am sitting with a Bachelor's and no idea what to do with it. Just kind sifting through fog. No idea what my passions are =\.

If I were you, I would pursue my passions. Not all of us are lucky enough to know what we truly want....Don't ignore what you love.

[BECCALICIOUS!]

I'm registered as undeclared engineering but am following the path to become a nuclear engineer. (Though right now it doesn't matter, I'm a first year student so the majority of engineering classes are the same.)

I'm hoping to complete my undergraduate studies in nuclear engineering while also taking some physics classes. I'd like to go to grad school for plasma physics and/or optics, then do research on nuclear fusion.

I've always had an aptitude and a passion for math and science. I started looking at my school after seeing my dad's alma mater (a different tech school) and I fell in love. I decided on nuclear after a lot of talks with my high school physics teacher about energy.

[Nightblood.]

I'm currently an Early Childhood Education Pending student. The pending means I haven't been fully accepted into the program (this doesn't happen until typically junior year). My intended career path is to teach somewhere between PreK and 3rd grade. It wasn't hard to pick a degree in Education, because I've always known I want to be a teacher. But some days I still think about changing to a different degree within education. Like, I'd also love to be a reading teacher for high school. I also really want to find a masters program for teaching a specific type of "disabled" children, but I"m having no luck.


I briefly thought about other careers because teaching does not pay much, compared to a lot of other professions. And, at least in my area, finding a teaching job isn't the easiest task. But I know it's what I REALLY want to do, they're the only classes that I can truly say I LOVE.

[Age of Ignorance]

At the moment, I'm at Law School. Heading into second year this semester. I was previously doing a Bachelor of Business, but I found it to be utterly boring and I was generally disinterested and unmotivated.

After I do get my Bachelor of Laws (where I'm at, I've got three years left), I intend on doing what is called the Leo Cussins course. You basically pay $8,000 for a six month mock life. They situate you as a Barrister, in mock chambers, with a mock solicitor, a mock post office, a mock court room, mock briefs, mock post office, mock everything, really. You live your life as a lie for six months as experience.

After that, I'm intending on being a Law Clerk for a year as part of what used to be called articles (but is now called the Reader's course), and then sit the Bar exam and become a Barrister.

It's not entirely practical, considering that means I've got a year and a half without a cash flow, and soon to be no place to live. If that isn't practical by the time I finish, I may just get my Practicing Certificate and practice as a solicitor in a low-mid tier law firm for a few years, then I don't actually need to sit the Leo Cussins or the Reader's course. I can simply just sit the Bar exam.

As for how I came about choosing this, well, I was on the debating team in like sixth grade. I built up a tolerance to rules and regulations, and developed some pretty nifty arguments/techniques that I still use today. That was basically the kick-start to a law degree. When I reached 11th grade, I sat in a Legal Studies class. I eventually topped that, having been pretty interested in everything to do with the law by then. However, when I applied for University, I was torn between Law and Business. I applied for a double degree, but didn't get accepted because the university saw I had no practical legal experience. I then had Business as my second preference, thinking it would be an easier transition from High School to University. It got boring after a year, except the Business Law class (a compulsory subject for all Business students at my University), which, after almost acing it, I decided it was time to transfer. I am officially in love with this Law degree now.