Need help with choosing majors? Math people, help!?

Question

I'm currently enrolled as a Business Economics major, but I'm having my doubts. I really enjoy doing math (like calculus) but I'm only okay at economics.. so I'm not sure if it;s the right major for me. Also, I don't really have an idea of what I want to be in the future, and I want to have something to work towards. It would be helpful if I had some options for majors that I can switch to? I've thought of being an Accountant but I want to expand my options :) Any comments are appreciated! Thanks!

Answer 1

If you like math, you don't necessarily have to be a math major.  You can go into engineering.  There's mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, civil engineering, chemical engineering...see what your school is offering.

Believe it or not, not all people who graduate from college end up working in a field that's specific to their degree.  This is especially true with math and science degree holders.  I got my BS and MS in math, but I ended up working in software.  This isn't to say that there are no math jobs out there.  There certainly are (actuary, statistician, etc.).  But very few math degree holders end up becoming "mathematicians".  There are lots of other jobs that require somebody who can pick up a technical language fast, apply it fast, have good communication skills etc. and a math major may be perfect for this.  

Answer 2

OK AP, you have doubts about biz-econ and your career choices.  The most important issue is the career choice, but more on that in a minute.  Econ for biz majors is quite different from econ for math majors.  Studying econ in the business school is like trying to study the actions of a rain cloud.  There are many factors coming from different directions that affect what the cloud does.  Supply/demand/technology/international politics....   Math major econ is much more analytical.

If you like math, you like working with things that are more concrete and predictable.  Biz econ is far from concrete.  My sympathies.

Who chose this major for you anyway?  Did some HS guidance councelor look at your aptitiude test and pull it from some analytical soup?  Or did you see that there are not many people in the field and you might find it easier to get a job that at least pays the rent?

When I look at the rolls, there are a TON of kids listed as business majors.  What that really indicates is that there are just as many who have not made definative choices on where they want to go in their careers.

If you got a kick out of doing dirivatives and decyphering whether to integrate by parts or applying the chain rule, accounting will drive you NUTS.  The job will pay the rent but you will be on the same bus with the teaming millions who scream YAHOO TGIF and drink beer till sunday.   A basic BS in math will open a ton of doors for possible careers that you may find satisfying.

But "What career?" you must certainly be asking.  To tell you the truth, I don't know.  Sadly for you, You don't know either.  But don't worry.  There is little likelyhood that it's possible for you to even be ABLE to make that choice right now.  That choice has to come from your HEART and not from somebody's educated yet missaimed guess.

Don't confuse heart with emotion.  I mean your soul.

Being able to focus on your heart and soul is extremely difficult for most people and practically impossible for kids less than 21.  So choosing a career when you are clueless is essentially pointless.

Here's how to get a clue.  Find the intrinsic joys in your life.  What are the things you enjoy simply because they are fun?  (and fun for no specific reason other than you get a kick out of it)    But you have to watch out for and eliminate the things you do to avoid being BORED.  That eliminates hanging with friends, playing nintendo, going to movies, reading, and getting stoned.  From that list, determine what that joy indicates about your soul.  From those characteristics, determine a career path that will satisfy those inate, fundamental desires.   Only then will you be on a path that gets you off the bus of dissatisfied drones and into a job that you truely enjoy.

Do you like to write poetry, draw pictures, sculpt, design buildings or cars?  Then there is a creative streak in you.

Do you enjoy helping an elderly get across the street or occasionally volunteer you abilities to assist somebody, even when that person never knows you?  Then there is a compassionate streak that gets a kick from helping others.

Do you play soduko, chess, or solve the cypher puzzle in the newspaper?  Then you get a kick out of solving puzzles.

A career for somebody who is creative, enjoys helping people and solving puzzles might be as a computer analyst, actuary or even a teacher.

Don't make career decisions based on ease of finding employment or where the bigger pay is going.  Those figures will chage by the time you graduate because all your classmates are looking at the same figures.  So the competition that's lacking this year......  he's sitting in class with you and will be sending resumes to the same employers come 2010.

Yes it might be helpful to have majors to switch to.  IF they lead to a satisfying career.  Actually, you can switch to chemistry, math, or art.  You have the entire college of business, college of math and college of humanities to switch to.  But it will take some serious introspection and maturity before that switch is a good decision.

Good luck.