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If you were going to college/university today what would you major in?

Anything related to matters of the mind

daftypunk

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18 y/o South Asian kid here. Because i have relatively good grades and a good enough SAT Score i am planning to go to college in the US if i get a scholarship or the university is affordable. The subjects i have in high school(known as college here) are economics , maths and accounts and i was hoping to pursue some economics/economics and math related major/bachelor , because i assumed i would be able to find high paying jobs if i majored in these subjects.

But upon discussion with some seniors, i realized that something specific in economics ie- agricultural economics, developmental economics would be better as its high paying and in demand as well.

Then again, I am interested in economics, but i am more interested entrepreneurship. Since a degree in that is pointless, and i am confused about what to do, i have started learning basic skills such as
  • sales
  • copy writing
  • web design
  • marketing
To be fair, i suck at all of them right now. I planned to focus on each skill for several months/year before moving on to the next.

Back to my question though.

What would you major/(do bachelors) in?
What subjects/degrees do you think will be in high demand in the next 7-10 years and will lead to high paying jobs?

What are some niches you would consider majoring in?
 
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Political science because it's interesting. I'd worry about how I could leverage it later.

I'll just add, life's too short to suffer 4 years of drudgery for something that may or may not help me in the future.
 

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What would you major/(do bachelors) in?

In my case since I'm in the states, an education isn't cheap. I'd major in something that gives me a good return on my investment. Being an engineer, doctor, lawyer, etc... For example, if I'm interested in Art... that's something I won't get a degree in.

I think it's entirely possible to learn anything without going to school, but since your question is what should you major in... Get something that will make you real money.
 

daftypunk

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Political science because it's interesting. I'd worry about how I could leverage it later.

I'll just add, life's too short to suffer 4 years of drudgery for something that may or may not help me in the future.

Ngl i don't want to go to college at all. Researching universities is a big headache in itself, but since i don't have a business neither work a job and am in my last year of high school university seems to be the option for me. And my parents wont let me not to uni.
 

daftypunk

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In my case since I'm in the states, an education isn't cheap. I'd major in something that gives me a good return on my investment. Being an engineer, doctor, lawyer, etc... For example, if I'm interested in Art... that's something I won't get a degree in.

I think it's entirely possible to learn anything without going to school, but since your question is what should you major in... Get something that will make you real money.

I feel you man. Was just researching universities in the US and am struck by how expensive they are.

Europe seems to be a lot cheaper though. At 1/3rd the price i can go to a university ranked in the Top 100, and all i have to do is learn a language.
 
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Odysseus M Jones

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Ngl i don't want to go to college at all. Researching universities is a big headache in itself, but since i don't have a business neither work a job and am in my last year of high school university seems to be the option for me. And my parents wont let me not to uni.
Pick something you like, that's what I meant with this comment.
I'll just add, life's too short to suffer 4 years of drudgery for something that may or may not help me in the future
4 years is 5% of your life, why waste it studying something you don't like to get you a job to spend 50% of your life doing something you don't like just because it pays well.

In other words, study what you enjoy. Be a child of serendipity.
 
D

Deleted78083

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If I had to do it again, I would do industrial or business engineering, computer science, biomedical sciences or a double degree economics/philosophy.

Read this thread: How to study debt free, expand your mind and gain international experience

When it comes to topics, choose among STEM + economics + medicine.

Do NOT study communication, social sciences, humanities, history or liberal arts. You'll end up regretting it (as I and million of others did). Study something practical.


Best of luck,


M.

PS: watch this:
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7J-wCHDJYmo
 

Ismail941

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If I was 18 years old, I would go to Trade School right out of the GATE without any second thought.
If you are coming to the USA - You can pick STEM-related degrees depending on your interest.

Demarco did talk about it. Here is the thread:
 
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Last edited:

alexkuzmov

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18 y/o South Asian kid here. Because i have relatively good grades and a good enough SAT Score i am planning to go to college in the US if i get a scholarship or the university is affordable. The subjects i have in high school(known as college here) are economics , maths and accounts and i was hoping to pursue some economics/economics and math related major/bachelor , because i assumed i would be able to find high paying jobs if i majored in these subjects.

But upon discussion with some seniors, i realized that something specific in economics ie- agricultural economics, developmental economics would be better as its high paying and in demand as well.

Then again, I am interested in economics, but i am more interested entrepreneurship. Since a degree in that is pointless, and i am confused about what to do, i have started learning basic skills such as
  • sales
  • copy writing
  • web design
  • marketing
To be fair, i suck at all of them right now. I planned to focus on each skill for several months/year before moving on to the next.

Back to my question though.

What would you major/(do bachelors) in?
What subjects/degrees do you think will be in high demand in the next 7-10 years and will lead to high paying jobs?

What are some niches you would consider majoring in?

One of the problems with entrepreneurship is that you dont know what you need to know until that need arises.
You can predict trends for jobs, sure, and having something like mechanical engineering as a skill, which you can learn from university, is good to have.
However, you cant predict what a business can throw at you, so fast learning is key.
You cant get real experience in a university.

