[Aaron]

Well, I always thought I knew what I wanted to major in, always though engineering...but lately i've been questioning that, and just can't seem to think of something that i really, really want to major in. I want to fly, but theres no major like that at UVM (where i'm going next fall....maybe i'll transfer to an aviation school, who knows.)
So, what's fun!? (and pays resonably well). I was thinking construction management, seems like guaranteed work plust a mix of outdoor stuff? Not really sure.
Who has ideas!?

[Manny]

Why do you need to decide right away? Can't you take a mixture of classes during your first year before you make a final decision about a major?

[OreoGitorio]

Well, I went to Daniel Webster College... Majored in Aviation Flight Operations, then switched to Aviation Managment.... Currently in Security

Definitely not a school for the unmotivated.

[Rye]

Your not Muslim are you? JK. Chose wisely and follow what you love! Money will come. If I could go back to being 18, my decisions would be quite different.

[Nikon]

Originally posted by Rye
Your not Muslim are you? JK. Chose wisely and follow what you love! Money will come. If I could go back to being 18, my decisions would be quite different.

Good advice. Aaron, you should not have to declair a major until something like your sophomore year, maybe even second semester. Take some general requirements and see what interests you. I have a degree in Business Administration and I will probably never use it. Do what you love and you'll never 'work' a day in your life.

[Aaron]

Well i can't get paid to ride.......hahaha, yah, i'll undoubtedly switch around until i settle into something...

[mycirus]

Join the Air force. Get paid to get your education and learn to fly.

Bruce

[OreoGitorio]

Originally posted by mycirus
Join the Air force. Get paid to get your education and learn to fly.

Bruce

You have no idea how close I was to doing just that... I pretty much had the piece of paper in front of me to sign my life away.... There's definitely some days that I regret saying "Thanks, but no thanks", but more often than not I like the live i've chosen.

[Aaron]

I agree with Oreo on this one; i'm more than considering it for AFTER college (or AFROTC if I transfer somewhere that has it) but i've done the army guard (long story) and want to see what opportunities college presents before i sign anything.

[MissTwisties]

Originally posted by Aaron
Well, I always thought I knew what I wanted to major in, always though engineering...but lately i've been questioning that, and just can't seem to think of something that i really, really want to major in. I want to fly, but theres no major like that at UVM (where i'm going next fall....maybe i'll transfer to an aviation school, who knows.)
So, what's fun!? (and pays resonably well). I was thinking construction management, seems like guaranteed work plust a mix of outdoor stuff? Not really sure.
Who has ideas!?

My husband is an estimator/project manager for a commercial/industrial construction company, and there is very little younger estimators forming right now, they are very hard to find. Most of the estimators for companies are older an retiring in a few years. My Man God makes a very good base income and what's nice is he gets to have a big bonus every year, a percentage of all the jobs he did....he's still young (34) and makes close to 100K a year...and that is working for a small company.

[Aaron]

I WANT THAT JOB!
Does he get to work outside/do some physical labor too? I think i'd enjoy the mix of desk/management type things along with doing anything that doesn't involve pushing pencils. What kind of degree does he have?

[Rye]

I feel for those graduating with computer science degrees. Fairly technical field, and an area where the U.S. could be strong...and we're outsourcing it to India. White collar jobs are changing...and quickly. You have to be ahead of the curve, there is too much competition now. I'll bet 90% of those on this list will be affected one way or another by what is occuring in India and China. Just a side thought about what the 18-40 y/o crop is going to have to deal with real soon.

[TheIglu]

Originally posted by Rye
I feel for those graduating with computer science degrees. Fairly technical field, and an area where the U.S. could be strong...and we're outsourcing it to India. White collar jobs are changing...and quickly. You have to be ahead of the curve, there is too much competition now. I'll bet 90% of those on this list will be affected one way or another by what is occuring in India and China. Just a side thought about what the 18-40 y/o crop is going to have to deal with real soon.

Real soon? Cough...cough....

What they teach in college for Comp Sci and CIS/MIS is USELESS. My college has thrown out their CIS program altogether since I graduated in it.

Glad I got out of that industry when i did. Unfortunately you really can't go back to easily. I rest easy knowing it won't be a "hot career" anytime soon.

[chr|s sedition]

I followed my ideals, and majored in philosophy. That is about as 'useless' as it gets. I'd do it again in a second. Take Nikon's advice. take as wide of a variety of classes as you can, and see what you like. and most of all, follow what you seem to be interested in, not what is going to pay well, otherwise you will be miserable the rest of your life.

[Nikon]

go to Saint Mike's so I can harass you

[Aaron]

You harass me anyway. Get a job at UVM so I can harass YOU.

[hessogood]

engineering is hard. I should have been an art major.

[HBerry]

Originally posted by Nikon
go to Saint Mike's so I can harass you

Do you work at St Mikes? My girlfriend's cousin goes there...and I have a feeling you probably know him if you do work there.

