I need help in deciding on a college major.

[Zerxen]

Out of all the college majors that exist, the world of business seems to interest me the most- specifically marketing. However the fact that I am an introvert and mathematics isn't quite my strongest area forces me to be averse to this. My writing and reading abilities would be my strongest skills, though I cannot say the same for speaking; I prefer to work alone. I would consider being a mortician or a commercial airline pilot, though if something were to happen where I feels as though that career path is not for me, that would be a problem, seeing how mortuary science and aviation degrees do not quite offer that much opportunity in regards to occupation. I plan on attending San Diego State University if that helps.

[CT075]

before anybody else says anything, to quote a friend of mine

"I'll take 'things you should really not take opinions from Serenes on' for 500, Alex"

edit: that being said the best major is underwater basket weaving

Edited July 22, 2016 by CT075

[Ciarre]

If business interests you, I would say go for it. At most, you'd have to take like, business calculus/stats or something for marketing. (I was almost a business major at McCombs)

Also, it's not necessarily something you need extrovertedness for. I did a form of business "internship" and rarely did I have to be very social or interact with a lot of people. You might have to work with a team, especially for marketing, but nothing too crazy. You don't know what you might like unless you go out and give it a shot. In my case, I decided that I didn't like it because it was too "desk jobby" for me, with not that much interaction with people outside of the people you work with. But who knows, you might really enjoy it!

[Jotaro Kujo]

Honestly you need to pick something you're interested in and comfortable with. I knew since I was 9 years old I wanted to be a web designer and I stuck with it this entire time, I'm 22 now with a Bachelor's in Web Design I got when I was 20 and let me tell you, if I wasn't comfortable or confident with what I wanted to do I would have stopped and picked a different major. I get it, you don't really know what you're most comfortable in but you said in your post that you're interested in business so run with it! "Business" is a very broad term and there are some areas that don't deal with math as much as others. "Business" does not automatically mean "Finances" even though you will find finances in business.

I'm gonna let you in on something that's not much of a secret--I suck at math. I am legitimately terrible at math and logic and you know what you have to do as a web designer and developer? Use math and logic for your programming languages. Was it tough for me, taking programming classes? Absolutely. But I was willing to take the plunge cause I was interested and it paid off, even though using programming languages is my weakest point. Fact is, for people who suck at math like us, we're gonna have to use math to get by. My dad also sucks at math (gee I wonder where I got that from) and he's a casino dealer! He deals poker, blackjack, and other games where he ha to calculate obscene payouts multiple times a day. It seems hard now but with enough practice and experience you will get it and you will be able to handle the numbers fine. Don't let it stop you if you're interested, grit your teeth, go forth, and conquer.

And don't worry about being an introvert, you probably will have less interaction than you think you will depending on your position. Like I said, "Business" is a broad term; there are things for everyone. Do your research, and look for specialized positions in business that you'll think you'd like. The rest will fall in to place.

[Thor Odinson]

One thing to note is that colleges don't necessarily make you declare a major early on, so you can use freshman year to experiment a bit. Most people don't declare until later on, bar certain fields with high course requirements--and even then people do switch in all the time, though sometimes they'll have to do extra years at college. I don't think business, at least where I went, was super intense, though.

If business interests you, it certainly doesn't hurt to give it a shot. You're always free to switch if you don't like it. My boyfriend did physics and didn't like it so he switched to compsci (i'm very glad for this, as a computer scientist myself) and it's working out quite well for him. I'm not saying do compsci specifically since it's not for everyone but you're in school for 4+ years for this thing make it something you enjoy

Edited July 22, 2016 by Thor Odinson

[Lord Raven]

you should major in physics............. but if that doesn't work out, you should probably take time over the next month or so to talk around with people and see what you're strong at

you would also be surprised at stuff you end up liking better after taking a few classes. I'd keep an open mind your first year and pick what's right for you.

[Sunwoo]

I don't think this is someone any of us on SF can help you with. You have to decide for yourself what you want to major in. You're the one who has to decide what you enjoy doing, and what career you think will work out the best for you. My friend majored in mechanical engineering for 3 years before switching to botany, and even though it put him back several years to graduate he genuinely enjoyed botany more, so you can switch majors as well if the one you picked first time around doesn't work out. But this isn't something that any of us can answer for you.

