An anonymous-ish question about college/careers...

I'm going to just throw this out there, and you guys pretend you didn't know it was me asking ;) okey dokey? :)

Do you think one should go to school for the thing they *should* go to school for, or the thing they *want* to go to school for? There's always a thing that'll make you more money, or make more sense. But then there's that discipline that you ADORE... so hard to know what's the right thing to do. I'm having trouble focusing on school this semester and I'm wondering if I should change my major. If I'm going to: NOW is the time. So, I'm not looking for a pity party, or a criticism, but I just was wondering what you folks, wiser than I, would say to that question. The thing I want to do, or the thing I should do? What'd ya think?

Sarah

P.S. It's not like I'm switching from rocket science to underwater basketweaving or anything ;), both are perfectly respectable disciplines :)

S

If one of my kids came to me and asked me this question, this would be my reply:

I think only you know the answer to that question. While making your decision, keep in mind that your career is what you will be working at for the rest of your life. Liking it, and being happy doing it, means a lot in your overall happiness, that of those around you, and that of your future employers. Also, if you like what you are doing, you are going to naturally be better at it. You Go Girl!

This message was edited Nov 9, 2005 11:03 PM

If as you say, both are perfectly respectable disciplines, then go for the one that's more in "your heart"
Never choose the one "other" think is the better, that will only make you unhappy in the long run. As long as you can support yourself on the salary.
Health wise its also better to choose from the heart rather than after what you can make in that career, If you LOVE your job it will also somewhat protect you from stress related diseases.
Janett

If you do what you love your life will be smoother - however $$ does talk!

AMy oldest daughter went off to school, to become an engineer. It wasn't working out, she was frustrated, came home for the summer, fell in love, went back to engineering school. It didn't get any better. The next year, she came home and applied to a school nearer to home, changed majors twice that year and graduated, after getting married and going to school and then taking a year off and having a baby, as an elementary teacher. It is the work she was meant to do. She LOVES it (most days), and just shakes her head when she thinks about the two years that she was doing what was, allegedly, "right."

Save yourself some bucks and change now. You'll be a much happier person.

do what makes you happy. really......great advice here, but ultimately you need to make the choice. choose whichever discipline you can envision yourself doing in 20 years from now, with a smile on your face.
good luck

i agree with on that too....and and....sarah...my sis is in loveland!...tell her i said heyhey..k?

I couldn't say it better than JoanJ. That pretty much sums up my feelings too. My oldest dd was in her practice teaching and almost ready to graduate college when she decided to change her course. It didn't take her long to finish and she is now doing what she was always meant to do. Teaching elementary education. She is a fantastic teacher and loves it.
My youngest dd has always wanted to be in law enforcement. The whole family tried to discourage her. I didn't try to discourage her but I did tell her to really think it through. She finished college with a deg. in criminology/law enforcement and has a career that she loves.

Lin

Thanks guys... I have more thinking to do, but appreciate your encouragement :)

Wysteria- OMG! :) In my little bitty town of 50,000, I've found a relative?! :) How cool! :) We'll have to have lunch if you come to visit, I never get to meet other DGers! :) You should just move here... take my word for it, it's a great town, I Loveland ;) lol I've lived here for about 15 years, so I know a fair amount of people... who knows, I might know your sis! :)

Sarah

have been there tons! of times sarah, and yes is an awesome lil town...howeverrrr....its sure looking big these days. sis and bro n law have there about 20 yrs...started out in greely and moved when neice was a weebabe. she...my neice...is in most all the plays n such there, and in ft collins. bet you have at least seen them around...totally awesome huh?!

That is totally awesome :) How old is your neice? I have a slew of teenage siblings :)

Sarah

Do what you love... the money will follow!

she just turned 21, about to be married...gonna become a texan now!...sheets...is the last name.

Hmm... she's smack in between my siblings and I ... My siblings are 15, 16, 17, and 19 right now, and I'm 25. Anyway, I hope she fares well in Texas! :)

Sarah

Why SHOULD you do it? Does it pay better, family tradition, parental expectations? How important are those things to you?

