Just like Soulja Boy... look at how much cash he raked in. However a good alternative is to go to business school. Just go to UH, they have a good business school. Or maybe something in Hotel Management. If not, you can go for something more creative, like playing pro basketball or a rapper.
I might be alone but I think you shouldn't choose what to study based on what's in demand or what pays good money, or where you can get in. I skipped this year after high school hoping to realize what I want to do. And I have done it. It sucks that I'm 20 already but at least I'm not like half of my classmates who withdrew because they didn't really like what they were studying. Salary is a big part of the satisfaction you have with your job but to me, it's not as important as actually enjoying what you do. My advice, study what interests you and then go from there.
If you want to become a journalist or reporter or local anchor or talk radio host, do not do it for the money. Charlie Palillo is around 200 grand this year with his talk show, Dynamo play-by-play, and other TV appearances (including Extra Points). I believe he was paid over 120,000 last year just for his show on The Animal. Palillo is the best we have in Houston though. That's 1 guy out of thousands. John Lopez was making six figures too as a columnist/talk show/ESPN guest, and Richard Justice is too. To make the big bucks, you pretty much have to be all over the place, which is why there is so much cross-media platforming taking place, with guys writing, editing, showing up on ESPN, emceeing charity events, talk radio, free lance literary writing, producing movies, etc. Charlie is still not married, I believe. I'd actually expect Chance to be paid more than anyone else. Usually the guys behind the scenes are the ones getting paid big. Sales, producing, recruiting, etc. With that being said, the most lucrative field in public communications is probably public relations. You can still do the journalism thing in school and even right out of it, and then go to the "dark side". A lot of people end up doing that. A guy like Nelson Luis with the Rockets makes 6 figures and knows hundreds of media members around the world.
ROCKETS' PLAYERS STALKER. There's a lot of money in that. Sincerely, Spoiler <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/I82BPA5QAaQ&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/I82BPA5QAaQ&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> Mr. "I'm a soldier himself", Kellen Winslow
Study in the field that you enjoy learning in. Most times people end up with jobs they didn't major in, so at least have some fun in college. Also, its not a good idea to major in something just because it's currently hot. Chances are that field will be overcrowded within the next 4 years.
i graduated BS EE from UT in 2002. im applying to medical school right now. with that said. i dont regret the fact that i got an EE degree. if you get an engineering degree, youll have a lot of flexibility when you graduate. you can choose to remain an engineer or go into law, medicine, finance, sales, teaching... a whole slew of opportunities. but a word of caution. dont buy into the hype that an EE degree will guarantee you a nice comfy job. engineering positions are volitile towards the economy also. also, dont view studying EE as being locked into electrical skill sets. engineering in general is being able to critically and technically think your way through a complicated problem. this skill can be applied to any career... good luck, study hard, and enjoy college.
Another vote for nursing. Paid well, job stability, and they usually get to make up their own schedules. You can start being an LPN or RN and then move up, with experience and education, to positions like APN, CRNA, etc. which have pay rates in the range of some doctors.
circuit design is just one facet of EE. EE has become quite diversified over the years... EM (electromagnetics), Telecom, Power, Semiconductors/Materials, Biomedical, Programming, Management, etc... if you go get a BS in Bio and you dont get into med school. then you can 1) teach or 2) get a sales job... my advice would be to tough it out and get the BS EE. then look at your options. youd be in a much better positions than someone who graduates with a BS Bio.
True. I also forgot taxes, but others mentioned accounting. I'd have to say nursing is probably the biggest bang for your buck, depending on how you go about it. One year of nursing school can get you started as an LVN, where you can make pretty good money. Community college can make you an RN just with an associates degree. I'll be an RN with a bachelors degree, and whether you get your masters or PhD n nursing, you're still an RN. Granted, advanced degrees will get you lucrative top/advanced positions, but its all up to what you want out of life. Or, ask yourself what you DON'T want: I do NOT want to be in an office or a cubicle, wear a tie, or get a haircut. I want to work second-shift so I can sleep until noon every day (I'm a night-owl). I want to travel and live out of a suitcase. I want to live overseas. I want to do all of those things while living comfortably and making a difference in peoples lives. Nursing allows for all of that. I love the 'barely-controlled-chaos' of hospitals and I want to be on my feet. I really have a hard time seeing myself wanting to go beyond the bachelors level, as it provides everything I could possibly want out of a profession.
I would just recommend not doing semiconductors. Software would be good. You need experience before you get to management and not everyone will get there.
The IT market is hot right now, but only for people that are already in it. Experience means more in this field than any degree ever will. I will agree with those that said pharmacy is a good field to consider if you are just now heading off to school. If I wasn't working in IT, pharmacy would have been my next choice.
30 plus posts into this thread and no one has given the OP grief for going to A&M. I am very disappointed in this board!
Interesting, I was an '02 EE grad from UT as well. I'm sure we sweated through some of the same classes (312 Wagner, 319K Lipovski, 338 Thomas, 351K Cogdell, etc). Those years taught me how to pull all nighters. You're right on with the points about it being a flexible degree. I have friends from my class that are in med school, law, marketing, consulting, sales & trading, and corp finance. The quant and critical thinking skills you gain as an EE are extremely versatile. As far as the guaranteed job thing, you're right on there as well. Remember how many folks didn't have a job upon graduating back in '02?
boils down to this.. if you're intelligent, an engineering degree will be flexible and let you land a job in a number of fields (or go to grad school in all kinds of fields) But being intelligent is important..
