College Major

[phoreus1911]

I know that this is an odd place to ask for advice on this matter, but I need help trying to find a college major. Having this figured out will really improve my inner game. My advisors and professors are quite useless in this task. I tried desperately hard in Engineering twice, and failed. I'm in my third year of college 2.0 GPA, looking at a five year plan instead of four, so I know I'm not at a good vantage point. I need to find something quick.

Here's what I liked: I loved Organic Chemistry. I found myself preoccupied with it for a while and loved what it had to offer. I liked Integral Calculus, but that had to do more with the teacher. I also tend to have a liking for cells, and cellular biology. I've weeded out biology( grad and masters school to actually make a decent living ick), nutrition, sports science and medicine, Chemistry (looked at the coursework pretty ridiculous) Biochem/ Biophysics(lack GPA requirements)

I'm thinking of going either into Food Science or Radiation Health Physics at the moment. I was also wondering if anyone had any info on these as well.

what I want it something whether it be a degree, a career, or a direction to where I'm making 50-75 grand a year(weird I know, but hey, I got my reasons)

 

[Teflon_Mcgee]

What kind of engineering did you fail at?

Maybe switch it up?

Electrical engineering will get you $65k+ starting when you graduate.
Petroleum engineering can get you $90+ when you graduate.

You like calculus which leads me to believe you you like math. Why not study statistics and become an actuary? They can bring down 6 figures and if you study and work hard at the actuarial exams you can advance fairly quickly.

 

[phoreus1911]

I failed chemical engineering. Actuary? I'll look it up thanks. I'm mediocre at math I'm not too good, but not ****ty either

 

[BigJimbo]

What kind of engineering did you fail at?

Maybe switch it up?

Electrical engineering will get you $65k+ starting when you graduate.
Petroleum engineering can get you $90+ when you graduate.

You like calculus which leads me to believe you you like math. Why not study statistics and become an actuary? They can bring down 6 figures and if you study and work hard at the actuarial exams you can advance fairly quickly.

Yeah, but little upward movement. Plus playing the game in America means you need a lot more than that. If not you will be like every single other sad dolt with mortgages, car payments, some sloppy woman your age who refuse to take care of you or your kids, kids who hate you, the nfl, jerking off to college sports, reunions, company get togethers, and strip clubs.

Go gay or become some sort of weird artist. Both groups are the only types of males who get to be who they want to be in America. I refuse to encourage you to leave America. You won't. So either pickup an older bf or produce some bullsh-- artistic thing that excites lame hipsters.

 

[The_flying_dutchman]

Accounting, there's always a job for a man who can manage accounts.

 

[Fuglydude]

I have bachelors degrees in molecular bio and nursing. I'm making just over 100k right now working as a critical care RN. If I could go back and do it all over again I would have probably picked a trade up like being an Electrician or a mechanic. They're VERY short programs in the large scheme of things: namely 2-4 years at a technical college, and up here in Alberta, they make an absolute killing. I know a couple of electricians up in the oil sands work camps that are making 80-100/hour. It a shiity lifestyle, but you can make a lot of money really fast. You make awesome money even if you wanna work part time and then can go back to school or travel or whatever...

Have you thought about anything in healthcare? Pharmacist are in high demand, as are CRNAs (this would require a RN cert. and a masters in anesthesia). You can make 100k+ easily in both careers.

I think the way to be successful in the US is to have your own business. Some jobs are well paying, but in the end most millionaires are self employed business people... I'm not sure how old you are Phoreus, but trust me when I tell you that you probably won't be happy w/ 50-75 k. I thought I'd be happy w/ making over a 100... Now my goal is to make 200-250k annually before I'm 40, and I'm gonna do it by becoming a CRNA.

I seriously think you should look at your options in healthcare... Get an RN (you can probably do it in 3 years)... The degree itself is a total joke, at least up here anyways... I was high for most of my program. You'll go to school w/ a ton of young girls, a lot of whom will be hot. Then get into a ICU, work hard for a couple of years, write your GRE, and get into a CRNA program. You're basically set for life after this. Obviously you have to like airways, vasoactive infusions, pharmacology, ACLS, invasive arterial BP monitoring and hemodynamic parameters, but its a career that'll always be in high demand through out our lifetimes. To me Gas is phucking wicked! The pay isn't half bad either:

http://www.crnajobs.com/crna-careers/2010-CRNA-salary-survey-report.pdf

You could accomplish all this in 8-9 years. Making 200k in your early 30s would be pretty sweet...

Good luck with your choice.

 

[Kerpal]

Unless I'm missing something, being a pharmacist seems like an easy and high paying job. Wish I had gone that route.

