College/Univ. Students: What's your major, and how much work/how difficult is it?

SVRDhand13

graduating next month with a political science major from binghamton university (upstate NY). a good amount of reading, but skimming seems to be enough. honestly it's pretty easy- but next year law school definitly will not be.

Collin

Translation studies; English - Czech (and of course my native language).

Czech grammar is a bitch.

mca47

redmosquito10 wrote:

Hey I did cancer research when I was planning on becoming a biomedical engineer. Very interesting, but at times a bit tedious/repetitive, like pretty much everything else it seems.

I'm currently going through basic required engineering classes: statics, dynamics, differential equations, etc (if you don't know what those are, all you really need to know is they for the most part suck majorly). I get to mix in a few field classes because my specialization revolves around the environment, so those definitely help keep me sane when I'm spending hours on a math problem set I couldn't care less about. It's basically a push for me to finish my undergrad degree, and then when I go to grad school I can focus on classes that really interest me

What kind of cancer research were you involved with?

Pauk

Microbiology. Graduating in July

It's alright. Only thing I found impossible was virology and that was because we were given 22 viruses to learn but would only be examined on 2 of them... and out of the choice of 5 that came up I had revised for 0 of them. Other than that it's been alright. Never felt really stressed.

Get_Right

its been awhile, but I was a double major
psych and econ

Psych was not too bad except for a few courses and the lab work.
Econ was hell.

PJGARDEN

Double Finance and Accounting major with a minor in European Studies. The Finance and Accounting wasn't that bad as far as the work was concerned. Most of my classes had 2 or 3 test and that was your grade for the class. The test were usually pretty difficult but I would much rather have a hard test than have to write papers all the time.

thunderDAN

I studied Business Management in school. I graduated in 2006, and it took me 4 years. I basically didn't do a single thing the last 2 years of school. I studied hard maybe once every 2 weeks. All of the courses seemed easy for me except Finance. I struggled with that, but still got out of there in 4 years with a 3.25GPA, not too bad.

The only thing that sucks is that I hate business. I would much rather be something where I can be creative. Oh well, I'm gonna lay low for a couple years then maybe go back to school.

redmosquito10

mca47 wrote:

What kind of cancer research were you involved with?

Protein inhibition in prostate cancer cells, basically seeing if by removing certain proteins from cancer cells we could limit or eliminate their ability to spread throughout the body. very interesting, and the doctor i worked with was probably the smartest person i've ever met. i even got published for it, which gives me something to brag about but really serves no other purpose. What are you working on?

GraySaturday

I majored in Drawing and Painting and minored in Education in College. It was honestly the easiest 4 years of my life. I LOVED college, every single aspect of it. As far as my classes, I can't remember there being one that was super difficult, or impossible. I rarely had tests, by more like deadlines and critiques. My favorite class was my senior independent studies class, where I wrote a proposal in the beginning and then worked on my own and then showed my work for the final. I worked on painting and mixed media work showcasing urban architecture. It really became a passion of mine and I stuck with it. I really didn't go to class all that often (I know, thats bad) but I did well in school and learned a lot.

I'm hoping to enjoy graduate school just as much in the fall. I know it will be MUCH more work, and I welcome the challenge. I'll be getting my masters of Elementary Education.

GraySaturday

DOSW wrote:

Right now I'm almost done with my freshman year at Bloomsburg University in PA. My major is political science, but I didn't take very many poly sci classes this year so it's been really easy. Next semester I'm going to be diving right in to harder classes though, so I'm going to need to work a lot more than I have these first two semesters.

I applied to Bloomsburg In case you cared to know.

mca47

redmosquito10 wrote:

Protein inhibition in prostate cancer cells, basically seeing if by removing certain proteins from cancer cells we could limit or eliminate their ability to spread throughout the body. very interesting, and the doctor i worked with was probably the smartest person i've ever met. i even got published for it, which gives me something to brag about but really serves no other purpose. What are you working on?

I work on the clinical side of cancer research (early phase). Basically when a drug or biotech company comes out with their "ground-breaking" new drug or therapy they hire me/us to be the first to test it in human subjects. Sadly our patients are at the point where they have few options left so they are seeking investigational treatments that haven't been approved yet. I specialize in renal cell cancer but work in many different therapy types. Some of these drugs are nothing short of incredible and will most likely be hitting the market in the next few years, and unfortunately others are less successful. Part of the process.
I worked bench research in college, and I have to agree...that shit is boring as hell. Being on this side of it is insanely fascinating and being able to directly effect the lives of so many patients in their battle with cancer is really rewarding.

emily18

Tone wrote:

Hey, I did a BA Communications with a minor in Journalism... but I did it in Australia where it was only 3 years (here, I think it's 4, no?). Lots of reading, lots of writing, lots of politics, lots of research (but I was doing Political Reporting and Investigative Journalism) but that's what I like, I was doing journalism so I loved it (kinda wish I'd done a Masters now). I even did an essay on Pearl Jam, for an elective subject "Music & Popular Culture", what else would I choose!? I did a couple of PR subjects too and I also did a marketing certificate at a college (TAFE in Australia). Anyway, I loved it. If that's what you're interested in, you'll enjoy it

I'm aiming to go to Law School for 2009 to do a JD... not sure how I'll afford it here, but I want to do it.

wow, yeah thanks. that helped

scot88

redmosquito10 wrote:

I'm currently going through basic required engineering classes: statics, dynamics, differential equations, etc (if you don't know what those are, all you really need to know is they for the most part suck majorly). I get to mix in a few field classes because my specialization revolves around the environment, so those definitely help keep me sane when I'm spending hours on a math problem set I couldn't care less about. It's basically a push for me to finish my undergrad degree, and then when I go to grad school I can focus on classes that really interest me

So, what's your official major? Environmental Engineering?

I'm in Civil Engineering, with plans to go to grad school for Environmental Engineering.

redmosquito10

officially my major is biological engineering with a concentration in ecological engineering, then i'll get a graduate degree in ecological engineering. I looked into the civil-environmental path too, but this one suits me better

Get_Right

Tone wrote:

I'm aiming to go to Law School for 2009 to do a JD... not sure how I'll afford it here, but I want to do it.

There is still time to change your mind about that. Its a miserable profession, the practice of law. Be a client, not an attorney. They all make more than their lawyers (excluding criminal law or public service), and work a lot less.

bettermanchick

I've been in college for six years. I'm an elementary education major, an english major and I hold a psychology minor. The English dept. requires you take eleven courses, fur of those being courses that demand at least 60 pages of writing, they're labeled L or Literature Intensive courses.

The Education Dept. requires you to take fifteen courses four of which require at least forty hours in the classroom.

Next semester I Student Teach for 16 weeks, eight in an urban eight in a suburbad one in grades 1, 2 or 3 and the other in grades 4, 5, or 6. It's 8 hours a day five days a week, all me with a master tacher looking on. I have lesson plans, units, evaluations interviews and IEP accomodations that have to be made daily.

It's the toughest thing I've ever done, but now that I'm on the other side, it's the greatest thing I've ever done. I'm a better more patient person and I'm soooo thankful for the gift of learning.

One of the perks is that CT teachers are the highest paid in the country, with an average of about 54,000/yr.


P.S. All CT teachers are required to poass a peer reviewed and videotaped program called BESt in which master teachers watch you for two years evaluate your work and your portfolio. If you pass, only then do you receive a permanent teaching licence. Lastly, all teachers are required to earn their masters within five years of crossing that stage.

All this to administer standardized tests and learn numbers...

carolinabeerguy

I'm working on my BS in Finance. I'll graduate this December. So far it hasn't been terribly awful other than Corporate Finance which was pretty brutal. The last class I take is Business Policy which is supposed to be terrible. Hopefully I make it through. I don't know why I majored in Finance since I don't know what I want to do...

Tone

Get_Right wrote:

There is still time to change your mind about that. Its a miserable profession, the practice of law. Be a client, not an attorney. They all make more than their lawyers (excluding criminal law or public service), and work a lot less.

Most of my friends are telling me I'm insane, don't worry... my family understands, my mind just really tends towards law. I want to do it more out of interest than out of wanting to actually practice (I'm fascinated by law). It certainly makes you more employable, having a law degree is a very handy thing. I'm interested in media law and human rights law. However, I'm still undecided cause I'm already 34 and the idea of finishing a law degree at 40 is a little scary. You're never too old, but it just freaks me out a little. Okay, now I need to go pass out cause I just mentioned "40" in relation to myself...

Stelly

I have a BSBA in Accounting. It was a very difficult program with a LOT of work and studying involved. But it got me great places in life, so I can't complain!

1STmammal2wearPants

I was a Communications major with a dual minor in English/Film. Ended up getting a job as an editor on press releases, and the work is pretty cool, especially the group I am working with. The dressing casually and ability to listen to music when not busy certainly loosens up the atmosphere for all, as well. The work load was heavy at times with the amounts of English papers I would have, but the papers outweighed the tests, and I always enjoyed that, being able to work on my own schedule and pace, rather than taking tests. I'd eventually like to go to NYC, which is the mecca of Communications, so that I can get a job hopefully one day with the Associated Press.

I went to a really small Jesuit school in New York, and ended up getting a great job that opens a lot of doors for me. As far as I am concerned, it's what you do with your degree, what experience you have in college, and overall your personality and work ethic that will land you a job out of school. While my boss never heard of my school due to its size, it nevertheless got me the job I wanted because of my campus experience. Take internships, get involved with organizations on campus that interest you that relate to your major. Build what limited resume you will have coming out of college.