# College Major Question

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-major-question/538522>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 6, 2010, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-major-question/538522 "2010-05-06T16:17:30Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 44

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**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\
**Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-major-question/538522/44 "2010-05-06T22:14:01Z")

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I just posted this in another thread [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=12422911&postcount=71):

> [@Is the Time Coming When There Just Aren't Enough Jobs to Go Around?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-time-coming-when-there-just-arent-enough-jobs-to-go-around/538360/71):
>
> …For example, back as an undergraduate, I was equally interested in engineering, chemistry, and history. However, it was fairly obvious that the job prospects were far greater for someone with a degree in the first two fields of study than the latter. This was a large factor in me getting a degree in chemical engineering. However, I have not lost my interest in history. I took electives in history, and have continued to read books on history since graduating. There’s nothing to say that one can’t continue to learn after college.
> 
> Besides, how many people who get degrees in history actually work as historians? Most end up getting a job that has no relation to their degree.
> 
> I’m not saying that everyone should pick a course of study and/or a career based solely on what can lead to the most lucrative job. However, it should be a factor, IMHO.
> 
> I’m actually dealing with this is with my son. My goal for him is to be happy in life. One way to enhance one’s happiness is to be gainfully employed. I don’t want him to have to struggle to get work his whole life.
> 
> In discussing various career options, he has heard that lawyers make a lot of money. However, I have encouraged him not to become a lawyer solely for the money. For one thing, many lawyers don’t make as much money as people think, and those that do generally have a poor work-life balance.
> 
> On the other hand, if he expresses an interest in something like “Art History,” and wishes to get a decree [sic] in this, I would also encourage him to evaluate what he can do with that degree after graduation.

To elaborate on my post, having eliminated history as a potential major, I also had to decide between some type of engineering and a degree in chemistry. I decided that a B.S. in Chemical Engineering would do a lot more for me than a bachelor’s degree in chemistry, and I was right.

I considered getting a double major in history, considering that I had 12 credit hours of history (AP credit) before I even started college, but it still would have required many more classes beyond what was already required for my ChemE degree, not to mention required Navy ROTC classes, so I ended up dropping the idea.

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