NationStates Jolt Archive

A change from the debates we have grown accustomed to. :p

So, the world's population is growing exponentially. The number of undergraduates is increasing year by year. People are finding it very difficult to choose a career path or a university major that would promise them successful futures or good money.

What major, in your opinion, will be in demand in the future? What major is the best option for current undergraduates planning to enroll in institutions of higher education?

Bear in mind:

- The world's growing dependance on economists and financial managers.
- The fact that only 4% of American undergraduates choose engineering, a pillar that ensures the advancement of the human race, as their university major.
- Another ice age is on the horizon. We third-world countries might need experts in agricultural sciences once you developed guys are buried in snow.
- Space exploration and tourism will become a huge enterprise in the next decades.
- The fact that doctors are good for nothing bastards [/personal opinion]
- The fact that lawyers are good for nothing bastards [/personal opinion]

The fact that doctors are good for nothing bastards [/personal opinion]
OI! Now I agree about lawyers. ;) But doctors are useful. Sure, some are bastards, but they're the old school evil paternalist old boys club doctors!
Now dentists, there's a bunch of money grabbing lowlifes. Why the hell would you CHOOSE to dedicate your LIFE to teeth?

On the other hand, I'm taking an arts degree alongside medicine, and I'm majoring in GENDER STUDIES!

*waits for someone to yell "FEMINAZI" and pelt tomatoes*

Crap! It was my intention to create a poll.. :(

Anyway, here are majors for you to think about:

- Agricultural Sciences
- Art (Architecture/Animation/Design Technology/Planning)
- Economics (Business Administration/Economics/Financial Management/Other financial)
- Education
- Engineering (Aerospace/Biomedical/Civil/Chemical/Computer/Mechanical/Other)
- Law
- Management
- Medicine
- Other Humanities (Political Science/History/Geography/Symbology/Religious Studies/Other)
- Other Life Sciences (Biology)
- Other Technical (Technicians/Other)
- Natural Sciences (Physics/Mathematics/Chemistry)
- Zoology (Hmph. It just sounds cool)

On the other hand, I'm taking an arts degree alongside medicine, and I'm majoring in GENDER STUDIES!


Huh? Pray tell, where do you plan to work after you finish your studies? Arts+Medicine? That's very unusual. (But then again, in this part of the world, career options are very limited. You won't find work here, stay away!)

Huh? Pray tell, where do you plan to work after you finish your studies? Arts+Medicine? That's very unusual. (But then again, in this part of the world, career options are very limited. You won't find work here, stay away!)

Well I'll be a qualified doctor, so I'll practice medicine. (Not sure what specialty yet)
The Arts degree is for fun. (Us undergrads have to take another degree- it was either Arts or Medical Science)
I AM interested in public health though, which the Arts degree will help though.

EDIT: And where is this employment black hole, pray tell? :p

Whatever it is, it's probably not Arts related.

*ponders future living in dumpster*

Whatever it is, it's probably not Arts related.

*ponders future living in dumpster*

Well at least you'll be able to think more critically than most people. And you're not working in banking...

My bf's doing arts, well International Studies, and he's probably going into teaching history.

EDIT: And where is this employment black hole, pray tell? :p

*grumble, grumble* The Middle East *grumble, grumble*

Consider going to Dubai. They pay mind-blowing salaries to their workers, especially doctors with experience. And you get your own villa and some pretty nice cars as part of the deal. Nirvana.

Well at least you'll be able to think more critically than most people. And you're not working in banking...

My bf's doing arts, well International Studies, and he's probably going into teaching history.

International studies is awesome. But I *really* do not want to be a teacher. Ah well.

Whatever it is, it's probably not Arts related.

*ponders future living in dumpster*
I bet you could make a marginal existence leeching off the government for a while, if you had to...

Consider going to Dubai. They pay mind-blowing salaries to their workers, especially doctors with experience. And you get your own villa and some pretty nice cars as part of the deal. Nirvana.

Nah, it's ok, I'd rather work in a cosy little practice somewhere in Sydney or Melbourne and live in a Victorian house that I will renovate with my own two hands. With for two/three kids and a dog. :p The whole migrant worker thing in Dubai, Kuwait etc freaks me out.

