College Question: IF I Don't Enjoy It, and I Don't Do Well In It, Should I MAJOR In It.?

Question

Growing up I always believed that I was genuinely interested in the sciences, particularly laboratory work.

Now that I'm in college, I have not enjoyed nor have performed well in my science courses (i.e. Chemistry, Biology, etc.)

BUT ---I wanted to major in a science just so I could hopefully find a Secure job but not necessarily for my own personal fulfillment.

My real passions are Music and History, but WHAT THE HECK can I really do with majors in those subjects.

I may seem close-minded, but please---Enlighten me.

THANK YOU EVERYONE!!
(And I seriously mean EVERYONE)

Thank You for the Encouragement and detailed advise----I've been blown away by such incredible responses.

Answer 1

You've asked a very good question, and I'm going to try to give you a good answer.

If you look at the most popular majors these days, they are things like economics and biology - jobs that people think will lead to employment opportunities.

Do people study economics or biology because they actually like them? Maybe a few, but most of them probably don't. And I don't blame them....economics is boring! (in my opinion anyway).

I think lots of people study the sciences because they think it will lead to high-paying jobs, or because they want to be doctors.

here's the truth of the matter: you will only get a job in the sciences if you are the best of the best. there are no jobs out there for so-so science students. If science is your passion and you are good at it, then go for it.

I truly believe people should study what they actually like and are passionate about.

I think my advise should speak especially for you, because I was a history major in college, and I also love music. Go for the history or music degree!! Do it! If that's what you like, then pursue it.

Let me tell you: you do not need to be thinking about "how will this major lead to a job" right now. The fact is that MOST college graduates DO NOT work in fields directly related to their major.

There are plenty of jobs for history majors, and not just the job of historian! History teaches you how to read and write and interpret and critically analyze events. Basically, history can teach you to be a good critical thinker. That is a job skill that can be applied to any number of jobs. History is a very popular major for people considering law school.

Me personally, I'm not so worred about getting a job. I'm smart and I know that if I ever want a job I can find one. But for now I am pursuing my other love - geography - in graduate school. The great thing is - they're paying ME to be a student! After this I plan to travel around the world and write.

You sound like a bright young student. I would definitely encourage you to look into switching majors to music or history. Email me if you want to talk about this some more.

Matt

Answer 2

NO! This is something you have to do the rest of your life. I'll tell you what will happen already. You will lose interest so will go to class less and less. From there a few things will happen: you drop/flunk out, you change your major and waste that time, you graduate but not with good grades. From there you either get a science job you hate and be miserable or go back to school for something you enjoy better. Or you don't get a science job, and wasted your major. Either way you just wasted 4 years and a lot of money.

But on the other hand, don't have a major where you don't know what type of job you want. Unless you are already wealthy, don't go to college for the sake of college. I had a liberal arts major, and now am doing nothing with it.

Take more general ed classes top see what you like. Talk to a career counciler about what careers you can get in history or music. And maybe you do like science but have a bad teacher right now.

Answer 3

I hear you, because I started college the same way in music - I thought it was what I wanted to do while I was in high school, and when I discovered that I hated it as a major, it was hard to make the switch. Believe it or not, there are many things you can do with degrees in just about anything. Music, these days, is a major industry, and if you don't have what it takes to be an artist, you could be an agent to artists, an arts administrator, you could work on the technologies to deliver music, you could become an entertainment lawyer - you get the idea. History is a little less obvious, but many employers will hire a college graduate with any major, as long as you have the skills they need. So you could do a number of things - from business to government service, to teaching, with a history degree, depending on what really interests you. If you don't like science, think about whether it is because you just happen to be at a school with bad science professors, or whether it just isn't your thing these days. If not, don't force it, because you could spend the rest of your life in a profession you don't enjoy.

Answer 4

The easy answer is "no...switch majors." A little thought behind that sentiment:suppose you slog through, graduate with a B.S. in the sciences, and then get a job in a field you don't enjoy? How will the next 40 years in a secure job seem, if the job is only for money, and you have no passionate personal commitment to what you're doing?

A couple of things you might be able to do with degrees in history or music: law school, grad school (and possibly a career teaching at the university level, if you can get through a PhD program), the Department of State, work for any number of government agencies or NGOs, and depending on your instrument, being a musician in the military. There are lots of military bands in and outside the Washington, DC area...all around the world, in fact.

