I'm a college freshman at Vandy planning on majoring in engineering and math. I've always loved math and science, and so far it's working out well. I haven't decided on what kind of engineering I want to do yet, but I'm hoping to do something related to energy, whether it be nuclear, solar, petroleum, or whatever
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i go to secondary school in the uae but ive applied to a couple of universities in america to study computer science/engineering. im pretty sure im not going to flip flop on that decision because i really want to get into the 'tech industry' but as for whether ill go for graduate studies, work right out of college or drop out and start a billion dollar company like zuckerberg or gates im not sure. id really love to work in a startup company with few employees backed by venture capitalists as opposed to big silicon valley giants like apple and microsoft. maybe ill become a vc myself one day. who knows really. ive got four more years to make those decisions.
If you're serious about this you should already be keeping a blog or something where you write your critiques! If it's anything like games journalism, you're competing against tons of people who are building experience by doing it themselves. The internet makes it really easy to start up a blog. Just sign up for a Tumblr or WordPress account!
I'm currently pursuing a degree in Communication Arts & Sciences at Merrimack College in Massachusetts, US. I feel as though this opens up a decent number of career paths: journalism, although I don't love it; integrated marketing communication (advertising/marketing/PR); video production; publishing; media research; and a bunch of other things. All of these are attractive to me.
I'm leaning toward going into research or academia, but those paths basically necessitate grad school, and I'm still vacillating. (I'm only a sophomore, so I have a bit of time to decide.)
I also have a United States Politics minor, so I could pursue a career in political communication. Maybe I'll look into becoming some sort of media consultant/strategist or a speech writer.
Although I'm not an English major (and my college doesn't offer a Creative Writing degree), I wouldn't mind writing for TV or something, or maybe just writing on the side.
Because I attend a religious school that requires students to take religion courses--although I'm not particularly religious--I'm actually half-way to a minor in Religious & Theological Studies... Who knows, maybe it will lead to something.
I'm leaning toward going into research or academia, but those paths basically necessitate grad school, and I'm still vacillating. (I'm only a sophomore, so I have a bit of time to decide.)
I also have a United States Politics minor, so I could pursue a career in political communication. Maybe I'll look into becoming some sort of media consultant/strategist or a speech writer.
Although I'm not an English major (and my college doesn't offer a Creative Writing degree), I wouldn't mind writing for TV or something, or maybe just writing on the side.
Because I attend a religious school that requires students to take religion courses--although I'm not particularly religious--I'm actually half-way to a minor in Religious & Theological Studies... Who knows, maybe it will lead to something.
if you asked me last year, i would have said medicine. now, however, i have no idea anymore. medicine is the hardest college course to get into over here and i've managed to come to terms with the fact that i probably won't make it. which leaves me at a dead-end because all i can see myself doing (while being happy, of course) is medicine. that or performing music but i prefer to be realistic, i'm probably never going to break into that scene either. what pains me is that i wouldn't necessarily be bad at anything else i can choose to go into (because whatever else i choose, i'll probably be able to do it - there's that much of a gap between medicine and every other course here) but i'll hate it because the prospect of being a doctor of internal medicine has just completely captivated me. i suppose there is one other thing i'd enjoy, which would be studying english but what's the point? despite my english teacher thinking i'm some sort of language savant, i'll only ever be able to teach with it and that's not something i ever want to do.
reading over my post, this was a lot more depressing than i intended it to be.
reading over my post, this was a lot more depressing than i intended it to be.
Plan to go and get a degree in education at Xavier University after a year or so at Akron U.
Looking to teach world history and/or economics at high school in the New England area. :]
Looking to teach world history and/or economics at high school in the New England area. :]
this! i used to upload every now and then to deviantart but unless you're already popular then you don't get much attention there. i moved to tumblr to start posting a comic i've been drawing for a couple years and overnight it got a lot of attention, without advertising anywhere except my friends on facebook and a few people on livejournal. i use characters that already exist but it has people interested in my other art/writing already. you never know when someone important will see it.
Also can't stress enough how important it is to display your work if you're in a creative industry (design, art, etc). Yesterday, I had an old high school friend ask me if I knew anyone for some interaction design work he needed done. One of my other friends had just recently graduated and I remembered him linking his portfolio on Facebook a few weeks ago so I sent him that link. He might be getting some contract work now as a result! No portfolio and nobody wants to hire you. You need to show people what you know.
You should go into what interests you! Pharmacy is going to be really tough for me, because I'm not very good at Math. I can't grasp alot of the higher stuff, like Calculus, but medicine is where I really think my heart is. You can do anything you set your mind to. My best subjects are History and Literature, neither of which apply at all to Pharmacy, but I love it.
It's better to exert yourself early for something you love, than not and have a job you despise.
im a primary school teacher, my class this year are 7 year olds. i teach all general subjects but not the specialist ones (PE, chinese, music etc)...
here in Australia it pays quite well, as a fourth year teacher i am on a salary of $70,021 AUD a year. after teaching for ten years you can apply to be a senior teacher, earning $88,190 a year. also in Western Australia we are receiving a 12% pay rise that is being rolled out over three years, so ill end up somewhere close to $100k when i become a senior teacher!
of course, this is in Australia, where we are desperate (DESPERATE) for teachers as there is a major shortage...
of course, this is in Australia, where we are desperate (DESPERATE) for teachers as there is a major shortage...
