College major?

I know there are a few college students on WW so I wanted to find out what you are majoring in. I have bounced around a few different majors and finally settled on Computer Information Systems (CIS).

What are you majoring in and why?

Accounting/Finance

It's a "stable" occupation. Everyone needs an accountant. Knowing how to correctly manage the books and knowing what financial instruments would be correct investments, helps not only personally, but looking into the future will help me manage my own business.

Money is pretty good to in order to support my wakeboarding habits!

Applied Mathematics and Secondary Mathematics

I wanted to punish myself in one of the hardest major to earn (now in my last semester).

Enviromental Science, water quality.
Some one has to keepo the hippis from draining lake powell............

Originally Posted by wake77

I wanted to punish myself in one of the hardest major to earn

False.

major in something that can't be, or is unlikely to be outsourced.... be a dentist. work Monday thru Friday only, make a decent living and not likely to be outsourced (unless they come up w/some kind of robot or virtual dentist thingy).

"False."

Whatever. Name 10 harder majors (and don't bothering listing any engineering majors except maybe nuclear).

I'm majoring in Manufacturing Engineering and Applied Math (the math was the easy part - sorry Jeremy)

I'll be done in May (5 years total but have never gone over 13 credits a semester and took a semester/summer of online classes and moved to FL to wakeboard!) and have been salaried with two different companies over the last two years. Honestly I have had ZERO trouble finding jobs with the Manufacturing side of things (Only did math because it was 2 extra classes)... and in these last year I have had a TON of emails/calls for other job opportunities. After all is said and done I'm really happy I picked what I did.


** Electrical/Control engineers are theeeee smartest people and IMO is the toughest degree to get

... also the pay is great for starting.

Engineering is the way to go:

9 of the top 10 highest starting salaries have "Engineering" in the title
http://www.darwinsfinance.com/top-10...0-best-majors/

Originally Posted by wake77

"False."

Whatever. Name 10 harder majors (and don't bothering listing any engineering majors except maybe nuclear).

Business Finance degree in 3 years while taking pre med classes while playing college basketball... o wait, that was just my ass backwards college career.

Why no engineering? I dont think thats a fair statement at all, some very tough stuff.

thats what I like about you Eric. you are so, so humble.

Originally Posted by ttrigo

thats what I like about you Eric. you are so, so humble.

Thats a very good observation. Its one of my better qualities.

haha maybe I shouldn't have started this thread...

and one of your other better qualities, is your ability to pick up on sarcasm.

Current halfway done with a BS in nursing.

There's a lot that can be done with a BSN, planning on going onto either anesthetist school, challenge the paramedic boards and work with Fire department, or work up to a Physicians assistance.

Engineers go through Cal 3 and D.E. and that ends their math. The rest of their classes, they are handed formula sheets. Plug and chug, not much math to it at all. Mechanical/Manufacturing engineering? I'm sorry, but there isn't an M.E. class that is harder than Real Analysis or Point Set Topology. I tutored many M.E.'s and E.E's in D.E. and Electricity and Magnetism (Physics).

Playing college basketball is not a major. Pre-med? What class gave you trouble, A&P, Biology, Organic Chemistry? Look at the top performers in the MCAT's or LSAT's, math majors.

Not hating on other majors, just stating the facts.

Originally Posted by wakesetter_WW

I know there are a few college students on WW so I wanted to find out what you are majoring in. I have bounced around a few different majors and finally settled on Computer Information Systems (CIS).

What are you majoring in and why?

I think you have chosen a great major for the current times as well as the future, as long as it's something that interests you. The demand for CIS applicable jobs is only going to get bigger, and many corp's are interested in creating their own rather than relying on something that can't be as easily customized or controlled.

Not hating on other majors, just stating the facts.

I've done both programs - the math is easier.

Anyone on this site can be a math major because of TI-89/92s and MAPLE. Plug-n-chug at its finest.

The whole "easier/harder" argument cracks me up. Who cares? You want a cookie or a pat on the shoulder? Do what you like no matter how hard or easy people say it is.