Why didn't you initially choose what you WANT? How practical is it? What would you give up?

Is there a way to combine the two?

Without knowing your should and want...it's hard to say.

I sure changed my mind a lot of times before and during college. The one thing I kept thinking
about was the difference between the studies vs actual job. I majored in Liberal Arts my freshman
year. And I loved the classes - economics, sociology, psychology, history but I realized unless
I got my PhD, it was unlikely that's what I'd do for a living. I ended up switching to Engineering,
which I thought would be awful during college but opened all sorts of options w.r.t. my career.
(Sales, Marketing, Design, Applications etc etc etc - plus a good foundation if I wanted to go back
for another degree in something else too. Like Law - which was on my list for a few years). I
changed jobs(same company - worked for a BIG company) until I figured out what I enjoyed doing.
I've never regretted the choice I made on my major.

So ... follow your heart but make sure you understand what the work will be, not just the studies.

Tam

Sarah, when my daughter asked this a while back, I told her to think about the career she really enjoys, and then do some research to see what kind of money people actually make in real life in your town doing that. If it is a great career but not available in a small town, and you have to move to a big city to work in that field, is it worth it?

Consider the lifestyle that goes with the job, will you be working nights, weekends, holidays? Do you want to do that?

She wanted to be a chef, and I took out a second mortgage on my house to help her through the tuition. When she applied at the culinary school they promised all kinds of great jobs and internships in France and lots of money. When she got her chef diploma the only jobs she could get were for minimum wage cutting salads and peeling potatoes. There are soooo many people out there with a chef degree that can't make a living doing that, so they end up taking any old job that pays the bills. She still loves to cook and she is very good at it, so she is always cooking for friends and family, and does some catering jobs on the side, but unless you are connected to someone who owns a restaurant you start at the very bottom of the ladder.

Perhaps if you told us the fields you are interested in we could help you with some real world information about those career fields?
Cindy

I kind of waffled through school--but what helped make up my mind about not going to law school--was to take a couple of the classes that would also count as general credits..discovered that I really didn't want to go in that direction. Life changes your mind sometimes-is there a way to meld the two choices?

If possible, do some work in the field that you aren't sure you'd like, before getting too deep into that major.

Learn as much as you can about the nature of these jobs/careers in "the real world" before committing.

If you made the wrong choice, it isn't the end of the world (I thought it was the end of the world for a few years after I realized I picked the wrong field.) I'm slowly recovering...

Well, geez... you ended up an "undercover owl", I'd be questioning that, too! lol :) I'm kidding, of course :)

You guys have all given me great suggestions. I've thought this over a lot and I had a nice "counseling" session with Critterologist this afternoon ;). She helped me gather my thoughts and evaluate the choices.

I suppose I shouldn't keep you all in suspense. I'm currently an accounting major and just feel like what I was after was the procedural and math angles. Now that I'm having to delve into all this auditing and political stuff, I don't really think this is right for me.

And I adore biology and teaching. Just had an aptitude test tell me that I shouldn't teach. Why do I keep letting that tell me "no" when there are tons of people who know me well and keep telling me I'd shine at it? Also, my family snubs the idea a bit because it doesn't pay as well as accounting.

I am making an appointment with a Biology Dept. advisor on Monday and we'll see what I find out. :) Thank you guys so much for putting so much thought into this!!! I really do appreciate it!

Sarah

Sarah, I hope you find the answer your heart is looking for.

I have a History BS degree. I love history and still buy lots of books. I make money fixing cars. The work is almost therapy. Pretty physical and getting the ASE master tech. certification was not hard. College will teach you about tests. Please just study what you love. Looking back: if I had worked harder, with a different major, I would be making more money, living somewhere else, and married to somebody else. Sorry, but I really like where I am now. In the movie "Citizen Kane" someone observes, making a lot of money is easy to do, if all you want to do is make a lot of money.

