What's your major and why/how'd you choose it?

...

Gonna start my major in International Relations/Global Studies with a minor in Middle Eastern Studies. I plan on learning French/Arabic so I can make myself at least somewhat useful to the US diplomatically. I plan on taking the Foreign Service exam and working for the state department.

I did a coop program, got some research experience and got a few good references.

I also live in a government capital so once you're in, it's pretty easy to get more jobs in government.

Sadly I don't speak French and dirty Quebecois have killed my prospects of any decent government jobs.

Mathematics

I did a Bachelor of Arts in History and Government & International Relations. Planning to start my Masters in International Relations next year.

Don't fall for the "my degree should be a job certificate!" meme, OP. Just become very well educated in a field you can dominate in and enjoy and things will be fine.

*tips fedeelings*

What are some practical applications to neuroscience?

Can't you devise your own experiments and try to shill them for grants, now that you're trained in methodology?

I'm really interested in neuroscience. I'd love to create useful tools for the neurodivergent. But damn.

History, cus it's the only way I could keep my GPA above a 3.0

>If you don't have mommy daddy money for endless unpaid internships and low paying prestige jobs than just drop out, save, and try to be an entrpenure.
One of the dumbest things I've read in a while. Worthwhile internships last a summer and are paid and you don't need family wealth to get them. It's your fault for not having any work experience.

>not 'feeldora'

You had one job

>b.a. Classics
>m.a. - ongonig phd History

Not that I'm skillful or anything I'm not a good classicist or a historian. Firstly I suck at languages (managed to learn latin in 5 years, greek in 6). Secondly I'm an awful creator and a mediocre writer, I detest research, writing articles-papers. I also detest teaching, I have a deep social anxiety that I can mask but I absolutely detest being a T.A. and the stupid little formalities I have to do in the department (writing thank you mails, asking for references, making small talk) Yet I chose to be a historian-classcist, although I hate creating I absolutely love consuming, I love reading, from normal classics to some obscure late antique pagan to early christian fathers. I also like to read secondary sources-papers sometimes unrelated to my interest. Just now I read about Sassanian reforms of zoroastrianism, but boy If you told me to write 200 words about Zoroaster I would probably do it in a month. I'm a lazy fagot, who manages to get passing grades and loves to consume. I will probably like as a NEET after I get my phd in the next 2 years.

The only reason I chose it because I can afford it. My parents are professionals who make 6 figures, I'm a single child who will inherit a decent portfolio of real estate, by no means will make me filthy rich but it will be decent enough to live off the rentbux. I have no desire to stay in academia, I'll probably fool my father around and say that the job market is terrible and I can't get a job (though hardly a lie).

Bit of a rant but my advice is same with mike rowe's, don't follow your passion, make money first. If you are in the lucky minority that can survive without having to work, do whatever you like. But don't get surprised if you are disappointed. Academia made me realize that I will never become an academician, I don't want it nor I have the skillset for it.

MA in social anthropology.

Picked cultural and social anthropology because I dropped out of physics and wanted something easy and it sounded most interesting to me of all the liberal arts.
The bachelor program was postmodern garbage and essentially nothing more than cultural studies but the master is great because I can actually focus on scientific theory and causalities instead of muh feelings.

Now I just need someone to give me job. Thinking of joining a second master program in cognitive science because I'm getting desperate and the only application of my knowledge so far happened when shitposting on Veeky Forums.

>Worthwhile internships last a summer and are paid and you don't need family wealth to get them. It's your fault for not having any work experience.
:^) 3/10

>English, art history, and film studies

Do you really need to go to college to learn that?

It's nice to learn about that stuff from people who have studied it their whole lives and also absorbed information from others who have done the same. They have unique insight into the subjects that you can't get just imbibing it yourself.

Did you ever try getting a job in archaeology or is that something you need to specialize in?

Art History is secretly legit just nobody ever uses it correctly and the ones who do are trying to keep it on the downlow because it has precious few jobs so they don't want competition which I can understand.

You can get a comfy job at a museum for 25-50k a year, and can work at some pretty interesting places BUT the real money is in art sales.