But I *really* do not want to be a teacher. Ah well.
Yeah, I wouldn't either. :p What's your major?

I bet you could make a marginal existence leeching off the government for a while, if you had to...

Yeah, but I could do that now without wasting time with school :p


Yeah, I wouldn't either. :p What's your major?

At this stage, it looks like i'll be doing a dual Politics/International Studies major. Meh.

Linuistics.

With the like 6000 languages in the world, and the growing Globalization, Linguists are gonna be needed more and more.

And no, the fact that I'm majoring in Linguistics does not influence my choice >.>

Music seemed like there was too much work available, so I switched from that (what I got my AA in) to film (what I got my BA in) and playwrighting (what I'm getting my grad degree in).

But when all goes to crap, people lean to the entertainers. At least hoping that's the case....

Music seemed like there was too much work available, so I switched from that (what I got my AA in) to film (what I got my BA in) and playwrighting (what I'm getting my grad degree in).

But when all goes to crap, people lean to the entertainers. At least hoping that's the case....

Meh. I suppose in a couple of years, music will be a viable career path for me too.

And where on your list are the physical sciences?!?! Where are chemistry and physics? The two most fundamental areas of study...

And mathematics too, for that matter!

Yowch! I knew I forgot something! The natural sciences! And I'm thinking of majoring in Physics! Shame on me... :(

If you think that lawyers and doctors are basterds , i put it to you that your system is wrong. Lawyers should be the bastions of JUSTICE, Doctors the keepers of HEALTH. The fact that these two great proffessions should be vilified in your eyes betrays the kind of corrupt and imbalanced society you live in , rather than being a reflection upon the noble proffessions themselves. Isnt it more the case that the ethic of GREED that quite obviously purvey's your society has corrupted the very institutions that should be there to secure and keep safe its citizenry. So rather than take pot shots at the proffessions, it might be more perspectively astute to have a look at the system they find themselves opperating within.

As for the Proffession, choose the one for which you are best suited, "above all else, to thine own self be true".

Chinese, English, and philosophy with a second degree in Medicine might be handy:) :cool:

- Another ice age is on the horizon. We third-world countries might need experts in agricultural sciences once you developed guys are buried in snow.

I don't think too many ppl would agree with that comment, particularly one of my chemistry lecturers from 2nd year (he worked for the UN measuring atmospheric particles and ozone holes or something like that).

btw, i'm doing my honours in biotechnology at the moment, although i'm considering doing medicine

i'm considering doing medicine
Don't go to UNSW! They are the spawn of SATAN!! Come to Melbourne Uni. :p

- Other Life Sciences

- Natural Sciences (Physics/Mathematics/Chemistry/Biology)

This was just bugging me, as I usually see Physics, Math, and Chem as Physical Sciences, and Biology as a Life science. Sorry to be nitpicky but I was just puzzled by the way you classified these.

And regarding that combination of medicine and art, I'm actually majoring in biology (going into pharmacy) and minoring in art history ... just for the hell of it, really.

Crap! It was my intention to create a poll.. :(

Anyway, here are majors for you to think about:

- Agricultural Sciences
- Art (Architecture/Animation/Design Technology/Planning)
- Economics (Business Administration/Economics/Financial Management/Other financial)
- Engineering (Aerospace/Biomedical/Civil/Chemical/Computer/Mechanical/Other)
- Law
- Management
- Medicine
- Other Humanities (Political Science/History/Geography/Symbology/Other)
- Other Life Sciences
- Other Technical (Technicians/Other)
- Natural Sciences (Physics/Mathematics/Chemistry/Biology)
- Zoology (Hmph. It just sounds cool)





no where on your list is Education...... that should be the most important major since you need people to teach all of these other things and people to teach you things to prepare to go to college.