As one of those older and wiser people. I will say I've seen all types in life. I've seen people do what they thought they should do and end up hating their career. I've seen them love it too. I've also seen someone take something they love and make a career out of it and then hate it afterwards, then again, some love it. Life is a gamble. I think its most peaceful to follow your heart, but you should always know things can/may change in the future and changes are often good things. Keep your mind and options open as you walk through your life and career and try very hard not to get chained into something you hate and have to do for a long period of time. Always note that there will be some things that you will not like in a career, such as certain stepping stones to get there.

Have you thought about teaching Accounting? Mixing your two interests?
Tam

Sarah, I know here in Clark County if you are a teacher and which to continue your education while a teaching you can do so and if you keep a 3.0 or better GPA the school district will reimburse you for you class expense.

So you could check into your local school district, get your teaching certificate which is fairly easy to do, work and see if its something you wish to continue doing, all the while continuing with your education and degree in accounting. If you decide teaching is not what you want then you still haven't lost anything but learned a bit more about yourself.

Gosh, to be young enough to be struggling with this issue again....
I sure wish you the best and let us know what you decide...

Hey Carat - you can struggle with this stuff at any age! I keep running through my mind
what I'll do when I leave the corporate world. No one ever seems to last 'til they are 65.
Tam

Very True Tammy. I just have no intention of starting over again. When we move I will be retired and don't have any intention of going back. Now remember I said I dont have the intention. But as with all things in my life a skip seems to happen just when I think I should be coasting....

Follow your heart Sarah would be my suggestion. When I was in school I followed my heart and did as I pleased rather than what my Mom wanted me to do. I have never regretted my decision and know I would have been miserable in her idea of what I should do. Sure I would have made a ton more money but what good is that when you are not happy as you can be? My DS is still seeking his future as you are and at this point in time he is finally doing the thing that he has lost track of time doing as a hobby. I have had to remind him that it is 4am several times in the past when he was doing this hobby. He will know in just a few months if he wants to continue this or move on to another hobby idea he has.

hmstyl,
Interesting about the chefs not being able to find good paying jobs. I have told my DS that he would probably not be happy being a chef although he would love to study it in school. I KNOW he wouldn't have liked being poorly paid for peeling taters and such things. I am sure glad I was right on this idea.

Many times I have heard the saying "find out what you love to do and then figure out how to be paid for it".

Good luck, and may you find what you love to do and do it for a living.
Hugs,
Lani

I wanted to teach, I knew that. I came from a family of teachers and they all tried to talk me out of teaching... so, the first I went to college I changed to business, got offered a pretty good job, opted out, taking an AA and went into Human Resources... I liked my job, I really did, but there was always that nag in the back of my mind going, "You'd really rather be a teacher."

We had to do some changing in our company, and I got put in charge of training the new hires... so here I am put what looks just like a classroom with 30 people sitting at desks, and I'm "teaching" them about our company. I got more and more miserable... so much so that I'd come home and cry for no reason in particular.

Finally one day my husband looked at me, and said, "Melissa, WHAT will make you happy? I mean search your soul and then tell me if you could do anything, be anything, WHAT is going to make you happy." I thought about it for several days, but the same answer kept coming back... teaching. At 34 I quit my job and went back to college. I'm a teacher now, but can't find a job because I chose my loves....History and Psychology to major in. BUT.... when I sub, and I'm in front of a classroom, I KNOW it is what I'm supposed to be doing. I really believe that teaching is a calling, and once you're aware of it, it doesn't go away. I'm starting my Master's Degree in January, and changing course so I can teach.... because I've come to realize it's not what I teach, but that I teach that makes me happy.

My hubby knew from the time he was a small child that he wanted to be a mechanic... his parents were college educated, and were not happy with his choice... but, 20+ odd years later, he's still a Master Mechanic, and still loves his job...

Yes, you'll make more money as an accountant... but, money can't make you happy.
Do what your heart tells you.... if you change majors you'll be required to spend lots of time in a classroom observing. You'll know pretty quickly if that is what you want to be doing. :-)

I'm a high school guidance counselor and have to make one correction to what someone wrote above: "get your teaching certificate which is fairly easy to do" - getting to be a certified teacher is NOT easy and simple. It takes a least a semester or a year longer in college and has lots of tough courses. Many people can't pass the NTE test. Then, maybe hardest of all, comes the challenge of landing the job.