My advice is, pick anything from STEM, BUT dont enroll full time.
Instead keep your time free, as much as you can.
This comes with 2 main benefits.
You'll have time for job/work or creating a business AND you'll train your "fast learning muscle".
Let the limited time put you under preassure.
Oh and dont forget health and fitness offcourse.

Good Luck!
 

daftypunk

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W
If I had to do it again, I would do industrial or business engineering, computer science, biomedical sciences or a double degree economics/philosophy.

Read this thread: How to study debt free, expand your mind and gain international experience

When it comes to topics, choose among STEM + economics + medicine.

Do NOT study communication, social sciences, humanities, history or liberal arts. You'll end up regretting it (as I and million of others did). Study something practical.


Best of luck,


M.

PS: watch this:
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7J-wCHDJYmo

What do you think of econometrics?
Its a combination of data science and economics, and because data analytics is in high demand i am considering it, but tbf i am more interested in philosophy and economics.
 

quanttastic

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Is there a university that has an actual degree in econometrics? Or are you asking about taking courses in the area/independent study?
W


What do you think of econometrics?
Its a combination of data science and economics, and because data analytics is in high demand i am considering it, but tbf i am more interested in philosophy and economics.
 
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daftypunk

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Wow, this completely changed my perspective of Harvard, and i agree with most of what he says.
But the problem in my case is, that i live in a developing south asian country where my parents will permit me to go abroad only if i get into the top 100 universities. Safety option is the top ranked universities of my country which rank at 500th in the world, and where i stand a far higher chance of graduating. Mnc's and all the top companies in my country hire from those unis.
But at the same time the programmes are far fewer there, and i really want to go abroad.

Also, i ended up in the best highschool (known as a college in my country) and i was far behind most students. That didn't make much of a difference though, since students aren't ranked and i was able to find some people like me.
 

daftypunk

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Is there a university that has an actual degree in econometrics? Or are you asking about taking courses in the area/independent study?

University of amsterdam has a bsc in econometrics and so does erasmus university rotterdam.
 

quanttastic

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University of amsterdam has a bsc in econometrics and so does erasmus university rotterdam.

I think it could be a very good major - particularly if it has good courses in machine learning and research design. My guess is the 'flavor' of the degree will be different depending on if it is housed in the computer science department, the business school, or the econ department.
 
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Jon L

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What I got out of my psych and comm double majors:






What I got out of the effort I put into things later in life:

How to write effectively
How to communicate with people that disagree with me
How to get my point across
How to figure out what my point is, and isn't. (thats a pretty big deal. What hill should you die on?)
etc
etc
etc.

To be fair, I did learn some things in school. It was largely a waste of time, though.

The problem is that most employers expect you to have gone to college. Its difficult for most people to start out in business without experience as an employee, first.
 

Kevin88660

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18 y/o South Asian kid here. Because i have relatively good grades and a good enough SAT Score i am planning to go to college in the US if i get a scholarship or the university is affordable. The subjects i have in high school(known as college here) are economics , maths and accounts and i was hoping to pursue some economics/economics and math related major/bachelor , because i assumed i would be able to find high paying jobs if i majored in these subjects.

But upon discussion with some seniors, i realized that something specific in economics ie- agricultural economics, developmental economics would be better as its high paying and in demand as well.

Then again, I am interested in economics, but i am more interested entrepreneurship. Since a degree in that is pointless, and i am confused about what to do, i have started learning basic skills such as
  • sales
  • copy writing
  • web design
  • marketing
To be fair, i suck at all of them right now. I planned to focus on each skill for several months/year before moving on to the next.

Back to my question though.

What would you major/(do bachelors) in?
What subjects/degrees do you think will be in high demand in the next 7-10 years and will lead to high paying jobs?

What are some niches you would consider majoring in?
You want want high paying jobs probably software engineering and data science. You have to study STEM degree if you want to Have a chance stay in U.S. after graduation.

Economics degree is only most directly relevant if you work in the government.
 

sparechange

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beer pong and bikini mud wrestling parties with @Xeon
 
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Last edited:

PizzaOnTheRoof

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Black_Dragon43

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18 y/o South Asian kid here. Because i have relatively good grades and a good enough SAT Score i am planning to go to college in the US if i get a scholarship or the university is affordable. The subjects i have in high school(known as college here) are economics , maths and accounts and i was hoping to pursue some economics/economics and math related major/bachelor , because i assumed i would be able to find high paying jobs if i majored in these subjects.

But upon discussion with some seniors, i realized that something specific in economics ie- agricultural economics, developmental economics would be better as its high paying and in demand as well.

Then again, I am interested in economics, but i am more interested entrepreneurship. Since a degree in that is pointless, and i am confused about what to do, i have started learning basic skills such as
  • sales
  • copy writing
  • web design
  • marketing
To be fair, i suck at all of them right now. I planned to focus on each skill for several months/year before moving on to the next.

Back to my question though.

What would you major/(do bachelors) in?
What subjects/degrees do you think will be in high demand in the next 7-10 years and will lead to high paying jobs?

