# Do You Regret Your University/College Major? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 6, 2022, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-regret-your-university-college-major/971083 "2022-09-06T20:59:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2022, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-regret-your-university-college-major/971083/61 "2022-09-07T19:07:11Z")
Pretty much the same as many have said. I was EXTREMELY lazy throughout high school, college, and law school. In college, I ended up in PolSci, after dropping out from the school of business - which I detested. I ruled out sciences/engineering off the bat, b/c I was too lazy to do the science and math. PolSci was easy, and I found it interesting. Besides, I always planned on going to law school - because talking and writing (and test-taking) came easily to me. PolSci - and the rest of LAS - was all stuff I could’ve picked up later through reading on my own. I realize what really interests me is science - especially biology. I wish I had perceived that at the time. Then, even if I went to law school, I might have had a career in something that was of minimal interest or provided minimal satisfaction. But it is A LOT harder to just pick up science and math on your own through independent study - while starting a family and career. I can’t object too much, b/c my choices supported a comfortable lifestyle w/ no heavy lifting and no overtime. And I met my wife in law school. But it would be nice to look back at 35-40 years of a career and see something other than boring paper pushing. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2022, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-regret-your-university-college-major/971083/62 "2022-09-07T19:32:53Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > Even waiting a year or two helps people make more informed decisions. My brother and I both took Gap Years, decades before that had a buzzword, and had no regrets. The maturing brain is one reason why most people don’t graduate with the degree they initially started out pursuing. I think there’s also a fundamental lack of information for most people between the subject matter that’s studied in a field of study, and what the actual jobs entail when they get out. And I’m not talking about philosophy majors asking about fries; I mean not knowing what a career in tech might actually look like for your average graduate. Or what being an engineer _actually_ is in real life. Or that certain fields of study have very few actual jobs at the undergrad level, etc… It’s all sort of a giant murky mess when you’re a freshman/sophomore, and there’s nobody really trying to help you- the degree plan people are more concerned about making sure you’re not dead weight on the department, or that you’re not counted as attrition because you dropped out. The career center is generally tightly focused on getting jobs for upcoming/recent graduates, not counseling first/second year students about their majors. And there’s little guidance about navigating the “Do something that makes money/has jobs, even if you don’t like it” and “Do what you love and the money will come”. Both are bullshit, and can easily make people dissatisfied with their degrees once they graduate and get out into the world. So it’s not at all surprising that people get out of school and find out that they hate what they do, or that they don’t have the lifestyle they want because their chosen career isn’t as lucrative as they’d like. That said, I don’t regret mine, although I think there’s a certain “what if?” thought that pops up periodically if I’d gone a slightly different path (civil engineering instead of computer science), mostly because the company I interned with and was offered a job at has turned into a BIG engineering firm, and I suspect my life trajectory would be considerably different. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2022, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-regret-your-university-college-major/971083/63 "2022-09-07T19:38:11Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > My study of Russian was my way of getting back at them: “So, **Spoons** , what was your teenage rebellion against the system? Drugs? Booze? Anarchism?” “I learnt Russian.” “Oooh-kay.” ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2022, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-regret-your-university-college-major/971083/64 "2022-09-07T19:50:46Z")
Unfortunately a University education is far too expensive these days to have no regard for a good “ROI”. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2022, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-regret-your-university-college-major/971083/65 "2022-09-07T20:08:10Z")
A significant percentage of male pharmacists started out as engineering majors, and switched to other majors (yes, including pharmacy) when they couldn’t handle the higher maths required for that field, and/or found out what an engineering job really entails. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2022, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-regret-your-university-college-major/971083/66 "2022-09-07T20:12:43Z")
No regrets about my degree in Geography. Right out of college I was able to work in City Planning, which led to about a 10 year span working as a map-maker with the nascent digital map companies in Silicon Valley - the maps used in navigation systems in cars (which are now ubiquitous). It was all new stuff and very entrepreneurial, so it was an exciting time, and I was satisfied that my degree led me to those jobs and that part of my career. However, seeking more transferable skills, I moved into Project Management, which I have been doing ever since, which is a career known as “The Accidental Profession”, given how people generally drift into it (like me) rather than start-out in it… My current job that I have been doing for a long, long time has nothing at all to do with mapping or geography in general (altho, it pays sufficiently and has enabled me to provide for my family). So, if I were to regret anything, it would be not remaining in the field of my college major, that I initially found so interesting and rewarding. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2022, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-regret-your-university-college-major/971083/67 "2022-09-07T20:14:20Z")