 

[user43770]

I have bachelors degrees in molecular bio and nursing. I'm making just over 100k right now working as a critical care RN.

Would you recommend CCRN? I plan on becoming a paramedic in the next 2 years and was thinking about eventually crossing over.

 

[Fuglydude]

Would you recommend CCRN? I plan on becoming a paramedic in the next 2 years and was thinking about eventually crossing over.

I'm assuming you're in the US? I'm not sure how it is down there, but I wouldn't wanna be a paramedic in Canada. They have an extremely important job, and have a great scope of practice and get to make crucial life and death calls... FAR more so than any primary care physician. However, in my opinion their pay isn't really commensurate with the amount of shiit they have to deal with. RNs here make more than paramedics generally speaking and don't work nearly as hard or deal with the same types of stressors. Its simply because RNs are a larger group and have been able to lobby governments better than Paras/EMTs... kinda sad if you ask me. Again, I'm not sure what the pay comparison is like in the US.

I'd just do the B.ScN and take the CCRN route. That's my speciality area, and I love it. You'll deal with the sickest patients in the hospital and will have a ton of autonomy. A lot of the times I'll just go ahead and do stuff and get orders of it later on... Its a speciality area where seconds and minutes count, and generally speaking, should be very team oriented.

You'll learn A LOT as critical care medicine is a highly technical area. In Alberta, starting wage for RNs is in the low-30/hour range, and w/ shift differentials, overtime and casual shifts you can make over a 100 relatively easily. Cost of living is quite high here though... I've been in critical care for a couple of years and I feel like I get paid to go to school.

Just check out ccmtutorials.com to see if any of the topics interest you.

Paramedics have a crucial job but being a CCRN is in my opinion a much easier gig, and you'll be better off financially for it. In addition, in the US, the CCRN will lead you to being a CRNA. In my opinion this is best health care job available when you factor in stress level, cool-ness , autonomy, future demand, reimbursement, and the amount of formal training required.

 

[Kerpal]

I think it's pointless to even go to college these days unless you go to an Ivy or you're majoring in accounting, engineering, a hard science, math, or anything involving healthcare.

 

[phoreus1911]

interesting. At the moment, I'm considering three options:

Radiation Health Physics

Food Science

or....Dropping out of college, joining the marines, and becoming a firefighter.

 

[f283000]

fuglydude clear your pm's!

I think it's pointless to even go to college these days unless you go to an Ivy or you're majoring in accounting, engineering, a hard science, math, or anything involving healthcare.

Very true. These are the only fields where there are good paying jobs it seems. Things are not like before where just a college degree was enough to get a job. There are no no jobs out there. You got college graduates working in mcdonalds now a days or answering calls in a call center. Things have gone to hell. An education doesn't get you anywhere now a days (unless you got connections) or unless it's in those fields that you mentioned.

 

[phoreus1911]

however, healthcare does seem to be interesting.

 

[Fuglydude]

fuglydude clear your pm's!

messages cleared.

 

[Quiksilver]

Were you bad at those courses or did you just not try hard enough?

All the courses I do bad at are just the ones I don't put the time and effort in to.

 

[phoreus1911]

nope. I'm putting in maximum effort, and it's not like I want to do bad. I actually want to do good, but for some reason it's just not coming or I'm failing myself somehow. I'm maxed out it's kind of why I'm changing majors. I was Chemical Engineering, but it's definitely not me.

 

[element0]

nope. I'm putting in maximum effort, and it's not like I want to do bad. I actually want to do good, but for some reason it's just not coming or I'm failing myself somehow. I'm maxed out it's kind of why I'm changing majors. I was Chemical Engineering, but it's definitely not me.

That was me 2 years ago, I was Computer Engineering, and was failing class after class as a junior. I thought I was maxed out, but I wasn't I just didn't like it anymore, and couldn't bring myself to fully concentrate on what I was doing, and thus any work that needed to be done was tortuous.

Anyway, I ended up switching majors, to Economics, which was my planned minor, and it was one of the better decisions of my life, I just wish I had done it a semester sooner.

 

[squirrels]

interesting. At the moment, I'm considering three options:

Radiation Health Physics

Food Science

or....Dropping out of college, joining the marines, and becoming a firefighter.

There are times when option 3 still appeals to me. But alas, I am addicted to "stuff". And I'm still enough of a nerd that my job appeals to me on some level.

Think about what you're going to be doing with your degree. Is there a specific career field you want to go into? If organic chemistry appeals to you, what do you think you can do with that? Doctor? Chemist for a corporation? Research?