Im majoring in Marketing Management because I feel like marketing/advertising is one of the more interesting business fields (more power to any accounting majors, I would die) and because Im not really sure what I want to do, but I like the skills learned in Business. You can start your own company, learn how economics work, learn management skills, etc. I feel like it gives me lots of options.

ou can start your own company, learn how economics work, learn management skills, etc. I feel like it gives me lots of options.

Agreed - In retrospect I wish I would have gone Business/Software development.

I think these days if you want to get rich, you do it writing Apps for phones/etc..... those little buggers are money makers

I'm a Comm major. Was trying to do film stuff (the whole starving artist thing sounds real appealing... /sarcasm) but wound up stuck focusing on electronic and print journalism. Although apparently I need to either go back to school or find a new hobby that doesn't involve filming stuff. Figures. I'm minoring in history and political science as well.

This is probably the most ridiculously easy major in the world compared to some of the stuff you all are talking about.

Jeremy, have you taken any non-euclidean geometry classes? You don't really help your cause by putting down Engineers because you have more math credits than they do, maybe they are learning more important stuff like statics. Secondary Mathematics? You want to be a high school teacher? I don't think your going to be getting any calls for employment opportunities. So who is the smart one?
We definitely are at an unprecedential time in America, We have always been(and still are)the #1 manufacturer in the world, we could wait a decade or two until we are #2 and then implement change or we could emphasize manufacturing and engineering in our schools now and continue to lead the world.

I'm smarter than you are. I think we should all join hands and give Jeremy props for being a math major. Especially all of you stupid engineers that didn't have to take any "real" math.

^Joe I don't know where you live, but in my state and just about every other surrounding state, math teachers are in extremely high demand. I plan on going to graduate school and teaching on the college level. I'm not putting down engineers, but I will argue that engineering classes aren't as complicated as upper-level math classes. And to answer your first question, yes I have taken Basic Concepts in Geometry, which was primarily all non-euclidean and other abstract geometries.

"Anyone on this site can be a math major because of TI-89/92"

Last time I checked, a calculator couldn't write a proof. In most of the math classes I have taken in the past three semesters, calculators aren't even allowed, not that they would help you anyway. So I disagree that being proficient on a calculator would allow you to be a math major.

My experience in IT is that a degree isn't the be all end all of the field. In IT experience speaks louder than a degree. I have not had trouble finding work without a degree and I've been stable at my current job for the past 4 years with good raises every year so far. Many of the best people I've met in the field do not have a degree, but live and breathe what they do and it shows.

I have given up after spending 4 years and a small fortune trying to get a degree. I got screwed over by my school and can't afford it, if I want a degree I have to start over from scratch. I find what is holding me back from advancing to higher paying positions where I would be closer to maxing out what I can make doing what I do is student loan debt (my only debt) which prevents me from relocating. So I'm stuck where I'm at until I pay off debt unless a good offer comes up locally. It's not a bad job, but to get to the pay I could make elsewhere right now might take a few years with this company. Once I pay off all my student loans I will probably start over at the cheapest school I can find and get a degree in IS, IT, or Computer Science.

One thing I've learned is school does not teach you much that's relevant to a career in IT. Courses are easy and most of what they teach is irrelevant or too basic to be of much use. I know a lot of college graduates who have a degree but no experience, and cannot find jobs. Those I know in the field with no degree but who have experience all have jobs and those that lost jobs in the downturn were able to find new jobs relatively quickly.

So my advice to you is to find the cheapest school in your area that offers a degree relevant to what you want and go for it. Make sure you fully understand how long it will take and how much money it will cost. Factor increasing tuition cost into this (my school went from $25k/yr to $40k/yr in 2 years, completely blowing my budget out of the water). Know how they charge you when courses are canceled or prerequisites not offered, in the event this adds additional time and costs. Pay cash as you go, take out no loans. Having large amounts of debt will prevent you from taking better offers when they come up, severely limiting your options and you will earn less over your lifetime. This especially hurts in your younger years if you can't put away as much as you'd like for retirement.