I’m regularly shocked at the number of young folk who say they intend to go to law school, but clearly show no understanding of what the practice of law is like, the current job market, and show no clear “passion” for being a lawyer (whatever the hell that might be.) In return, they have a good chance of making a decent living, but there is also a good chance that their career will not really be stimulating, fulfilling, etc. So I guess there could be worse choices. And that is if they are pretty bright. If they are just kinda average bright, they will likely have a tough slog ahead of them with unsure prospects. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2022, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-regret-your-university-college-major/971083/68 "2022-09-07T20:20:11Z")
Obviously, YMMV, but I’ve had a great career as a lawyer. It’s been fun and challenging. I really enjoy court room work, which is not something I could have predicted when I was in law school. I thought I would do more solicitor type work. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2022, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-regret-your-university-college-major/971083/69 "2022-09-07T20:21:12Z")
I found it very helpful to visit a college and sit in on a few classes. This helped me assess both majors and goodness of fit through observation and chatting with the students in that class. As faculty, I’ve always allowed visits from prospective students unless the class’s content was confidential or the whole class meeting was video, guest, or student presentations. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2022, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-regret-your-university-college-major/971083/70 "2022-09-07T20:24:47Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > I’m regularly shocked at the number of young folk who say they intend to go to law school, but clearly show no understanding of what the practice of law is like, the current job market, and show no clear “passion” for being a lawyer (whatever the hell that might be.) In return, they have a good chance of making a decent living, but there is also a good chance that their career will not really be stimulating, fulfilling, etc. Out of my group of college friends (which was also my college Dungeons & Dragons group), there were three people who went on to law school; all three of them earned their law degrees, passed the bar, and practiced law for a time. But, none of them did so for particularly long (none for more than a decade), as they did all discover that it wasn’t exactly what they enjoyed doing, and they then pursued other fields. One of the three stayed within the legal sphere (he got his PhD, and is now a law professor); the other two are doing completely unrelated work now. ---
**Author:** ![P-man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/p-man/32/3606_2.png) [@P-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/P-man)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2022, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-regret-your-university-college-major/971083/71 "2022-09-07T21:28:33Z")
I needed a major where my ability to skim, summarize, and analyze would get me through a degree program. History and Political Science worked. I didn’t really want to go to college, so I took the path of least resistance. After a couple of years floundering I got my MLS, which I parlayed into an interesting and varied library career. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2022, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-regret-your-university-college-major/971083/72 "2022-09-07T21:32:57Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > Even though I’m in computers/technology I’m glad I didn’t take a technology major. I like to DO programming but I don’t like sitting in a classroom learning it. Yes, totally. I have an English Lit degree, and I don’t regret it. However, my career was in IT (it was still called DP when I started – I’m old), and I made a good living. I know I’d have changed majors if I had a STEM major. I enjoyed the sciencey classes I took, but it’s not my jam. I learned to program mostly by making mistakes. 🤪 ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2022, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-regret-your-university-college-major/971083/73 "2022-09-07T22:00:40Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Obviously, YMMV, but I’ve had a great career as a lawyer. It’s been fun and challenging. … There are always exceptions. Or you could be the sort who flourishes in law. And things may be different in Canada than the US. Back when I used to pay attention to such things, the percentage of young US lawyers who were dissatisfied with their careers was pretty shockingly high. I highly doubt a majority of US lawyers would describe it as “fun.” But I don’t mean to hijack this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2022, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-regret-your-university-college-major/971083/74 "2022-09-07T22:02:34Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > And things may be different in Canada than the US. It’s the gown and the tabs. Makes you feel like a super-hero walking into court with your cape fluttering. (Sorry, Edna.) ---