People are getting MA + MBA and then joining auction houses which are recruiting all the time because candidates are rare and grabbing them up, you can make nice commissions on 100K+ paintings and art objects, the rich are literally the only people left who have money and art is a rare investment that almost always goes up in value so there is always demand.

bro I don't want to knock your dreams but you do realize that the foreign service exam is just as competitive as getting into the CIA, right? Anyone can apply but without a masters degree, speaking atleast 3 mission critical languages, and a decade of experience your chances of being accepted are almost 0.

There's a reason the age cutoff for the exam is 55, they don't take people right out of college.

I started studying CS at a good uni for it and then transferred to philosophy once I realized my peers were all horrible and I'd have to work with them for decades. Switched to philosophy because I enjoy it and you don't really need more than a decent professor to learn it. It's not like engineering, art, or science where you need a shit load of money to make a proper facility for it. Pretty happy now, but I want to transfer because I hate the city I'm in. Unfortunately I don't think I can transfer.. usually they only take people who have done exactly 2 years and have done just the right classes to transfer, it seems.

I also kind of want to start studying pharmacology so I can become a pharmacist, but I don't know how viable that is.

Dat butthurt stemtard who lost an argument and made this tho

I find your assertion to be philosophically and scientifically unsound.

The comic actually pokes at most everyone.

It's like if XKCD were actually cheeky and not just an elitist front.

Recently finished my Bachelors in Physics and will start a Bachelors in Philosophy next semester.

I initially picked Physics because, to me, it seemed as a decent compromise between the "do engineerig to get jawbs" and my original passion of philosophy. I ended up learning quite a bit and did enjoy my studies here and there but overall I was unhappy.

Now that I've finished my Bachelors I finally have the balls to study what I wanted to in the first place. The knowledge that I gained off of Physics, however, is certainly very useful in furthering my understanding of the natural world and I by no means intend to fully withdraw from STEM. My biggest hope is for my studies in Philosophy to enable me to dabble in many fields in a much broader manner than only Physics would have allowed.

Take writing and business classes if you've got the time to round that shit out.

Tell us about it. Maybe make a killing doing it.

Journalism.

Because i'm stupid.

I am definitely considering taking at least writing classes and am also interested in the highly mathematical approaches to business.

Considering that fact that my Uni only offers Philosophy as a double major and that I will simply take Physics as my second major (I have all the courses necessary finished), I will have tons of spare time which I can allocate to other fields.

Currently I am considering courses in Journalism, Psychology (Neuroscience), Maths and Physics mainly.

If I do anything that I would consider as being of note I will let my homeboys and homegirls of Veeky Forums know, don't worry!

This semester I am pretty much being a NEET and spend most of my time reading. Currently reading Wittgenstein, Schopenhauer, Hegel (having a really hard time understanding the dude though) and some pop-Psychology stuff.

You're gonna have to be pretty un-neet-like and self directed to make it work outside of college.

Ready to fake some optimism til you land it?

My father majored journalism.

He's a spreadsheet programmer.

I have enough funds to live comfortably for roughly 10 years. I will do my best to use that time to get a foothold somehow.

If everything goes to shit I'll just go be a wageslaving codemonkey or somethig.

I found working to be more fulfilling than school. Ironically, I've become a cog in the machine because I'm too individualistic to put my academics to somebody else's schedule.

But slogging for 8 hours a day is aight.

I recently did the old 9 to 5 during an internship in an IT startup and it felt like I was becoming more and more conscious of every moment spent being a step towards my inevitable death.

I guess it depends a lot on what kind of job it is. For now I'd rather just learn whatever I find interesting. I was always horrible at focussing my attention on a single subject.

Half way done on my BA in Musical Theatre its a pretty interesting major, I just can't stand the people in it

Try food service for a while. The trick is your coworkers because they literally make or break the job.