I'm (going to go for) a Graphic Design major as how I'm not as academically good as I would like to be and that I've been somewhat interested in art since forever (I'm the type to doodle in class instead of taking notes). Ironic thing was that throughout High School, I had no clue what I wanted to do, but when I started college and was picking classes I picked Graphic Design because all of the other majors looked boring (to me). A few weeks into class, I decided to go with that path since it interested me.
My 2D Design teacher couldn't stress this enough either.
yeah one of my australian friends is a teacher and she makes GOOD money. its very different here, teachers make "enough" but nothing noteworthy. at least that is how my teachers in high school put it, i've never seen the numbers and i'm really not concerned with it. if you want to be a teacher, move to australia or go somewhere else to teach english.
on another note, by backup is probably disney. i can get into the disney college program which is a lot of work but very worth it for experience. i've done a fair bit of research and i've had chats with cast members while on vacation, and it turns out they really like short people and they're always looking for them, since you have to be under five feet to be "really good friends" with mickey, minnie, stitch, etc. qualification 2 is good heat tolerance. of course that would mean moving to california or florida, wherever they stick me for the program (which does come in international flavor). however wages are low, probably lower than game concept artist.
on another note, by backup is probably disney. i can get into the disney college program which is a lot of work but very worth it for experience. i've done a fair bit of research and i've had chats with cast members while on vacation, and it turns out they really like short people and they're always looking for them, since you have to be under five feet to be "really good friends" with mickey, minnie, stitch, etc. qualification 2 is good heat tolerance. of course that would mean moving to california or florida, wherever they stick me for the program (which does come in international flavor). however wages are low, probably lower than game concept artist.
Hmmm... I live in North america, but the school I'm thinking of teaching at is one I've been to ever since Kindergarten, so I'm sure that some of the staff would know me. I've gotten amazing grades whenever we have artistic classes, so I think they would be happy to have me as an art teacher. Of course, that is that I study other arts of the trade.
I'm only a high school senior, so I haven't really haven't had too much work experience, but I know what I'm interested in and what I want to do. I know for a fact that I want to help people. I've known for a while that what I end up doing has to put a smile on someone's face. I can't imagine pursuing a career in which the end goal is not making someone's life better. And for as long as I can remember, I've been interested in the criminal justice system. The majority of books I read are legal thrillers, as with the majority of movies I watch, etc. I'm just really enthralled with legal procedures, the entire CJS, etc, and I want to pursue something in that. But in the same way, I know that the CJS...isn't perfect, at all, and sometimes accusations are made and innocent people fall through the cracks. Accordingly I want to be a defense attorney, a DA, so I can help people who really need help restoring their good name.
Granted I understand that not everyone who comes to me will be innocent. But call me idealistic, but I strongly believe in that right to a trial that everyone has, innocent or not. And there are enough people being negatively affected by our criminal justice system for me to justify working as a DA.
Also, I'm really just interested in how criminals think. I want to understand why an individual is capable of committing murder or other crimes while I'm not capable of doing so. Before pursuing a law degree, I want to major in (criminal) psychology. I want to understand the mind better, and what affects crime. Plus I can use that knowledge as a DA :D.
All of my interests fit together really well <3.
Granted I understand that not everyone who comes to me will be innocent. But call me idealistic, but I strongly believe in that right to a trial that everyone has, innocent or not. And there are enough people being negatively affected by our criminal justice system for me to justify working as a DA.
Also, I'm really just interested in how criminals think. I want to understand why an individual is capable of committing murder or other crimes while I'm not capable of doing so. Before pursuing a law degree, I want to major in (criminal) psychology. I want to understand the mind better, and what affects crime. Plus I can use that knowledge as a DA :D.
All of my interests fit together really well <3.
I'll apply for Financial Aid more than likely, my broke ass is broke as fuck right now. I can stay committed to something as long as I want to, and as of right now the type of job I have makes me think twice about going to get an education. It's just really hard because I'm the first out of my whole family (probably in generations) that is going to get an education. It can be misleading at times.Ese Venom. Community College is nothing bro. As long as you have a high school diploma or a GED you're good. Classes are pretty cheap too, like a little over a G for a semester with books included, and even then since you live in Texas you qualify for free money as long as you apply for it before March, I think. Just talk to the people at the financial aid office.
I tried doing it but I registered late so all my classes were scattered across different campuses. I didn't make it a week. Work, gas money, laziness all got in the way. I wasn't even able to drop my classes in time so not only did I waste a thousand dollars of my parents money but I failed all my classes. If you're gonna commit to doing it you better be 100% sure you're able to do it.
Luckily I had enlisted in the Marine Corps earlier that year, and I was only doing a semester in college to try to get enough credits to get a higher rank before I shipped off to boot camp. I was able to qualify for construction engineering and I start basic training in April.
Just find what you like doing and stick with it.
I'll probably start next semester or something, once I get the financial shit sorted out. Half the shit I want to do involves math, and I'm fucking horrible at math. P.E was my best subject in my report card.