**Author:** ![ctnguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@ctnguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ctnguy)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2022, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-regret-your-university-college-major/971083/75 "2022-09-07T22:46:50Z")
No regrets here. I did a double major, Maths and Computer Science. I thought I was going to be a mathematician and the CS would be an easy add on since I already knew programming. But I ended up in a career in software development, which turns out to suit me very well. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2022, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-regret-your-university-college-major/971083/76 "2022-09-07T23:26:43Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > Sure, it provided quite a bit of foundational knowledge, but what it did do, is develop me to become a learner, which I believe most degrees do. I was already a learner, but I feel this one very much. I love to learn and it has allowed me to reshape my career a few times. My BA degree is in Journalism with an emphasis on Advertising. And I did land that advertising job, only to discover that I really didn’t like being a advertising copywriter because you often had to stretch the truth too much. I could have gone through the Business school or even English to get where I thought I wanted to be. I also have a Tech College degree in Supermarket Management, something I never used professionally. When I realized this wasn’t what I wanted to do, I was not far from graduating, so I completed it. If I could have a do-over, I would probably pick a double major and not spend 32 hours a week working during the school year. But I did what was necessary and graduated with only one student loan. I would also go on to grad school. If wishes were fishes… ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2022, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-regret-your-university-college-major/971083/77 "2022-09-07T23:39:37Z")
At age 18 I was effectively an orphan- my mother had just died, and my father was completely out of the picture. I didn’t get to even graduate from high school, so between suddenly being on my own and having no money, I didn’t get to go to college. Eventually I took a few courses, but did so on my own dime (no loans for me). As far as my career has gone, I don’t regret never having gotten a degree. I make very good money, in a field which wasn’t even an option when I would’ve gone to college. However, I’m trying to get my Canadian citizenship, and I lose a lot of points by not having an education. Having no degree is going to make things a lot more difficult in that regard. If I’d stayed in the US, this would never have come up. ---
**Author:** ![Arcite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/67e7ee/32.png) [@Arcite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arcite)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2022, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-regret-your-university-college-major/971083/78 "2022-09-08T00:08:18Z")
> [@Asuka](#): > > So one of my friends got a 4 year Bachelor’s of Music degree in “Music Theory” because he played in a band, and another got a Bachelor of Arts as a “Spanish Major”. > > My Music Theory friend COMPLETELY regrets his degree since he literally could find no work with it and instead had to go back to College 10 years later to get an actual Engineering degree to make money. This was me. When I was 18, because of a combination of the way my high school’s curriculum was, the influence of certain family members, and the fact that I was innately somewhat prone to being a lazy, unambitious dreamer, I felt that the purpose of life was to just sit around reading good books and philosophizing like Plato about the nature of The Good, The True, The Beautiful, etc. I didn’t really want to get a real job, didn’t want to have to make a career choice, and wanted to go to college just to learn for the sake of learning. I went to a liberal arts college with the vague idea that spending four years sitting around philosophizing and reading the Great Books of Western Civilization would help me figure out what to do with my life. I majored in music, just because that was something I felt like learning more about. But I wasn’t good enough to make a living as a performer, and while I thought about going to grad school for music theory or music history, after perusing a few applications I felt I wasn’t even qualified to do that. So like your friend, I spent most of the rest of my twenties floundering and just had to go back to school in a STEM field in order to get a “real” job. If I could do it over, I’d major in a STEM field that would put me on a path toward a real job the first time through. My idealistic, head-in-the-clouds 18-year old self would be shocked and dismayed to hear his future self say that, but hey, reality bites. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2022, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-regret-your-university-college-major/971083/79 "2022-09-08T00:15:02Z")
My trajectory was sort of a combination of **Qadgop** ’s and **silenus** ’, starting with apparently getting about two thirds through the same program as the distinguished Mercotan until (in hindsight) not having been really ready to go straight into college from the emotional/mental health side caught up with me; then wandering for many years with short time restarts and restops at various places until I got myself figured out and finally completing a “Liberal Studies” major at a place that would work with me on assembling the accumulated credits – I figured, “might as well have something to show for all of this.” The way the lived experience worked out it actually fits with what I’d been doing all along and I never have to explain “why are you not doing…” ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2022, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-regret-your-university-college-major/971083/80 "2022-09-08T00:21:02Z")
I changed majors three times and never managed to get a job in my field. So, yes. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-regret-your-university-college-major/971083.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-regret-your-university-college-major/971083.md?page=5)