[SWEET_Z]

I say go for the engineering program. It's a lot of work, but is an great degree to have. You can pretty much do what ever you want after you get an engineering degree. It's not the unique classes that are the advantage, it is a way of thinking and problem solving you learn that will make you valuable in a lot of fields.

You can always trade down to business or managment. It is a lot harder to switch up to the engineering program later because you will be behind in your math and science courses. Lot's of people drop out of the Engineering program in the first semester or two, it's not for everyone. So go for it and you don't have to feel boxed in.

I graduated with a Computer Engineering degree from NU a little over a year ago. It's a mix of Electrical and Comp Sci. Also did a business minor. I wouldn't change a thing, completly worth it.

You can PM me if you have any specific questions.

[benVFR]

The market is on the upswing for engineering/computer science, etc.. right now.

Most people I know are getting cold called by head hunters, etc.. after 2 acquisitions in the past year 1/2 the team I was on just up and quit and went to new startups immediately without being out of work at all.

I haven't been paying all that much attention to the business but apparently the combination of outsourcing & drastically reduced software pricing has led to a new wave of startups, less dependent on the inane VC that was fueling things 5-10 years ago.

Long term projections for just about any engineering/science field are for big shortages in people in this country. Outsourcing isn't going to take all the jobs and eventually we are going to be competing more directly with Indian & Chinese companies as opposed to just paying them tiddlywinks to do the boring work for us. It's only a matter of time before they start to realize they don't need overpriced American executives and just start working for themselves.

Another big issue is the coming wave of retirement from baby boomers. The workforce in the defense industry is almost 100% American and there is very little outsourcing due to national security concerns. That sector of the market is going to be in a lot of trouble when baby boomers start retiring. You can see it at career fairs, etc.. that segment of engineers is much older and much more white.

But these fields always have been and always will be about hard work, if the schoolwork is too hard and tedious you are not going to want to do the kind of work required to be successful.

Maybe we will see a second wave out outsourcing to Africa in 30 years or something but I don't think India and China are going to continue to provide cheap labor for our whole careers anyway. Salary growth for engineers in India is very high and they are constantly quitting jobs to go make more money, playing companies against each other, etc, etc.. they're playing the game just like people were here in the late 90s.

[hessogood]

Originally posted by SWEET_Z
I say go for the engineering program. It's a lot of work, but is an great degree to have. You can pretty much do what ever you want after you get an engineering degree. It's not the unique classes that are the advantage, it is a way of thinking and problem solving you learn that will make you valuable in a lot of fields.

You can always trade down to business or managment. It is a lot harder to switch up to the engineering program later because you will be behind in your math and science courses. Lot's of people drop out of the Engineering program in the first semester or two, it's not for everyone. So go for it and you don't have to feel boxed in.

I graduated with a Computer Engineering degree from NU a little over a year ago. It's a mix of Electrical and Comp Sci. Also did a business minor. I wouldn't change a thing, completly worth it.

You can PM me if you have any specific questions.

Can I PM you with unspecific questions about my coursework in EE at NU?

[SWEET_Z]

Sure

[Phate]

Just go into college with an open mind. A bunch of the freshman courses you will be required to take suck. But they suck a whole lot more if you just sit there and hate life while your in them. Go with an open mind and that stupid poly-sci type class might actually be interesting enough for another one and so on. I didnt choose a major until the beginning of my junior year and only did so because they made me! I had all of my gen ed classes out of the way though so I still got done on time.

[sahd03]

Sweet Z is right. I'm a civil engineer. I seriously wanted to change my freshman year, my parents simply said "not if you still plan on going to Union College you won't". I stayed. With a civil degree, you can go into into constructio managment - TONS Of people do it. You can specialize in CM while getting your BS.

A BS in engineering, assuming you can stomach the coursework, will open many doors even if you graduate and want to get into something completely different. IF you continue with your BS, try and round yourself out with some public speaking and writing courses, so you are NOT an engineer who can't communicate. If you are, your client contact and promotions will be limited unless you're into R & D (yawn). Making yourself an engineer who can speak and write well, and convey technical information to a non-technical person, will make you invaluable and once you've put your time in working calcs and doing the dry and boring stuff, you'll be out and about and managing clients/construction as you see fit.

The super cool thing to do is work on an MBA while you're doing your degree, then stay an extra year and get the MBA right out of undergrad. THAT would open MANY doors and give you a ton of flexibilty after shcool. I should have done just that, Unio offered just such a program. MBA courses during Senior year, in addition to your major and one more year.... two degrees.

If you want any more info, PM me. I've been out of school for 5 years, I'm working for a private firm in southern vermont after being in upstate new york for a few years.

[Nikon]

Originally posted by HBerry
Do you work at St Mikes? My girlfriend's cousin goes there...and I have a feeling you probably know him if you do work there.

name?