NationStates Jolt Archive

Hey everyone, I used to post somewhat in here but my countries all got deleted so this is my first post in 3 months.

Im entering college in a few months and Im still kind of undecided of what Im gonna major in.

Right now Im signed up for a BS in Business adminstration with hopes of getting an MBA but my parents (although they support me if thats what I want to do) Want me to seriously reconsider. They cite the outsourcing of jobs overseas as a primary example, saying that the US is losing so many jobs to china and India there will be a low demand for MBAs in addition to high supply (quanity of people with MBAs have gone up)... of course they are wrong alot of times too, So I just wanted to ask everyone here on what they think. Also, If you agree with my parents and think I should switch majors, what do you suggest going into (I want to do something enjoyable and make lots of money obviously)

Thanks for the help

dude I aiming to minor in BBA and major in something I like. now as for an MBA? naaaah, you can attain quite a few well paid jobs without it.

MBA's are good to have but people who go into MBA programs right after getting a BS don't really do too much better in the real world (unless of course you're in a top business school and are at the top of your class-that's different).

The reason is that you don't have any experience. In the time you spend getting the MBA you could have 2-3 years of experience and might wind up making the same amount of money either way.

Also, some MBA programs require that you be in a position to utilize the skills that you will be learning as part of your grade (they ask your boss to vouche for you and grade you.) Just wait a few years and then go and make $ in the mean time.

Hmmm. Here (New Zealand) all the universities I know of won't accept you into the MBA programme, unless you have at least 5-7 years work experience as well as an undergraduate degree (generally). Even then, I understand they're quite picky.

Is that not the case in the US?

Thanks, what are some other majors i should consider?

What I love in some US companies is that they try to pick people with MBAs to lead software development departments.

It's fun to watch them screw up badly, then be called in to fix it for them.

Even then, they wear that MBA like a chip on their shoulder, as though going to a school will teach you how to manage a project or lead people.

I usually recommend that the company fire them immediately, as big change is easier than little change. They usually take my advice.

An MBA is worth exactly one year experience in the field in my company and carries a benefit package enhancement of one repeat of any instruction given for one year. Everyone else has to get it right the first time.

Get something other than BA, like Finance or Accounting, then get your MBA.

Damn. Guess that means I am getting a PhD in economics. :p

I reccomend physics.

Physics is awesome and there are far too few physicists in the world.

I reccomend physics.

Physics is awesome and there are far too few physicists in the world.

True story, right there.

As for MBA's, here's one view (of many):

http://news.yahoo.com/s/usatoday/20060119/bs_usatoday/newmbasfindingeducationpaysoffbigtime

Finance/Economics. Aside from the fact that it's my field of choice, you're also guaranteed to have excellent employment opportunities for the near and long term...and the retiring boomers makes it even more attractive.

Financial services is expected to grow faster than average over the next decade (18 to 26% growth).

BLS Occupational Handbook (http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos259.htm)

Those two are incredibly useful for virtually all career outlook information.

Hmmm. Here (New Zealand) all the universities I know of won't accept you into the MBA programme, unless you have at least 5-7 years work experience as well as an undergraduate degree (generally). Even then, I understand they're quite picky.
Same in Oz.

I hope they're not going downhill though...I'm pretty sure I'll be doing one in the future.

I looked at economics... but its under liberal arts in many universities so im skeptical about that.. and even though I like physics, i just cant picture myself working in a lab by myself... i enjoy interaction among peers

Also what are the major differences between BA and BS thanks

I looked at economics... but its under liberal arts in many universities so im skeptical about that.. and even though I like physics, i just cant picture myself working in a lab by myself... i enjoy interaction among peers
I think that only rules out "Mad Scientist," most other scientests interact with their peers quite often.

Are they really shipping the MBA jobs oversees? I only have ancedotal evidence for anything here, I have a friend who has an MBA from Stanford who works international business, so in effect he was shipped oversees. He's completely ex-pated now. I'm sure you can google the trend to see if your parents are right.

The CEO of Sun Microsystems wrote that he would never hire another Harvard Business school grad. <Heh heh.> Amen.

The CEO of Sun Microsystems wrote that he would never hire another Harvard Business school grad. <Heh heh.> Amen.
That's probably a good idea. We went through a rash of engineers-turned-MBAs after the dot-com bubble broke. It's kind of ironic that those that didn't get MBAs ended up in management positions, while those that did acquire them stayed in engineering.