[Sylphid]

I'm with Sunwoo on this, it's ultimately a choice you'll need to make yourself. Only you know yourself well enough to make the decision.

That said, my biased opinion is that marketing is a great choice (given that I study it myself)

I didn't find being an introvert that big of an issue myself (in fact I found out I rather enjoy working in teams) and speaking is something that I've been able to train naturally as I study. In general, as you start to know the people you're studying with, it gets more comfortable and you'll have enough opportunities to work on possible weaknesses.

As for mathematics... Ciarre put it pretty well, so I'll just add that marketing studies have been surprisingly void of mathematics for me. Some jobs in it take more than others, but in general I found it's not that bad.

Of course, this is based on my experiences in a completely different school in a completely different country, so it could be very different where you're going.

[Phoenix Wright]

do you do more than arithmetic in business? serious question. i guess maybe you take econ, so first year calc at the most, but that's a big maybe. even then, it's not bad.

i say go for astrophysics :D we need more ppl

but actually, though:

--stop saying you're bad at math. really try to learn and i'd bet you'd find it more enjoyable. hs math is typically taught very poorly. in college, i've had a mostly positive experience.

--if you think you like something, go for it.

[Rezzy]

One thing to note is that colleges don't necessarily make you declare a major early on, so you can use freshman year to experiment a bit. Most people don't declare until later on, bar certain fields with high course requirements--and even then people do switch in all the time, though sometimes they'll have to do extra years at college. I don't think business, at least where I went, was super intense, though.

If business interests you, it certainly doesn't hurt to give it a shot. You're always free to switch if you don't like it. My boyfriend did physics and didn't like it so he switched to compsci (i'm very glad for this, as a computer scientist myself) and it's working out quite well for him. I'm not saying do compsci specifically since it's not for everyone but you're in school for 4+ years for this thing make it something you enjoy

I second this. You don't have to declare a major or at least you can easily change it your freshman year. Take courses that you can put towards requirements for your tentative major at least, but a lot of those may transfer over to other majors, should you decide you want to do something else. You'll usually need a few electives at least for any major you need, and those sort of general courses may give you a better diea of what you'd like to do.

Full Disclosure for me, I double majored in Biology and Chemistry for my bachelor's, but I took a lot of mid to high level History and Psychology courses for elective requirements, just because I found them interesting. I then went to med school and am currently a physician. I was pretty sure what I wanted to do from the beginning, but my first year, I took a pretty wide array of classes. It helped that I had pretty much a year worth of AP credit coming in.

And to people advising against asking for advice online, it's like getting a stool sample: there's going to be a lot of crap, but there's often some useful information in there that can help you guide your decision.

Edited July 23, 2016 by Rezzy

[Rapier]

Maybe taking a vocational test will help you (not an online test, but an actual one with a psychologist that is specialized on applying those tests), but they can take many sessions and money might be an issue. Still, it's the safest bet. I can't tell you what you're supposed to study, but a vocational test can help you see what business/course is more compatible with your profile.

Also, chances are you won't be completely satisfied with your first pick. It usually takes trial and error to realize which course is compatible with us, and many do change courses during their stay on college. That's normal.

disclosure: I picked Law because I thought it was cool, but now I'm on my fourth semester (well, second year) and I'm really disliking it. The only reason I don't change is because there isn't anything else I'd like to do (except psychology, which I find very interesting to study, but I'd hate to help people's psychological problems, so its job market is a no-no to me) and it's being paid by a government student program that doesn't allow me to change (I wouldn't have money to pay for any course). So, take it easy, but think thrice about what you'll do before making a choice.

[Rezzy]

One bit of advice to remember is that there's also not a need to go to college for every career choice. It sounds like you've decided on college, and that's great, but just remember, there's no shame in going to vocational or trade school. It's a lot less expensive and if you're not sure on what you want to do, you can always go back to college later. An alternative, is the military, which can pay for school, if you want it after you're done. I have an aunt and uncle who went to school after a stint in the Navy.