My opinion about choosing a career is like so many others here: follow your heart. Life is too short to not be happy. Be optimistic about your career - do your research - and go for it.

Also, know that many people change careers several times in their life, so don't assume that whatever you choose you will be doing for all those years.

You guys have all given me such great advice. Thank you for taking the time, I really appreciate it! :)

You'll be happy to know that I won't keep you in suspense any longer. I had kind of avoided posting any speculation, as this just makes it all seem so real, and it's a bit scary! But I guess it can't get any real-er since I made my major change yesterday! :) I met with my new advisor and will be registering for new classes this week! I'm really excited and feel like this is the right decision. :) The geeky mother ship is calling me home to the Natural Sciences department! LOL :)

Sarah

Godspeed to you Sarah.

Good choice, Sarahjo!
I'm an academic advisor, but not a career counselor. You've made the right decision in my humble opinion. Trust me, however, when statistically I suspect that unlike what Joan J and pebble say you will --not-- be doing one job for life. Stats now show we change our careers 7 times in our working lives. That's an amazing stat, but true. Part of "change" comes about because of our own personal growth. After a a few years of doing one job we need new challenges so we venture out on a limb and take on new tasks and/or responsibilities. Sometimes this change requires "regrinding" as a relative of mine once put it. We need to update skills. We seek additional training or credentialing. It's quite rare in today's US economy for folks to start out and stay with one employer and one job for their entire working lifetime. I suspect you'll be happy in your studies, do better gradewise, enjoy the challenges of your new caree more because you'll be self motivated. Working in a career that pays fabulously only ends up letting you spend all that money on rolaids, pepto bismol, doctor's visits, and therapy anyway! So enjoy! You only get one life.

I apologize for the mislead. What I meant was if you are already in college attending courses that will take you into a degree within the accounting field you have already completed a large amount of the required classes on the road to a teaching degree and the switch over would not be as difficult as if you were trying to switch from lets say a culinary field. Just as an example...
I agree the test to receive your certification is a difficult one, and here they actually have a class just to help people focus on the questions in that test.
But in Nevada teachers are in great demand and anyone that truly wants a job is working. We are still shy hundreds of teachers, and our substitute service is operating at 35% of what is needed to cover absentees. So most teachers that are still finishing up schools have the opportunity to work before receiving their licence.

Carat- I didn't realize you were in LV... my aunt just moved here last year from LV. She taught in the PS system there for about 25 years.. an integrated 2nd/3rd grade class. You are right about the shortage there... the area is growing sooo fast! I can't remember the name of "her" school just now... but I think it might've been something with a "View" in it... lol, not too helpful, I'm sure :) I wish she still lived there, then I might be inclined to teach there when it's all done. She is a wonderful mentor and I'd love to be closer to her. As it is, she just moved to southern CO, where my grandparents are. :)

Sarah

Sarah, natural sciences and gardening are a great fit!
You go, Girl!

Very helpful. Mountain View. Wonderful curriculum program. I didn't have to worry much when we had a student transfer in from there.

Now I wont mention the other two that I have some serious questions as in the level of schooling the developers of that curriculum completed. But not introducing multiplication until the 4th grade is a little late in my opinion...

I'm happy for your Sarah! I think you already know you made the right decision... it just "feels" right, doesn't it?

Good luck! The teacher Education program is not easy, and the national tests are not easy, but they aren't supposed to be. :-) But, once you teach your first class... or some kid you thought hated life (and you) comes up and gives you a hug for no reason in particular it's all worth it!!

YAY Sarah! I am so glad you are following your heart! Amazing feeling isn't it to figure it out and do the actual changeover to the teaching degree. I am sure just from the little I have chatted with you that you will be a great teacher someday soon and be very happy in your choice.

Hugs for you and for little Stella too. My Mom was also a teacher and I can remember learning so much when I was helping her correct papers.
Lani

hehehe :) I love grading papers ;)... My friend is a chemistry professor and I'm always trying to convince him to make multiple choice tests so I can help grade them :) He always refuses... "it's too easy if it's multiple choice" :P :)

Sarah