I don't know how useful it'll be but I'm going to be doing Biology with Management. Or biochemistry if I go to the other university.

uNSW spawn of devil? eek, my little sister just transferred from UoW to uNSW

lol!

uNSW spawn of devil? eek, my little sister just transferred from UoW to uNSW
ok ok, I'm just bitter cos UNSW rejected me... But Melbourne is really great and the Med course is awesome. I keep seeing my lecturers on the news and hearing them on radio. :P

If you think that lawyers and doctors are basterds , i put it to you that your system is wrong. Lawyers should be the bastions of JUSTICE, Doctors the keepers of HEALTH. The fact that these two great proffessions should be vilified in your eyes betrays the kind of corrupt and imbalanced society you live in , rather than being a reflection upon the noble proffessions themselves. Isnt it more the case that the ethic of GREED that quite obviously purvey's your society has corrupted the very institutions that should be there to secure and keep safe its citizenry. So rather than take pot shots at the proffessions, it might be more perspectively astute to have a look at the system they find themselves opperating within.

o_O... :rolleyes:

I was not trying to degrade the professions. I was just mentioning that it is stereotypical of people who adopt these two professions to be greedy, selfish fools. Bastions of justice my ass :rolleyes:

no where on your list is Education...... that should be the most important major since you need people to teach all of these other things and people to teach you things to prepare to go to college.

My mistake.



This was just bugging me, as I usually see Physics, Math, and Chem as Physical Sciences, and Biology as a Life science. Sorry to be nitpicky but I was just puzzled by the way you classified these.

And regarding that combination of medicine and art, I'm actually majoring in biology (going into pharmacy) and minoring in art history ... just for the hell of it, really.

o_O. Third mistake. Can you please debate the issue now? :p

I am quite surprised that no one has mentioned computer sciences, however I wish more people would devote themselves to research in microbiology.

Latin!

'mickey mouse' subjects such as 'media', 'fashion', 'dance & drama', any kind of sports studies, should not be offered at degree level imo. perhaps another level of qualification could be set up - similar to the polytechnics of the old days (though i don't know much about how the system worked back then). imo, only vaguely 'proper' subjects such as the sciences, maths, economics, philosophy, politics, law and medicine should be available to do at university.

slightly off topic, so, sorry.

My majors are polisci and econ, both with international focus.

Dr.'s and Lawyers aren;t asses. Ambulance chaseres and senile old fools are assholes.

no where on your list is Education...... that should be the most important major since you need people to teach all of these other things and people to teach you things to prepare to go to college.

[Unreasoned Diatribe]
Oh no. Pedagogy is the least usefull of all possible courses. Teaching is something that you can do or you can not. It is a practical skill. Trying to make it an intellectual field of knowledge has produced some of the worst education systems in the world.
Leave the teaching to those who know what they teach and have the abilty to do it. [/Unreasoned Diatribe]

I think which is the best course is very highly dependent on where you live. In the US I would suggest Engineering (any type)
Here in Brazil, hum?? Possibly Agronomy or Economics
In the UK one of the exact sciences or Maths (an art for me, not a science. There goes a nother big row) They need the teachers.

Elsewhere, no idea.

Sorry mate, but lawyers are asses. They don't want justice, they want money, at the expense of anyone else at all.

Anyhoo, I can't believe no one mentioned engineers. What good is a doctor without a hospital to work in and equipment to work with? What good is a teacher with no school? What good is society with no transportation? In my somewhat biased opinion, Engineering courses are vital to the development of any society. Most importantly aerospace engineers...

Sorry mate, but lawyers are asses. They don't want justice, they want money, at the expense of anyone else at all.

Anyhoo, I can't believe no one mentioned engineers. What good is a doctor without a hospital to work in and equipment to work with? What good is a teacher with no school? What good is society with no transportation? In my somewhat biased opinion, Engineering courses are vital to the development of any society. Most importantly aerospace engineers...
Don't overlook bio-engineers.

Ah go on then. Bio-engineers, civil engineers, automotive engineers, aeronautical engineers, maritime engineers, and erm.... systems engineers.

EDIT: Fine, AND electrical engineers.

