I have a cousin that is about to enter college. He isn't sure what he is going to major in yet and keeps asking me for advice. I am currently majoring in computer science but as most of you know this isn't exactly a hot job market anymore as it was several years ago. I suggested to him that he enter a field that is always in demand such as medicine but that's all I really knew to suggest. You guys have any ideas?
youre fooling yourself if you know waht you want to do when you enter college. The whole point is to have some kind of idea, but to explore your options freshman year and see what you actually enjoy. To some extent, you cant always enjoy your job (that is why they call it work), but he needs to find something that fits. Your best advice would be to tell him to explore his options as much as possible, and if nothing is left, he should at least have some idea as to whether he wants to do something with engineering, business, medicine, possibly lawyer (all the big name, sure bet majors that will eventually get you a job)
Although, if he does enjoy what he decides on freshman year, then go for it -- the business market is not good for jobs, but if he's looking for a totally different spin on things, with new classes, unique material and real-world cases, business is a neat field to major in.
My best advice is to do something you love. If he really has a passion for something, go for it. Marketing always covers a wide range of jobs. Engineers are always in demand.
Most people change professions like seven times in their life. There's always time to change what you want to do, even after college. (Unless you have kids, credit problems, or both.) So tell him to pick something he's interested in, regardless of outlook.
Your cousin needs to do something that he is interested in. Why is he asking you? If this guy is looking for a "hot" major, there is no guarentee that it will be "hot" four years from now. If he thinks he can just wake up one morning and be Pre-Med, he needs to wake up. Most pre-med students have no life, because those classes are hard and demanding. If he is interested in medicine, tell him to take BIO 1 and 2. Then ask him if he still wants to major in Biology. As an Academic advisor, I see students everyday come through wanting to go pre-med. A few semesters later, they have changed their major to Business, or PSYC, or Crim. Justice. WTF?? If he is absolutely unsure, tell him to just worry about his basics for at least the first year. (HIST, ENGL, Sciences, MATH, Fine Arts, Basic Computer course) Hopefully by then he will have some idea.
Great advice from everyone. My mom was the head of secondary guidance counseling for the Houstopn Independent School District for nearly 20 years and she always said that people change careers (not jobs, but CAREERS) on the average of 6 times in their lives. If you need a career counselor, you don't hire an 18-year-old, right? Just do what makes you happy. As a wise man said, "Do what you love and you'll never work another day in your life." That even applies if what you love is sitting on the couch.
I'm not so sure that what you guys are saying is true. It sure sounds good. I think it helps to love what you do, but a job is a job. It's hard work. I think even the people that love what they do find that doing it for a living is much harder. It can often times become unbearable. And I often wonder if it's best to work a regular job and then do what you 'love' or have 'passion' for on your own time. For example, My aunt is a famous artist for painting nature, but she now has so many obligations that she has no time to paint what she really wants. Perhaps she is stuck between a rock and hard place. Perhaps not, but I often wonder....And if what I'm saying has any merit, perhaps it changes the whole way you look at finding a profession. I think it's a difficult balance that each of us must find the answer to on our own.
