Question about a major?

Question

I am thinking of majoring in finance, the only problem is that my local school where i want to go, Purdue, only offers a finance minor in the management building. This would mean i could major in something like accounting and minor in finance. The only way i could major in Finance is through the agricultural department. The major would be called Agricultural finance. What should i do, if i major in accounting or managment and minro in finance could i still become a banker or earn good money.

Answer 1

I majored in Agricultural and Managerial Economics -- because I didn't want to narrow my career choices, or narrow what classes I could take in college by majoring in Accounting. I also wanted a BS degree rather than a BA because the BS is more applicable to finance jobs; the classes offered give you more applicable information.

I didn't have to take any ag. classes to get the degree -- I chose to take a couple, though, just to ensure that I wasn't restricting myself once I got out of college.

I now own my own business -- it's a CFO-to-go type of business.
I worked as an accountant for Monsanto, then for a small manufacturing company in California, and then was recruited by a small start up in Portland, Oregon. They are still one of my clients. I absolutely love what I do, and would highly recommend that you check out the Economics major if you want a career in finance.

Answer 2

You will actually do fine with either. A friend of mine is now President of his local bank, and his degree was in Agricultural Finance. He lives in an area with plenty of farms nearby, and I'm sure his degree has helped him in many ways. Of course, you have to decide what you'll like best. I would say accounting is also important, but with so many currently majoring in it, you might do better with Agricultural finance to separate yourself from the mainstream.

Answer 3

Those are all reasonable options. Accounting is a very marketable degree (on average more $$$ than straight finance in most cases), but you should go with the route that is the most interesting to you. Any of those degrees, with good a internship / part-time job will put you in a good position towards a successful career after 4 years.

Answer 4

Purdue huh.. I turned down Purdue and went to Wabash instead. Tons of my friends from high school (Andeson) went there tho.

First of all, Bill Gates doesn't have a Purdue degree, or any college degree for that matter. Ditto for Richard Branson, and Dave Thomas. Michael Dell went back for his degree after he'd given U of Texas a few bazillion dollars. Shall I go on? Your ability to earn money after get into the real world has a lot more to do with street smarts, hard work and luck than with the courses you take in college.

IN fact, most college grads are not working in their field of study after 5 years. I never became an economist -- became a pastor, then an insurance agent, then a computer geek. After you get your first job, no one will ever ask you about your major, or your grades, or even where you went to college (except as a social question)(the obvious exception would be grad school).

Second, banking is NOT a place to make "good money". Banking is an industry that is in the middle of consolidation, internationalization and downsizing (in terms of staff). Bankers are not bankers anymore, but rather they are sales people who try to push mortgages, credit cards, etc. I'd suggest that you get out of the Chocolate Shoppe (is that still open?), stop shopping at Von's (still open?) and go talk to a recruiter at one of the banks in West Lafayette. Ask about pay, and what kind of people that banks are looking for.

What to do?

First of all, find out where you fit in personality-wise. Some of those jokes about accountants (and computer geeks, and engineeers, and farmers) are true. You need to find where you belong.

Second, assuming you really do fit in as an accountant (internships are very easy to come by during tax season!), you need to go for your CPA. On top of that, you need sales skills (to get clients) as well as industry-specific skills (so you can have a market).

The best accountants here are not the guys w/ the big degrees (ie, U of Michigan), but guys with degrees at less famous regional schools who worked their butts off and got very good at some industry.

Answer 5

Sounds solid. if Miz and Morrison loose the titles, perhaps they are going to attempt to tug an Evolution.. shall we see, part might want to be WHC, significant Bros might want to be Tag, if the womens divison replaced into flow branded Vickie might want to by some ability win by ability of them, then in the journey that they delivered decrease back the crusiorweight branch get someone like noble or all of us, and function them win it. exceptionally cool in case you question me.

Answer 6

I would say that either of these 2 paths can lead to what you want.