Ah go on then. Bio-engineers, civil engineers, automotive engineers, aeronautical engineers, maritime engineers, and erm.... systems engineers.
Now you left out electronic engineers. :)

Now you left out electronic engineers. :)
And landscape engineers. (More commonly known as gardeners.)

And landscape engineers. (More commonly known as gardeners.)

Nice try buddy. I'm talking real engineers.

Sorry mate, but lawyers are asses. They don't want justice, they want money, at the expense of anyone else at all.

Anyhoo, I can't believe no one mentioned engineers. What good is a doctor without a hospital to work in and equipment to work with? What good is a teacher with no school? What good is society with no transportation? In my somewhat biased opinion, Engineering courses are vital to the development of any society. Most importantly aerospace engineers...

No....not really. What about lawyers for the state. I still only think ambulance chasers are asses. that's it. It's their job to do what they are hired for. It's the lawyers that are "hurt? call now," that are the scourges of the profession. Lawyers with billboards are automatically labeled sleazes in my book.

Ah go on then. Bio-engineers, civil engineers, automotive engineers, aeronautical engineers, maritime engineers, and erm.... systems engineers.

EDIT: Fine, AND electrical engineers.
And what about chemical engineers?

*mumbles* fine, all kinds of engineers (which I did say in my first post) with the exception of landscape engineers.

well when i started uni i was microbiology, but switched to history and economics with the purpose of going to law school for corporate law

Anyhoo, I can't believe no one mentioned engineers. What good is a doctor without a hospital to work in and equipment to work with? What good is a teacher with no school? What good is society with no transportation? In my somewhat biased opinion, Engineering courses are vital to the development of any society. Most importantly aerospace engineers...


YESSS! Finally someone who mentions engineering, and picks out aerospace/aeronautics as an excellent field!.. That's what I applied to and am most likely going into. :)

Someone very close to me once said: Economists analyze and finance this world, Managers run and control this world, but it's engineers who built this world in the first place :D

but it's engineers who built this world in the first place :D[/b][/color]

Well, *technically* It's the engineers that design the world, while others build it ;)

Well, *technically* It's the engineers that design the world, while others build it ;)

*smacks Kanabia*

Don't you dare ruin my inspirational, loaded sayings ever again..

:p

My apologies if this has already been said (I didn't bother to read the other replies). Don't study something you don't like. It just doesn't matter how much demand there's gonna be for that profession, if you're not comfortable doing it, then you're not going to be highly motivated to work with that dull uninteresting dry stuff....and you won't do a superb job (your grades won't be great either!). When you don't do a great job, cause you don't enjoy what you're doing, other people will be better qualified than you and will be chosen before you.....and your happiness will recess further. And off you are into a bad spiral. My advice to you is that you try to avoid this situation since you're having a choice in the matter.

What you should do, is ask yourself what you "want" to do. Well, what would you like to do?

If you just know outright what you would really enjoy doing, then you got the answer right there. Otherwise, you should consider alittle soul searching to find out :-) Look for personality tests that may nudge you towards professions that you probably would enjoy more than others, then look at those professions thorougly. There are profession guides on the net, google for them, they state job descriptions, average salaries, stuff like that. The personality tests may make you more aware of your own preferences, such as, are you a very social person that immensely enjoy working with people, or do you prefer working with "things" (whatever that may be)? Do you prefer structured work where you can check off a list as you go, or do you prefer no structure at all?

Example: People who don't need to directly see the result of their job, AND are very social, may be more suitable as teachers than people who don't enjoy working with people.

If you prefer seeing the result of your job, and like structure, perhaps you should look into accounting, agriculture, etc.

If you enjoy exploring within a structured set of rules, and prefer working with things and see the result of your work, perhaps you would prefer being a computer programmer?

Get the picture?

Bottomline is, I strongly suggest you study something that genuinely interests you and that you will enjoy.

Biotech Imo. Either than that, Business. :)

But I agree with Rashaulge. Study something you love.

I had a friend who became a doctor, when she came out she studied accountancy and became a accountant. After 6 years, she realised she couldn't stand looking at blood. :p

the only true science, Physics. although I might only be saying that because I'm about halfway through an MPhys Physics with Computing degree course