What are some niches you would consider majoring in?
I'm a civil engineer by major (never worked in it), if I had to go to college again, I would pick computer science - better suited to who I am and my interests in business. Also, computer science is where it's at today. Computers and IT are the future.

Marketing, economics, finance - learn that on the side, no need for a degree.
 
D

Deleted78083

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W


What do you think of econometrics?
Its a combination of data science and economics, and because data analytics is in high demand i am considering it, but tbf i am more interested in philosophy and economics.

Hey,


sorry i took so long to reply, wanted to get out of the forum for a bit. I studied in Rotterdam (erasmus university) and they you have the option to follow a double degree in economics and philosophy, or econometrics and philosophy. And it's super cool, because you'll get out of there with two degrees officially despite the fact that the philosophy degree is only 90 ECTS!! So I think that'd be good for you. The only thing is that Rotterdam is quite pricey and it's difficult to find a room (in my experience, harder than Paris), but with the pandemic, I guess most of internationals went home.

I wrote a big thread for international students wishing to study abroad.


Maybe i already uploaded it, don't remember, but anyway, read it. It's a summary of what I wish I knew before studying, how to finance, etc. If you got more questions, you can send me a message in private, i'd be happy to help you out.

best,

monfi
 

Ayan115

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If I had to do it again, I would do industrial or business engineering, computer science, biomedical sciences or a double degree economics/philosophy.

Read this thread: How to study debt free, expand your mind and gain international experience

When it comes to topics, choose among STEM + economics + medicine.

Do NOT study communication, social sciences, humanities, history or liberal arts. You'll end up regretting it (as I and million of others did). Study something practical.


Best of luck,


M.

PS: watch this:
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7J-wCHDJYmoLi
Liberal arts degrees are not useless , depends upon what you want to do with the degree. and neither all STEM degrees are practical and medicine is a part of STEM, don't write it differently
 
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Ayan115

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If I had to do it again, I would do industrial or business engineering, computer science, biomedical sciences or a double degree economics/philosophy.

Read this thread: How to study debt free, expand your mind and gain international experience

When it comes to topics, choose among STEM + economics + medicine.

Do NOT study communication, social sciences, humanities, history or liberal arts. You'll end up regretting it (as I and million of others did). Study something practical.


Best of luck,


M.

PS: watch this:
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7J-wCHDJYmo
This a pretty bad answer and bad advice. Discouraging someone from doing something. Just because you did bad in that field doesn't mean anybody else will do so. The writer has lack of knowledge of Historians who have turned millionaires like Yuval Noah Harari and William Dalrymple who have earned millions just by writing books on history. The writer writes medical and STEM differently even though both belong in the same field. The writer also needs to know that all STEM degrees are not practical and even have even less demand as compared to liberal arts like Chemistry and Maths . Such subjects have very theoretical concepts and lack practicality in real life . However , I don't want to discourage people from becoming scientists because our society needs them . The writer also needs to know that STEM professions like Engineering and Doctor don't have infinite demand due to volatile market situations. Also the technology sphere is ever changing so Engineers and Doctors always have to upgrade their knowledge which takes a toll on their life hence many leave engineering. I find it funny you included niche stuff like biomedical engineering and business engineering. Such degrees actually have got pretty less demand.So if you were there for money you would have regretted that degree also. But we require biomedical engineering degrees. But seriously what the heck is this Business engineering. The name itself does not make any sense.
 

Ayan115

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One of the problems with entrepreneurship is that you dont know what you need to know until that need arises.
You can predict trends for jobs, sure, and having something like mechanical engineering as a skill, which you can learn from university, is good to have.
However, you cant predict what a business can throw at you, so fast learning is key.
You cant get real experience in a university.

My advice is, pick anything from STEM, BUT dont enroll full time.
Instead keep your time free, as much as you can.
This comes with 2 main benefits.
You'll have time for job/work or creating a business AND you'll train your "fast learning muscle".
Let the limited time put you under preassure.
Oh and dont forget health and fitness offcourse.

Good Luck!
This advice lacks understanding of reality. you can't simply pick anything from STEM and be free . even if it is biology. As i have mentioned before , STEM degrees would not always help you in your life. If you really need some free time , you better choose a business or liberal arts degree because once , you would have to spend more time and investment in that field. I wonder why people give such kind of advice.
 

alexkuzmov

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This advice lacks understanding of reality.
How do you figure that? What parts are not grounded in reality?

you can't simply pick anything from STEM and be free . even if it is biology.
Yes you can. Is this the first time you hear of this?
Also, obviously "anything" in the context I`ve written it means "anything you want".
As i have mentioned before , STEM degrees would not always help you in your life. If you really need some free time , you better choose a business or liberal arts degree because once , you would have to spend more time and investment in that field.
Nothing will ever ALWAYS help you in your life so you have no point here.
Business and free time dont go together. The idea is to have free time you can use for a business, not the other way around.
As for a liberal arts degree, nothing more than expensive toilet paper IMO.

I wonder why people give such kind of advice.
Because of life experience, faillure and reflection, networking with other people who have the same problem, reading and understanding.
 
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