I partially agree. Most of my fellow engineering majors and I never did any engineering once we graduated. Most went into consulting.
however…
You don’t need to pick a career and study to it, but you should have at least a broad idea of what KIND of job you want to do. If you like programming computers, study math or computer science. If you like sales, study things that make you more valuable as a sales person. If you want to do something in business, study accounting or finance. At some point (even in consulting, the most dynamic career i can think of), being a generalist is no longer desirable and you have to pick either a speciality (like DBA, sales, or suply chain managment) or an industry (Banking, manufacturing, etc). You still have a lot of flexibility.
The world doesn’t really change that much. Technology chages but job ads still say “x years experience” or “Degree in Y or equivalent” required.
Here is my advice. You really don’t know if you want to go to college, nor even exactly what you want to study- but you’re considering an expensive overseas school?
Naw. Find a local Community (2 year) college, go there, take the basics (Bonehead English is Bonehead English no matter where you take it. The Prof having a cool accent doesn’t make it any better. ), plus a few of the core classses in what you think you want to major in. You’ll find out two things cheaply; without any huge investment in time & life- whether or not College is for you- and if you are really into your major. Then- go to a good Univ to finish up & get your degree. If you want this to be overseas- great. If you are thinking about a higher degree, it’d be better to finish your 4 year degree here- at a good Univ, then go overseas for your advanced degree.
A two year community college may also be a good way to quell all desire for a higher education. I would not say that a community college experience is indicative of what a university experience would be.
But then I’ve only been a bonehead English prof at both, so take what I say with a grain of salt.
Sure, to some extent. But if you hate courses at a Community College, or hate the classes in your Major at one; chances are you won’t be happy at a top university.
Some dudes just don’t take well to the very different way courses are taught in College as opposed to HS. You don’t have to be at College, if you don’t want to learn, they aren’t going to coerce you.
Nah, lots of folks are bored silly at HS but thrive at university. I have found community college to be much more similar to HS than university. The level of the material is lower than at university, and the overall intellectual ability of the students is lower. That can make for a pretty poor experience for a person cut out for university.
Perhaps what I am used to in community colleges is not what folks south of the border are used to. Up where I am in Ontario, the community colleges are not intended to mimic the first couple of years of university. Here is a very concrete example. At the colleges at which I have taught, the senior year English is not up to the level of the non-credit remedial English offered to students who have failed their English competency admission examination at the universities at which I have taught. The materials I have used when teaching techincal and business writing at universities have been incomrehensible to most of my college students.
As far as literature and critical theory goes, it is not even on the syllabus in community colleges around here. Putting a bright, acadmically inclined student who should be spreading his or her intellectual wings with literature and critical theory into a remedial reading and basic writing skills course would be a great way to turn that student off of higher education.
If the American commnity colleges essentially offer the first couple of years of university, then fair enough, but if they are similar to the Ontario community colleges, then I think that attendance at a community college would be a waste of time for someone who otherwise coud be thriving at university.
Ah, I see. It depends. You can go two ways in a two year college down here- or at least here in CA, where I have quite a bit of experience. First is the traditional “first two years”- just make sure the courses you take are accredited for a 4yr degree. They’ll spell it out, but you can’t nessesarily go by title alone. Then, there are courses designed for a 2 year degree, sushc as nursing, police science, even automobile repair etc. Those are usually not transferable.
But you can get the Eng 1, Pysch1, Physics 1, Chem 1, Algebra 1, (you see where I am going with this) classes over & done with, and accredited. Note to mention that at the “Junior college” level, these classes are smaller that at most universitys, increasing the chance you might learn something). It is also possible that you’ll go in thinking English is your major, and find that something else is really your cup of tea.
), plus a few of the core classses in what you think you want to major in. You’ll find out two things cheaply; without any huge investment in time & life- whether or not College is for you- and if you are really into your major. Then- go to a good Univ to finish up & get your degree. If you want this to be overseas- great. If you are thinking about a higher degree, it’d be better to finish your 4 year degree here- at a good Univ, then go overseas for your advanced degree.