@Master Win
Both my parents are school teachers; my mom teaches 6th graders math and science and my dad teaches high school culinary and special ed.
The way that public school works in this country is that you don't get paid enough for having to get a college degree along with grad school work in order to be able to teach. You usually do get benefits, which is good. If you've been working for less than ten years as a teacher, you can be laid off any time.
It sounds like you want to work with little kids, which is probably better for you. My parents leave for work at 7:00 and get back around 5:00, which is when they can start grading the 2-4 hours of paper work per night. Middle- and high school students tend to be far less well behaved than little kids. While he had other things going on at the time, my dad was driven to suicide a couple years ago, partly because of some students. Luckily he messed up but still...
Think about it before you commit yourself to it.
As for the OP, I love building things to improve my life, others' lives, and the world we live in. I'm all about calc, physics, and environmental sciences, so I'm working towards a Mechanical Engineering degree and the University of California. I'll see what kind of work/grad school options are available after I graduate, but ultimately my goal is to make, or help make some new sustainable, environmentally friendly technology that people will actually use. Of course, that assumes people will get their heads out of their asses long enough to admit global climate change is a real issue influenced by us...
Both my parents are school teachers; my mom teaches 6th graders math and science and my dad teaches high school culinary and special ed.
The way that public school works in this country is that you don't get paid enough for having to get a college degree along with grad school work in order to be able to teach. You usually do get benefits, which is good. If you've been working for less than ten years as a teacher, you can be laid off any time.
It sounds like you want to work with little kids, which is probably better for you. My parents leave for work at 7:00 and get back around 5:00, which is when they can start grading the 2-4 hours of paper work per night. Middle- and high school students tend to be far less well behaved than little kids. While he had other things going on at the time, my dad was driven to suicide a couple years ago, partly because of some students. Luckily he messed up but still...
Think about it before you commit yourself to it.
As for the OP, I love building things to improve my life, others' lives, and the world we live in. I'm all about calc, physics, and environmental sciences, so I'm working towards a Mechanical Engineering degree and the University of California. I'll see what kind of work/grad school options are available after I graduate, but ultimately my goal is to make, or help make some new sustainable, environmentally friendly technology that people will actually use. Of course, that assumes people will get their heads out of their asses long enough to admit global climate change is a real issue influenced by us...
Bacteria and germs are what I like, so that's a bigger size scale in comparison. Sucks to hear about your progress so far, but everything you've learned up to this point is certainly not in vain. And like you said, you're 18, which is way too young to start panicking about your career. Don't know about your reasons for not pursuing virology, but you'll think of something.
Rad. My education qualifies me for laboratory work in general, but since my lab reports was part of the reason why I struggled with finishing my degree, getting a position in research never really appealed to me. I also imagine that I'd become more involved mentally, which would lead to:
This is something I value when it comes to work, and for those who wants to have their own life and interests outside of their job, then this cannot be more emphasized.
But all in all, I'd rather have any job than no job, so even though things have worked out nicely for me, I can easily have imagined myself doing my living with something else just to keep my life going around. To have a job that you like makes it easier to work with, but it's not everything.
"When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down "happy". They told me I didn’t understand the assignment.
I told them they didn’t understand life."
— John Lennon.
I told them they didn’t understand life."
— John Lennon.
while it's true that career success isn't an immediate guarantee of personal happiness, many people who are very happy are so due to their pursuit of a job that lets them do what they truly love! (which john lennon happened to have as well).
as for me, i'm interested in becoming a writer, illustrator, cartoonist, schoolteacher or some combination of the aforementioned. although i haven't published anything, i've had moderate success in scholastic competitions and such. it's very difficult to work on one's own portfolio when besieged by tests, real-life issues, though -- i agree with previous posters who stressed the importance of doing what you love so often that you can eventually be recognized for it. connections really are everything!
as for me, i'm interested in becoming a writer, illustrator, cartoonist, schoolteacher or some combination of the aforementioned. although i haven't published anything, i've had moderate success in scholastic competitions and such. it's very difficult to work on one's own portfolio when besieged by tests, real-life issues, though -- i agree with previous posters who stressed the importance of doing what you love so often that you can eventually be recognized for it. connections really are everything!
* Graduated 2008 with a BSc in Economics.
* Now working in London as an audit semi-senior at a mid-tier accountancy firm.
* Paid off my student loan by the end of 2009.
* Will be ACCA qualified come September.
* Will then move on to something else; most likely destination is private equity.
* Plan is to make good money for 10-15 years, pay off the mortgage, then become a teacher.
Whatever you choose to do, I have just two pieces of career advice:
* Network (it will never be as easy as during university)
* Do an internship!!
* Now working in London as an audit semi-senior at a mid-tier accountancy firm.
* Paid off my student loan by the end of 2009.
* Will be ACCA qualified come September.
* Will then move on to something else; most likely destination is private equity.
* Plan is to make good money for 10-15 years, pay off the mortgage, then become a teacher.
Whatever you choose to do, I have just two pieces of career advice:
* Network (it will never be as easy as during university)
* Do an internship!!