Answer 5

If you major in something that you don't particularly like, chances are that you won't be motivated to study it and that you won't do very well in it. Think about it this way: do you think it'd be easier to find a job after majoring in a science and graduating with a 2.0, or do you think it would be easier to find a job after majoring in history or music with a 3.5? The science field is very competitive, so if you don't like it and don't do well in it, you may not find a very good job.

I'm sure there are many careers that you can pursue with degrees in music or history. Talk to a counselor and see what alumni from your school have done with those degrees.

If you absolutely cannot abandon the "need" to major in a science, maybe you can double major or pick one as a minor. That way, you have flexibility in your job choice. But be advised that it will be a LOT of work. Best of luck to you!

Answer 6

I think it's great that you are pondering this question and have takent the step of asking about it.

I think you would be doing yourself a major disservice by continuing to pursue fields that do not excite you and in which you are not performing well. You will get little out of this long term other than frustration. Also, job security isn't really relevant if you can't do the job well, because you likely won't get a good job in that field anyway.

Instead, pursue what fascinates you. You should realize that you are lucky to have passions and concrete interests. Many students can't figure out what is of interest to them. At least you know, that's a big step! I recommend taking courses in your fields of interest.

Then spend some time at the career advice office of your school getting information about what people have done with these majors. Frankly, your major doesn't really determine that much about your future directions anyway. (For example, I have a friend who majored in French and economics and is becoming a microbiologist years later.)

Answer 7

Even if your job is in demand and you are hired with a high salary, after a few years you will be burned out and seeking another job. Keep this in mind - if you don't like your job it will show. You might get passed over for advancement because your fellow workers are more invested in the job. If you end up having to go back to school anyway...

What helped me was going back to what I enjoyed as a kid. I also thought that I like science, but on further reflection what I really liked was teaching the other kids about things that they had a hard time understanding. I am now studying to be a teacher.

Answer 8

I have been in school for the last five years (on the first year of my Master's in Enviro Studies), and school should be the place where you meet the people that will help you get where you want to be. If you want to chuck the sciences and go into music and history, GO FOR IT. But remember that you need to be using this time to figure out how to make a MEANINGFUL living from your education. You may find you want to go into studio work- Please use all of the resources available to yourself through school. Use the opportunities and seek out new ones. Constantly ask yourself how you could apply what you are learning to make your life and the lives of others better, and you will answer your own question.

Answer 9

No, don't major in something that you don't enjoy - for all of the reasons that you've already been given.

I'd like to throw in a couple of other ideas, since history is my field. Teaching is great if its what you want to do, but its not for everybody. Public History (sometimes called applied history) and Museum Studies are among the things that many people don't consider. Consider how many historical societies and history museums there are in this country, adding in the National Parks and agencies like that. The jobs still aren't plentiful, but they are definitely there. There are a lot of different jobs within the museum field. Working as an archivist or a librarian (especially one that specializes in either of the fields you're passionate about) are other possibilities. My area is historic preservation and I work for a cultural resources management firm. I won't go into the details, but I get paid for doing things that I love.

You will need to get a masters degree if you want to work in history. Its possible to get work with your bachelors degree, but it'll be harder and your advancement will be limited. If you are interested in museum work or something specialized like that, do your MA in a program that specializes in that. Intern, volunteer, get a part-time job in the field while you're in school, do original research. All of those things will put you above the crowd who are applying for jobs. Talk to people who do things that you think would be fun. People who are in careers they love are always happy to talk about it. You'll make great connections and get career advice. I did all of these things and it didn't take me long to find a job.

Since you are passionate about both music and history, major in one and minor in the other. That way, you can choose to pursue either field. I think that if you continue to study both of these fields you will soon figure out what you want to end up doing with them. Good Luck!

Answer 10

First, the short answer to your question is ABSOLUTELY NOT! No. Do not spend the valuable time and scarce resources pursuing something you don't have a passion for. If Music and History are your interests, you can major in either, do a major/minor, do a double major, etc. What can you do with it? Well, you can WRITE about it, you can ENTERTAIN with it (storytelling), you can TEACH it, but most importantly, you will never grow tired of it. And that is the most important reason of all.