Degree choice?

Question

I have always wanted to earn my degree in fashion designs. I have a sketch book full of drawings and its my passion. But my family keeps telling me thats theirs is no money in that flied and how hard it is to get a job doing just that. So, silly me went for my business degree instead. By the way, I HATE IT. Should I have listened to my family and finish my schooling or should I have just went for my dream and seen what will become of it?Please tell me I made the right choice, i feel terrible.

Answer 1

This is a real dilemma. First of all I'm assuming that you are in the US. While being a fashion designer may be a passion, the question is how likely are you to be able to follow that dream?
According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook
http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos291.htm#outlook
competition for jobs in this industry will be intense.
Your family probably (and somewhat realistically) thinks of this job in the same way they would if you had said you want to be a rock n roll star.

You may hate business, but it is a more realistic option--at least in the line of getting a well paying job. How about trying to use your business training in the fashion industry? Another option, though not so lucrative as a job in business, is teaching. You might want to teach business subjects on a high school level.

Answer 2

I did the same thing and listened to my family. I found out I did *not* want to be a history teacher. Instead, I stopped working towards that degree and flopped over to an archaeology degree. There was some overlap and I interned/volunteered with a bunch of groups to get me the connections for my job/grad school. Also, however, I use a bunch that I learned in history in my job (which i LOVE!).
So - to parallel your situation to mine:
Would you enjoy working your way into the fashion industry? Of course you may not be able to get *the* job right away and may need to be a go-fer or ::gasp:: an intern (actually, interning's not that bad, it gets you some good ins) for a while. But, would you prefer that to a business desk job?
If you would rather work hard and be a starving artist/designer for a while and not have a steady, stagnant, beige office job, then go for the fashion degree!
I will say, though that your (not enjoyed) background in business may help you a bit in the long run ;-).
School is only a few years, this is your career, something you'll be stuck at for 30 years, how do you want to spend it!?

Answer 3

Is there a way to do both? Start taking classes in fashion while you finish up your business degree? If you have a passion for it, find a way to make it happen.... but understand that it might take a little longer.

Maybe you could get an Internship? There are books that have lots of Internships and Apprentice information that may be helpful -- Go to the Bookstore or the Library to find Internships in Fahion or Fashion related industries (see below for a list of such places -- but know that you might need to be in school already in Fashion Design to apply.

Read Po Bronson's "What Should I Do With My Life?" -- and give it to your family to read if you think that they would finally understand.

Check out some of these books for ideas too...
The Back Door Guide to Short-Term Job Adventures: Internships, Summer Jobs, Seasonal Work, Volunteer Vacations, and Transitions Abroad

Internships 2005

HELLO REAL WORLD!: A Student's Approach to Great Internships Co-ops and Entry Level Positions

Answer 4

I see you've Petroleum Engineering listed, which isn't a sensible determination interior the present climate. have you ever appeared into Chemical Engineering? don't be fooled through the call, i got here upon that there became little or no chemistry in evaluation to mathematics and physics. It has great potentialities with it being between the most less than-subscribed engineering classes, my year contained 60ish human beings in evaluation to the 400 interpreting mechanical engineering. we are at present crying out for chemical engineers, using many from the African and Asian continent. with out attempting to sound snobbish, chemical engineering is standard to be the administration fringe of the engineering i.e. chem eng layout the plant, the civil eng lay the rules and the mechanical eng will construct/layout equipment -- over simplified, yet you get the gist. electric powered engineering is between the hardest, mechanical isn't short of applicants, and that i do not recognize too a lot about the computers engineering. desire this helped! P.S. Chemical engineering got here out because the third maximum payed degree interior the circumstances score; drugs and regulation were marginally above it.

Answer 5

No one can tell you that you made the right choice or not. It seems that a business degree is more versatile. Also, you have to remember what will put food on your table and pay off your debt, if you have any. I think we all have dreams, and very few of us have the luxury of pursuing them based on reality. But, you can always go back to school while working a job that you secured with your business degree!