This is why picking a major is tough

Plus with all the people going to college now it's pretty much become a second high school...there's way too many people graduating for the number of jobs there are in any given field which means that if you aren't the best of the best (or at least in the top percentile) of your graduating class you can pretty much expect to have a job outside of your field of study.

All that being said I say just study what you love learning about. I started out as a chem major which was just a bad fit for me plus not many jobs up here in Canada. Then I switched to Psych. which was pretty in demand when I started studying it and it offered the prospect of a good high paying job...then the economy went tits up. Kind of dried up the market for 100$/hour therapists. So then I was like fuck it I'm just gonna study something I love and not worry about job prospects so now I'm studying music.

Am I gonna be the next Yo-Yo Ma and get a high paying, prestigious orchestra or solo gig? Absolutely not. But going to class everyday, although stressful at times, is a very rewarding experience for me.

I like the part about the business major part mainly because I am one.

HydrasBreath wrote:/snip

Agreed. I just have issues with the massive outsourcing of my first-choice major. I want to be a doctor, but reading up on the statistics of incoming educated doctors from India and China, as well as the falling wage rates for physicians and some specialists, has me pretty bummed. honestly, I'm thinking I might study virology and join the CDC/WHO/USAMRIID.

and the Computer Science is just a bitch since I am absolutely and positively not good at super high level maths.

Just do what you want to do. It's normal to be concerned about the job market but you'll still be able to get a decent job in a lot of places with high education (maybe not 100% certain but higher degree less chance of unemployment.)

[quote="HydrasBreath"]Plus with all the people going to college now it's pretty much become a second high school...there's way too many people graduating for the number of jobs there are in any given field which means that if you aren't the best of the best (or at least in the top percentile) of your graduating class you can pretty much expect to have a job outside of your field of study.

All that being said I say just study what you love learning about. I started out as a chem major which was just a bad fit for me plus not many jobs up here in Canada. Then I switched to Psych. which was pretty in demand when I started studying it and it offered the prospect of a good high paying job...then the economy went tits up. Kind of dried up the market for 100$/hour therapists. So then I was like fuck it I'm just gonna study something I love and not worry about job prospects so now I'm studying music.

Am I gonna be the next Yo-Yo Ma and get a high paying, prestigious orchestra or solo gig? Absolutely not. But going to class everyday, although stressful at times, is a very rewarding experience for me. [/quote]

After four years of Pysch you still need to get your doctorate (Medical School)...so yeah...even more money to get that job. Thats why I am apprenticing in Roofing or Sheet Metal Worker (Not that many compared to jobs needed....also trades like carpentry and others like it are overflowing with people.

Also If I graduate my College Program with a 3.0 GPA min. I can go to Carleton University for Law, Sociology, Psych, or Crim. for 2 years to get my Major. OR for 3 to get my Honours....it knocks of two years off either of those Majors....

chunckylover53 wrote:Just do what you want to do. It's normal to be concerned about the job market but you'll still be able to get a decent job in a lot of places with high education (maybe not 100% certain but higher degree less chance of unemployment.)

yeah having a degree, even if it's unrelated, will never hurt your chances of getting a better job but I can definitely understand the concern...I mean sinking all that time, money and effort to learn how to do something at a very high level and then turning around and working in a potentially unrelated field would kinda blow.

And, in all likelihood, alot of the stuff you've spent all that time and money learning could be forgotten if you aren't actively using it or at the very least doing some upkeep.

It makes all that education seem like a bit of a waste.

menacinglemon wrote: After four years of Pysch you still need to get your doctorate (Medical School)...so yeah...even more money to get that job. Thats why I am apprenticing in Roofing or Sheet Metal Worker (Not that many compared to jobs needed....also trades like carpentry and others like it are overflowing with people.

Actually to have a practice you only need to have a masters and pass an exam to get a license to practice which generally only takes two years but yeah most people do go on to doctorate studies after a masters so add another 4 years on top of that.

also you can get a doctorate in Psychology pretty much anywhere. Going to med school is only if you want to be a psychiatrist (as opposed to a psychologist)...basically the only major difference will be whether or not you can prescribe medication. Med school if you want to prescribe shit...anywhere else if you don't.

HydrasBreath wrote:Plus with all the people going to college now it's pretty much become a second high school...there's way too many people graduating for the number of jobs there are in any given field which means that if you aren't the best of the best (or at least in the top percentile) of your graduating class you can pretty much expect to have a job outside of your field of study.

All that being said I say just study what you love learning about. I started out as a chem major which was just a bad fit for me plus not many jobs up here in Canada. Then I switched to Psych. which was pretty in demand when I started studying it and it offered the prospect of a good high paying job...then the economy went tits up. Kind of dried up the market for 100$/hour therapists. So then I was like fuck it I'm just gonna study something I love and not worry about job prospects so now I'm studying music.

Am I gonna be the next Yo-Yo Ma and get a high paying, prestigious orchestra or solo gig? Absolutely not. But going to class everyday, although stressful at times, is a very rewarding experience for me.

I agree

[quote="HydrasBreath"][quote="menacinglemon"] After four years of Pysch you still need to get your doctorate (Medical School)...so yeah...even more money to get that job. Thats why I am apprenticing in Roofing or Sheet Metal Worker (Not that many compared to jobs needed....also trades like carpentry and others like it are overflowing with people.[/quote]

Actually to have a practice you only need to have a masters and pass an exam to get a license to practice which generally only takes two years but yeah most people do go on to doctorate studies after a masters so add another 4 years on top of that.

also you can get a doctorate in Psychology pretty much anywhere. Going to med school is only if you want to be a psychiatrist (as opposed to a psychologist)...basically the only major difference will be whether or not you can prescribe medication. Med school if you want to prescribe shit...anywhere else if you don't.[/quote]

Plus Psychiatrist is the actually person who you talk to about problems....psychologist studies the psychie (sp?) I rather do neither....and but getting the chance to fuck with friends with the knowledge of it all would be great

menacinglemon wrote:Plus Psychiatrist is the actually person who you talk to about problems....psychologist studies the psychie (sp?) I rather do neither....and but getting the chance to fuck with friends with the knowledge of it all would be great

No actually there are clinical psychologists which are what are commonly referred to as "therapists". They just need to refer patients to someone else if they think medications need to be prescribed. I believe you can get a special license to prescribe some meds in special cases as a clinical psychologist but it's not common practice to be able to prescribe meds.

With clinical psychology the goal is to help people through different therapies.