But it's secretly kind of based.
>During slow hours you can chat up and flirt.
>Some regulars can be cool people and you can meet friends
>And you can build hella interpersonal skills if you take that seriously
>Or any skills, shitloads of openminded college students tend to file through these jobs
>Not just friends
>seriously
>I've gotten a lot of various business offers over the years from being an industrious, upbeat motherfucker
>Waiting on an offer to work 4da gubmint filing real-estate shit for 15 an hour and eventual benefits
>Everything's easy enough, so you have some energy left over.
>It's varied if you're in a place where you can float between positions in the day to day.
>You're on your feet instead of rotting on your ass for 8 hours with a 30 minute exercise ball break
>And that helps keep you fit
>Peak hours can be genuinely challenging, a person's capability to manage hectic situations and self-organize shine here
>Hell no not everyone can manage that
>Fast food workers being lazy is a meme. Find a high volume store, they get weeded out.
>If you like that kind of challenge, it's actually very engaging.
>If you take ownership of your work and like being around people, it's fulfilling
>and if you aren't an actual cuck, you have no reason to feel guilty about it
>you can leave whenever with very little consequences because they expect it
>but if you're a valuable worker, you can basically do whatever the fuck you want at some stores. Good managers turn a blind eye to good results.

Finance.

Choosing a degree for anything except for money and connections is fucking retarded. You can self study faster than you can learn in any university, so if you aren't hunting internships or a CV directly then you shouldn't be wasting your time or money.

>BA in musical theatre
How do you plan on killing yourself once you graduate?

>bs in Neuroscience instead of an M.D.
What the FUCK are you doing?

Enjoy self studying higher mathematics.

Not everyone is dirt poor like you faggot.

money isn't everything friend

It is when you just finished your journalism major.

I'm a carpenter.

Asian studies.

I wanted to study Japan.

>tfw realizing japanese companies are not interested in hiring japanese studies majors

Y'all gonna make 10 an hour taking shit from stuffy, japanese elitists while you teach english to the people who will take actual, good jobs.

Economics

I day trade and do gun related stuff. It taught me how to spot patterns. Guns are about to have a big boom time thanks to Hillary.

>spending mommy and daddies money to live a "meaningful" life
Let me guess, you're majoring in philosophy?

Learn japanese and a trade.

I don't understand why so many people do a countries studies and then expect the country to hand then money for existing. You have to be lucky as shit to become a representative diplomat, and your foreign studies degree is probably fucking worthless for the career.

Trump could get elected and not touch guns, which means you've made a very volatile investment.

Not to mention you'll have to dance around the black market should Hillary get elected.

Learn marketing as a major and do the studies as a minor. Learn some surface-level spiritualism and you're ready and shill yourself to rich, white yuppies as a travel agent.

Any major + being rich is better than spending your life. I'm not saying go study gender studies if you are poor but you don't get to live another time.

Hahahahahahahaha te voilà infligé ce que tu mérites, vil anglois!

My man! Hope to see you soon when we toast to the fate of poorfags.

The key being to liquidate your stock before the election is over. While I may not net as much as I would should Hillary win, I dramatically cut down on risk.

They can't ban current guns, they can only ban the sale of them in the future. In the 1994 AWB, guns made prior to that bill were exempt. Plus it would take a miracle to get the House to pass something like that even if the Republicans lose the Senate.

However, I am concerned that though Trump's chances of winning are low, he may yet win. This is the country that took Bush and Bushlite (Obama) twice.

If the Sandy Hook scare is any indication, we'll easily see price inflation close to 300% for finished assault weapons and 100% for magazines.

Checking in

I study law because I want a good job.

Unless you went out and did something incredible on your own, you can't win grants with a BS. If you have connections/went to a really good school (usually need both) you can get research jobs with just a BS. Most labs wants MSs though and you need a PhD or MS and some experience to be leading your own research projects.

That's not really a bad thing. You want experience before you start leading your own projects. The problem is that jobs are so competitive, and MSs are being produced so rapidly that your first degree is basically useless.

It wasn't quite so bad a few years ago. I worked on glaucoma research (a few projects) for awhile. The competition has driven wages for to shit though. $12 an hour, job site is in Manhattan.

I have lots of work experience. I graduated from undergrad in 6 semesters and waited until I was 27 to go back to school.

