College & No Idea About a Career

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This is something that constantly bothers me. I am in my second year of college and I’m about to get my Associates in Business Administration. I will be done after this summer and plan on going up to OSU in Stillwater.

What gets me is the fact that I have NO IDEA what I want to do. I have been doing a lot of research on possible degree options and career choices, but the only thing I have come up with is the fact that I want to avoid math as much as possible. I hate it, and I suck at it. I made a 24 on the ACT with a 16 in the math section, yeah, it’s that bad. I am taking college algebra this semester and it’s giving me absolute hell.

Anyhow, math troubles aside, did any of you all have this problem as you were going through school? I know I probably won’t get my bachelors in Business Admin, but at least I have my basics out of the way. I kind of like the idea of majoring in something such as nursing, where you are pretty much guaranteed a great paying job when you get done. Anyone have any advice to offer? :-p

Thanks

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If you’re interested in sailing for a living, you could come to the California Maritime Academy (or any of the other six maritime academies) and major in Marine Transportation, whereupon graduation you will have obtained the degree as well as a USCG 3rd Mate’s license. You are almost guaranteed job placement after graduation, and starting pay is anywhere in the 40k-70k range. There is minimal math involved in the Marine Transportation major.

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No problem man. Nobody actually knows this, nor do people who delare it ever really do what they thought they would.

As long as your major is delared (which is it) you are good and won’t waste time in JC…which I did.

I got my BS in Business (Marketing) BECAUSE I didn’t know what I wanted either. This degree is most flexible in life and opportunities.

You are in the perfect major…

…and don’t worry. It’s the best degree IMO.

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Your first problem is that you are going to OSU.

(I’m from Oklahoma and graduated from OU, BOOMER SOONER!!!). So you know as a Sooner fan, I have to say that.

On a more serious note, I feel ya. It took me 2.5 years to figure out what I want to do, and I earned a business degree. It is a good, versatile degree. You can do so many things with it, and it will be very beneficial for you. The math is limited (I had to take math up to Calculus II, but I took math at the community college, much easier).

But in the end, it’s up to you. Do what comes easy to you, and do something you enjoy. Your happiness is what matters. It is better to major in something you can make good grades in, and be happy with, then to major in something tough and struggle in all your classes, but make a good paycheck (such as engineering).

IMO, take a couple of business classes, and see how you like it. Good luck and keep us posted.

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Thanks guys… Rockscar, I chose Business Admin mainly because it is very flexible. I just don’t like the idea of not having something determined, ya know what I mean?

For example, my girlfriend is going to be an RN. She then eventually wants to be a nurse something… it sounds like Anesthesiologist, but it’s not, and I’m not about to try and spell it lol. I just hate the fact that I don’t know what I want, nor do I have anything planned, when it seems like most of my acquaintances are already headed in a direction where things are pretty much pre-determined.

I started out wanting to do Computer Programming, but the math is/was most likely something that I would have to struggle through. So I decided that it just wouldn’t be worth it.

Who knows, maybe something will just jump out at me one day. I’m not so much looking for my “dream job”, but more-so one in which it’s pay will offset its cons.

EDIT: Thought I would throw this out there. It’s not that I hate math, it’s that I hate Algebra. Math that I have taken that was associated with business, or economics and finance, I loved. Matter of fact, my two favorite classes were macro and micro economics. Maybe I should look into the BA of science in Business Administration: Finance and Economics option.

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I’m sort of in the same boat as you. I’m a freshman deciding between a psych and exercise science major. I presonally find psych to me much more interesting and fulfilling, but everyone keeps telling me to do the ES.

I think you’d actually benefit from reading TC’s book, its full of ‘life lessons’ and wisdom that you’d probably be able to relate to.

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[quote]lazyaxus11 wrote:
Thanks guys… Rockscar, I chose Business Admin mainly because it is very flexible. I just don’t like the idea of not having something determined, ya know what I mean?

For example, my girlfriend is going to be an RN. She then eventually wants to be a nurse something… it sounds like Anesthesiologist, but it’s not, and I’m not about to try and spell it lol. I just hate the fact that I don’t know what I want, nor do I have anything planned, when it seems like most of my acquaintances are already headed in a direction where things are pretty much pre-determined.

I started out wanting to do Computer Programming, but the math is/was most likely something that I would have to struggle through. So I decided that it just wouldn’t be worth it.

Who knows, maybe something will just jump out at me one day. I’m not so much looking for my “dream job”, but more-so one in which it’s pay will offset its cons.

EDIT: Thought I would throw this out there. It’s not that I hate math, it’s that I hate Algebra. Math that I have taken that was associated with business, or economics and finance, I loved. Matter of fact, my two favorite classes were macro and micro economics. Maybe I should look into the BA of science in Business Administration: Finance and Economics option. [/quote]

Finance and economics are good choices. It’s doing math without really doing it. I mean, you deal with numbers, but in a different manner. Finance will be a lot of formulas, and economics will be a lot of graphs. They are also versatile degrees, so you can obtain a number of jobs with them.

If you don’t like math, then definitely stay away from Comp. Programming. I know for a fact you have to take Calc. 1-4, Discrete Math, Engineering Math, and at least 2 more.

Good Luck!!!

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RN’s get paid WELL. They don’t get paid GREAT.

A Business degree will put far more paper in your pockets. If a McDonald’s Management position is where your ambition stops, nothing can save you. Become a nurse.

Math won’t always be tough.
Calculus, which cost me so many nights of sleep over 2 years, is now routinely used in my engineering classes.

I even caught myself regretting that it’d become mundane - much like riding a bike. After a while, you just whip through it.

Math classes are by nature more theory-intensive. Your major classes will give you more specific math under an application-oriented light. Theory becomes less important, and specific applications become the focus. This is when math will become more routine - and maybe even monotonous.

This said, as long as you do your work in the basic math classes, you’ll be set for the later courses.

Don’t sweat it. Wouldn’t you do it if it put 40k? Because your payout will be far more if you stick it out.