Though some may think otherwise, I believe IT/IS is still a good field to get into.For those that know their stuff the jobs are still out there. Although sometimes frustrating, it's still a fun and rewarding field to work in. If you enjoy whatever area of IT/IS you are considering pursuing as a career then go for it. I could see myself in other fields (auto mechanics namely) but it would not be as rewarding or lucrative for me.

Originally Posted by wake77

Playing college basketball is not a major. Pre-med? What class gave you trouble, A&P, Biology, Organic Chemistry? Look at the top performers in the MCAT's or LSAT's, math majors.

Not hating on other majors, just stating the facts.

Playing basketball is surely no major but its basically a full time job. Add on graduating in 3 years, while taking completely different pre med classes... Im not complaining just saying you describing your path as the "hardest" possible thing in the world is clownlike. Math is math is math. Proving something that already exists is used for what? Deriving an equation that already exists is used for what? My TI-89 carried me through calculus, and will be used for all the math that is needed in life.

Im a Psychology, English, and a World Peace Studies major. Though, future law student.

I purposely stay away from math, just not my interest.

From this discussion, I cant determine if that makes me smart or stupid? I look forward to my question being solved.

It didn't take long for this thread to turn into a "my dad can beat up your dad" argument

Yeah.. not really the responses I was hoping for

"Im not complaining just saying you describing your path as the "hardest" possible thing in the world is clownlike."

Eric, where did I day that my path is the "hardest" possible thing in the world? This was my original post:

"Applied Mathematics and Secondary Mathematics

I wanted to punish myself in one of the hardest major to earn (now in my last semester)."

Did I say that a math major is the hardest possible thing? No, I said one or the hardest majors to earn.

I'm done with this thread. I did not mean to turn this in to my major is better than your major. And I wish all of you luck in your studies.

I'll take the easier major and larger W2 every day ofvthe week, lol. My concentration was a measly Marketing and Finance.

I majored in natural resource management/ forestry (thought I could make a difference). I ended up a banker.

Originally Posted by wake77

Eric, where did I day that my path is the "hardest" possible thing in the world?

I wanted to punish myself in one of the hardest major to earn (now in my last semester)."

what the. seems like ya pretty much did. they you take a shot at engineers to back up your clownlike point.

LOL at all the manhood comparisons going on here.

I have a BSME and I honestly didn't think it was all that difficult or stressful, especially compared to some projects I've dealt with in my actual career. One of my current municipal projects has dragged on longer than my entire college career.

Engineering is stable work and in demand for the time being, but is vulnerable to outsourcing. Straight engineering will get boring if you aren't able to branch out into other aspects of whatever industry you're in. I've personally worked in the food and water/wastewater industries, which are not under much outsourcing pressure.

Medical is growing and hard to outsource. Education is hard to outsource, but with the general budgetary disrespect it gets, it seems to be shrinking.

The only way to really make serious cabbage and have as much control over your time as possible is to work for yourself. A basic business degree and a few years of real world experience will open all the doors you need as far as qualifying for business loans and whatnot.

so now we are argueing about with math major is the bigger nerd? You are all nerds in my book. Have fun with your huge paychecks. nerds.
I have a friend that is majoring in irrational math? or something. he can barely tie his shoes. He will make a great home depot clerk.

I have a BSME...been good to me and should continue to be.
other things i would like to maybe do (or wish I would have done) is masters in controls, MBA...or dental school...

All you math/ME guys.... what is/was your guy-to-girl ratio in your programs? Its insane how few women are doing this stuff at my school.... I assume its that way everywhere.

I have a BSME and am now working on my MSME while working full-time. The ratio in my program couldn't have been better than 80% guys, 20% girls. I'm probably being conservative. Georgia Tech in case your wondering.

I go to a school where I have heard claims of a ratio of about 5 girls to 1 guy because it is a big nursing and education school (I think it's actually about 2 to 1) but in my program -- Composite Materials Engineering, there is about 1 girl for every 10-15 guys. I'm also a business minor, and there are much more girls in those classes. I go to Winona State in Winona, MN fyi.