Guess what? No one really gives a fuck if you went to an Ivy (so don't pay extra to do it), have work experience. I follow up on who gets hired for interviews when possible, and been beaten out by many an undergrad with seemingly no experience but some mommy daddy funded travel and one internship. Why? Connections. Unpaid work is key in that it helps make better connections. If you don't have connections at a place that is hiring, good luck.

I know this because I specialized in foreign affairs, interned with State, published in on foreign affairs. Can I get a job in that field? No, not unless someone I know has a space open up. I've been offered some random ass positions doing business analytics, or making loans though purely because I knew people who worked in these fields. Nepotism is the name of the game.

If you're in a high demand field like medicine, you'll be fine of course, but we're talking about humanities or foreign affairs.

I already finished my MA.

I did my fieldwork and thesis on Jap education, and now I'm going to start up Japanese at a high school.

You need a degree in studies if you want to work at an embassy where I'm from.

If you can actually speak Arabic fluently there are plenty of jobs you can get. The problem is that 4 years of classes, even with a semester abroad, isn't always enough for people to be fluent, even with easier languages.

Travel abroad is also expensive, but you can get funded by something like a Boren scholarship or one of the State critical languages scholarships.

There are lots of jobs outside the Foreign Service that involve foreign affairs. FS isn't as competitive as the CIA. They inflate their rejection level by reporting every single person who opens an application as "having taken the test." It's like Peace Corps. People don't want to work at State because it's underfunded. Congress is more likely to give the military the money to build capabilities from scratch than up the budget at State. It's not given a lot of the work of substance, and FS jobs are increasingly micro-managed from DC, and DC is increasingly micro-managed by the NSC.

There are plenty of other places to work. It's an incredibly nepotism driven industry though, and highly skewed towards the children of the elite/elite schools.

Pretty much, the foreign policy establishment is degenerating into early 20th century British levels of divorce from the mainstream populace. Go look up top level commanders from Iraq and Afghanistan and try to find some who weren't from military families. Go search through profiles of fellows or RAs at the Council on Foreign Relations and find people not from a top 10 school. It's tough.

>What are your major(s) and what are you doing now?
My major was economics/finance and I chose it so I could go for a master in finance, and get a job in finance after that.
Now I'm about to get my master and I've already secured a job as a junior analyst, starting this september.

If you want to know why I chose this, it's because I've always had a pretty big interest in economics so the field was a given, but I don't wanna live the precarious life of a researcher in my country nor leave the people I love to go abroad, so my choices were finance or management, and I thought I'd like finance and banking more than corporate business.

Reporting

Gun probably, maybe a noose but that might be hard when im living in a cardboard box

Micro, cellular, molecular biology.
I just like it. I currently have a comfy job monitoring water in general--drinking, ponds, pools, etc. I'll probably go to med school.

>I'll probably go to med school
Don't. It's the uncomfiest education you could choose and every job in the field is uncomfy as fuck.
I regret my choice daily, workload too high.

BA in History.

Literally because I have absolutely no idea what to do in life.

I am one of those teens who, when asked by anyone "what do you want to be when you grow up?" would say "I don't know."

I chose history because It was the one thing I was good at and I planned on breezing through college and figuring out what the hell to do afterwards.

A teaching job, working for the media as research, and a masteral degree later: I still have no clue what to do.

I was one of those teens*

The Great Books curriculum is pretty patrician- which college did you go to?

>What are your major(s) and what are you doing now?
I have the local equivalent of a major in history, no focuses. Now I'm studying for a second level degree with a focus on european history, and I plan to keep going for a PhD unless I get tired of studying.
I started out in med school (in my country you don't need a major beforehand), but luckily I came into money in my second year, so I dropped it like a hot potato and switched to something I actually enjoy, else I'd have risked spiritual death. That said, I don't regret not having chosen history to begin with, because that brings a different kind of death with it: the most glamorous job found by my classmates who didn't choose to progress to master level was tour guide, with waiter and call centre operator being the most common ones. It's really disheartening to see, god bless money and stupid rich old aunts.