I vote for you to learn physics, come to Georgia Tech, and help my pals solve the cold fusion problem. There's always room for another good physicist. Or is that Jello?

Hey everyone, I used to post somewhat in here but my countries all got deleted so this is my first post in 3 months.

Im entering college in a few months and Im still kind of undecided of what Im gonna major in.

Right now Im signed up for a BS in Business adminstration with hopes of getting an MBA but my parents (although they support me if thats what I want to do) Want me to seriously reconsider. They cite the outsourcing of jobs overseas as a primary example, saying that the US is losing so many jobs to china and India there will be a low demand for MBAs in addition to high supply (quanity of people with MBAs have gone up)... of course they are wrong alot of times too, So I just wanted to ask everyone here on what they think. Also, If you agree with my parents and think I should switch majors, what do you suggest going into (I want to do something enjoyable and make lots of money obviously)

Thanks for the help

MBA's are probably the most abused of all university qualifications - the idea of an MBA is this, you're a manager in a company or you have owned a company for several years, and the idea is with an MBA is that you know the basics of business, you've been out and had pratical experience, and now you want to put that experience into paper form, that is what an MBA is for.

Unfortunately, however, an MBA is now turning into one of the most abused university qualifications with people simply getting them because they're the 'in thing' but reality hits when they get out there and find that employers who do want someone with an MBA ALSO want the same person with atleast 4-6 years of managerial experience.

Also, depending on your location in the globe will pretty much dictate how much credence is put on an MBA over all - in Australia, for example, the last survery put the good old 'working ones way up to the top from the bottom rung' seems to be the more prevalent focus of businesses rather than simply picking people out of an MBA course to run one of their departments - I think that is pretty much the same in New Zealand too.

Only losers go to college and get BA, BS, MBA etc....Real men sell lady shoes.

and even though I like physics, i just cant picture myself working in a lab by myself... i enjoy interaction among peers
Physicists always interact with their peers. I mean, first of all, any job in academia will mean that you're forced to teach, you'll also be surrounded by people with similar educations to yours on a regular basis and they go to conferences (apparantly an association of physicists has been the only group asked not to return to certain casinos in Vegas) hell, at least a couple of my profs practically live in the campus pub.
If you go into research in a non-academic setting you're still going to have a lot of social interaction to do.
I think every physicist of any note interacted with their peers on a regular basis, if only to bounce ideas off.

The difference between a BS and a BA, at my university, Purdue, is simply a difference in analytical or theory type courses (respectively). I am working on an undergraduate in Behavioral Neuroscience with minors in anthropology and forensic sciences, which is in liberal arts and a BA. I used to be a Molecular Biology major w/ minors in anthropology&chemistry, but after a few years I shoved that BS down with a few cold ones. Not only is there a huge difference in my major change, going to biopsychology from a genetic engineering future job outlook... but i lost somewhere are around $20k in a starting labassistant position:headbang: . I mean this is a difference of fields, etc... but with finance I could easily see a similar trend.


I have a friend who is a duel major economics&management, he plans on not gettting an MBA; as this would be a waste of his time with his dueling specialities. I read something in the school newspaper the other day about admission to the management school (purdue is #1 ranked:) by wall street journal), and as far as experience goes... they look for people who have had at least 2-4 years of experience in the executive world before taking fresh MBA candidates.

I guess I am not a big authority to advise you, as this cross fielded from my speciality... but it depends on where your're going and what the rank of that colleges' school ranking. i would adivse doing a few searches before making a 2 year mistake and switching majors.... like i did, that was a 20k/annual mistake.

best of luck!

(apparantly an association of physicists has been the only group asked not to return to certain casinos in Vegas).

Heh...the house mucky-mucks take a dim view of anybody with developed math skills, they're worried about "advantage play". That, or somebody got tanked and decided to test the oscillation of a showgirl's ass when subjected to 2.00 hand/slaps of howdy-do.

Just remember what Feynman said when he crashed a wedding:

"We represent the Physics department".

Just remember what Feynman said when he crashed a wedding:

"We represent the Physics department".


:D :D :p :p :)

LOL.

The other day DJ. Minchella bought in 6 empty brown bottles and set them on the overhead projector and started talking about ethonol at random. it is quite hilarious.