@ Eric - I'm in La Crosse a lot, my fiancée' lives there.

In May, when I graduate will have 23 guys finishing and 1 girl.... there are a lot lot lot of girls here at UW-Stout though, they have early childhood, interior design, fashion retail, and a H & T degree which are almost all women

Ian, I do not believe marketing and finance majors have to take differential equations, this will not help elevate your status on Jeremy's smarts meter, even though you will make ten times his salary.
WakeP, better to be a nerd than a dumbass, I don't know any nerds who wakeboard though, you see wakeboarding takes skill, athleticism, and is a social(cool)activity, so by definition, there are no nerds on this website.

"what the. seems like ya pretty much did. they you take a shot at engineers to back up your clownlike point."

Eric, how convenient for you not to highlight my whole statement.

"I wanted to punish myself in one of the hardest major to earn"

When you say "that is one of my most favorite things", does that imply that it is your ultimate, nothing else compares to this favorite thing?

Originally Posted by wake77

"what the. seems like ya pretty much did. they you take a shot at engineers to back up your clownlike point."

Eric, how convenient for you not to highlight my whole statement.

"I wanted to punish myself in one of the hardest major to earn"

When you say "that is one of my most favorite things", does that imply that it is your ultimate, nothing else compares to this favorite thing?

How convenient that you dont respond about your shot at engineers, when no doubt there job is harder.

You guys are cute

@ Nick
I wish I had looked at stout a little more when looking for engineering schools, it's a little closer to my home and it seems like a really nice school. I do like Winona, and it has the bluffs which are great for snowboarding and biking, but I hear stout's engineering facilities are much nicer from a student that transfered there (Brett Hostettler). I also got the opportunity to start up the wakeboard/waterski club at our school and although we can't get a boat like UW schools, we used funds for trips to Florida and other midwest cable parks. I will be graduating this year also, do you have a job lined up?

Yeah, I bet all of you are jealous of my lowly Communications major and it's 10 girls to 1 guy ratio... OH! EAT IT MATH AND ENGINEERING KIDS!

When I started college I had to buy a slide rule.

Another Mechanical Engineering major here.

"I GOT HER PHONE NUMBER! HOW DO YOU LIKE THEM APPLES?!"

seriously. you guys need to put your weiners away. no one cares who has a tougher major.

Applied Mathematics and Managerial Economics... Literally I am the only girl in some of my upper division math classes. The reason why I chose this major is because I honestly love math.. The double major is for if I ever want to get my MBA or go into Finance- that will always be an option open to me. Props to all of the Computer Science girls/guys out there. As a requirement I'm learning how to program in Python (arguably the most elegant/coolest language), C, and C++. Probably some of the most difficult courses I've ever taken- having no previous programming skills whatsoever.

Your undergrad degree is your undergrad degree. Graduate/ work experience is what really counts. You could major in History and end up being a very successful Investment Banker. If you're a Communications major you could end up doing serious work for any PR firm. What matters most is how bad you want something and how much work you're willing to put in to get there. The people that have the most respect in my eyes are the ones who work the hardest for whatever it is they would like to accomplish in life. And I've noticed that it's the ones who truly love what they're doing that are the most successful (depending on how you would personally rate success).

There are many aspiring Engineers (Civil, Mechanical, Software.. etc.) in my math classes, all of whom I have met have very challenging coursework, and in turn, all have to work very hard. Engineers use the software that programmers write based on the ideas that mathematicians have proven.

I have a TI-89 graphing calculator which I use to check my homework answers, but I am in no way allowed to use it on any exam. Therefore, implying that I have no idea what school you go to whoever you are, if you own a calculator that does not make you capable of being a math major. I'm pretty sure I can now write all the programs that my calculator uses in solving the equations that I plug in... to pat myself on the back

I do not view my major as punishing in any way. I am very thankful to be in school and learning the things that I am. However, I am more thankful for wakeskating/ wakeboarding.