Wow, you sound a lot like me. Thanks for letting me know how my life would've turned out if I'd stayed in academia after getting my history BA.

Cry about it richfag. I've worked in medicine.

"hurr muh 60 hour weeks"

You do realize plenty of people work lay down two jobs to pay the bills. My jobs have involved getting burnt on a daily basis, carrying rocks up and down a fucking mountain all day (literally), getting bit by rich people's untrained dogs all day while I try to walk them, and doing back to back night shift all day shifts 4 hours apart wiping retards assholes and changing their dipers and cooking food in a 120 degree kitchen.

It must be so tough to make 80-200k for your awful workload cocksucker.

Communist revolution when? At least I'd get to shoot some people or at least die.

I'm a Bachelor in Laws and political sciences.
Thinking of doing MLIS, I have work in that field too.

Anybody here who can share his experience in the field?

Teaching is not bad at all. Kids suck, but HS girls can be hot. Work your way up to AP classes and you can actually teach decent kids.

In the better states you make legit bank. Lots of vacation, generous sick time, and $50-80k. Not bad at all. Add in a pension, and you're actual expected value on a year can be around $100k (granted, pensions will likely collapse by the time you would get them if you're in undergrad now).

By comparison, Brookings, which is a big name, pays new PhD researchers less than $50k for jobs in high cost of living areas like DC.

Don't try to go the professor route though. My adviser told me to not bother if I didn't get Ivy or Stanford, Duke, etc. for a PhD program. PhD's are way over produced, and only people at the top schools get tenure track jobs. You know what Columbia pays a lecturer with a PhD teaching a full course load (5 classes)? It starts with a 3, and it's 5 figures. You'd make more working on the subway (but those are patronage jobs). A HS teacher makes twice that. They keep you chasing after the big tenure pay off, but hardly anyone makes it.

A researcher recently published on how academia is economically similar to street gangs. Most people make shit and eat shit. A select few make it to great positions. Everyone banks on being one of the few.

Can you toss me a good intro neuroscience book, senpai? I love me some philosophy of mind but I feel like a douche talking about consciousness without knowing basic brain mechanics and the like.

All intro books will be mostly the same. Just look for a semi-recent popular one and snag an old edition used for like $8 on Amazon.

Find highly cited articles you are interested in and read them. Grad students don't read text books, they read publications. Start at one to three a day and plow through. That's how you get a solid background in the field.

Shit in journals is old. It's been around at conferences and reviewed for a year or more. It then takes another year or two to get published. The articles of 2018 are out now floating around on list serves and sharing sites. Get to those once you have a background.

t. published in peer reviewed journal, work menial labor because it actually pays more than teaching at a college

Genetics, I like playing God

Physics, though I'm interested in history and so.e branches of philosophy.

I studied geography

Going to double major in Econ and Mechanical Engineering or pick one (I haven't decided yet and I'm still a Freshman). Am I kidding myself if I think I can double major and double minor in History and Philosophy? I'm a pretty good student at a decently ranked state university and I'm attending the honors college and due to the way work and scholarships will work out I will have left college having made money if that helps for context

I chose computer science because I had no idea what I wanted to do after high school, I liked computers and heard there was money in it, at least in my country.

Now it's my final year and I'm hoping to get a job with my countries security agency, my brother works there atm and it sounds pretty cool

Physics

I chose it because I'm interested in creating working models of theoretical events. I hope I am able to or I'll probably just be a hired engineer or something.

In grad school now.

Either way I'd be fine. But obviously I'd prefer the former.

Hardly anyone knows what they want to be when they graduate or grow up.

You're far from the only one.

>I chose it because I'm interested in creating working models of theoretical events.

You can do this in lots of fields. Monte Carlo type models (originally designed for nuclear physics) are used to bracket the likelyhood of cost overruns, and are used to assess risks for terror attacks.

Game theory uses math to predict theoretical outcomes in the social sciences. At the end of the day, it's a qualitative form of analyses, but with more rigor.

Actually though, from a epistemological point of view, all empirical studies using regression analyses are really just arguments for rejecting counterfactuals.