[Belisarius]

i spent two years at a community college earning an associates in liberal arts and science, which is basically a general education degree, before i picked my major at a real university. so thats an option if youre undecided but want to start working toward something. its also the best choice if you dont have parents who can afford to pay for your college - especially if youre going to take longer than the 3 to 4 years for a bachelor's degree.

did you take business classes in high school? did you enjoy them? if yes, you may want to try out some college level business classes before you really dive in there. contrary to popular belief, you dont have to pick a major when youre a junior in high school and stick with it forever.

[Refa]

edit: that being said the best major is underwater basket weaving

this so much. the fact that it's a thing still amazes me.

[Excellen Browning]

My advice would be that, if you don't know what you want to do there, don't go to college. College is too expensive to really screw around. But considering you want to do marketing, just go with that and see how it turns out.

[Rezzy]

My advice would be that, if you don't know what you want to do there, don't go to college. College is too expensive to really screw around. But considering you want to do marketing, just go with that and see how it turns out.

Part of my advice, in other words.

One bit of advice to remember is that there's also not a need to go to college for every career choice. It sounds like you've decided on college, and that's great, but just remember, there's no shame in going to vocational or trade school. It's a lot less expensive and if you're not sure on what you want to do, you can always go back to college later. An alternative, is the military, which can pay for school, if you want it after you're done. I have an aunt and uncle who went to school after a stint in the Navy.

Higher education is ridiculously expensive. I worked full time during undergrad college, which helped a little, but even that didn't keep up with everything. Factoring med school on top of that, I have a quarter of a million dollars in student loan debt. Thankfully, I should be able to pay it off eventually, with my career choice, but make sure the debt will be worth it. I have lots of friends who went to college, just because, and don't have degrees that were really worth the cost.

[Phoenix Wright]

whoaaaaa

definitely apply to an in-state public school if you plan on experimenting with what you want to do.

[Ansem]

Rezzy I think the people that end up in shitloads of debts with no way to pay for it are in the minority and college is generally a gateway in middle America. Of course majoring in something pragmatic further increases your chances of not ending up in overwhelming debt unable to pay it. I'm not disagreeing with you about college being ridiculous, I think the US government should go back the same amount of money they gave in the 60s so that school could be affordable again. But more and more jobs are requiring higher education. Jobs arent like they used to be due to all of the industrialization, and jobs that you can get without a degree are not as secure since writing code to do these jobs is cheaper.

Community college is a good option if you're not sure yet. Though there might be a negative stigma around it, most of my friends that got associates degrees first are a lot more mature and get As consistently in the hardest classes. Also they are older than 21 and can go out to bars after exams and I cant go with them since I'm 19 =/ . As Rezzy said the military is an option as well, though it seems you're set on college. What most colleges have is this thing called a general curriculum in which you have to take classes of all types from arts to hard science. What you can do is take all general requirements your first semester to get a taste for each field and satisfy your requirements as well. As for your major, that is really on you. I'm sure you'll find it.

[MacLovin]

man just go and experiment for a bit and figure your strong points that also lend to making you chill

I mean yeah sure I'm leaning towards my own major, but Pre-law is kind of a clusterfuck at times.

[EricaofRenais]

At least in my state everyone is required to have a certain amount of classes in all subjects so I would get those classes done first. With me I had to take 2 English classes, 2 US history classes, an education class, some type of math class it depends on what you want on which you take for you I would say try statistics, US and State government, some type of Science class as well as a couple of humanities classes that I could choose. I would see what classes you have to take no matter what and get them done as well as taking a basic class that you need to get the degree you want and see how you do.

[Rezzy]

The first year is definitely the time to decided on what you want to do, as others have said, you can meet a lot of the general requirements while sampling the classes, if you aren't totally sure what you want to do. And as mentioned, community college is a cheap way to get credit and an associate's degree.

My caution is just make sure that the degree that you choose can pay back your loans. Not all degrees are created equally in the workforce, unfortunately. Business is a solid choice, if that interests, you though. And I don't know the solid statistics off hand, but many people of my generation unfortunately do have trouble finding jobs after college, depending on the degree. It's a fairly large percentage, if not a majority.