What to study at college/university?

[Radical]

I am planning on studying economics, as I think this fits well with the subjects I studied at A-level, and would provide me with knowledge to get a good career or start up a business.

What subjects are other people studying? Or what subjects have you studied?

Why did you choose that subject and would you recommend it?

[Pat P.]

First, why do you want to study economics? I know you say it fits with what you did before, but on my experience, this may not keep you motivated during your studies. If you are more interested in business, I would suggest to find a program on entrepreneurship and work your way from there.

Otherwise, I would try the following:
1) Go to the Nobel Prize website, and check the last 10 Nobels on Economics. See what are the subjects involved (do not get discuraged if you don't understand much, it is just to get an idea of what is current on the field).
2) Check some of the latest issues of business/economics magazines.
3) Try to get strong fundamentals. On my experience, (I am an electrical engineer), mathematics provide tools that are of wide use, independent of your speciallity. In the case of economics, I would say analysis (calculus), probabilities and statistics, are the pilars of the mathematical side of economics.
4) I you haven't yet, read "Freakonomics" by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner; it presents an original approach to economics.

Pat

[Radical]

From Investopedia:

Economics may appear to be the study of complicated tables and charts, statistics and numbers, but, more specifically, it is the study of what constitutes rational human behavior in the endeavor to fulfill needs and wants.

As an individual, for example, you face the problem of having only limited resources with which to fulfill your wants and needs, as a result, you must make certain choices with your money. You'll probably spend part of your money on rent, electricity and food. Then you might use the rest to go to the movies and/or buy a new pair of jeans. Economists are interested in the choices you make, and inquire into why, for instance, you might choose to spend your money on a new DVD player instead of replacing your old TV. They would want to know whether you would still buy a carton of cigarettes if prices increased by $2 per pack. The underlying essence of economics is trying to understand how both individuals and nations behave in response to certain material constraints.

If this is what economics entails, then it sounds very interesting to me. I have already study Maths and Business at A-level, so that should give me a good foundation.

If I can better understand why people make the decisions they do, then surely that would help me in setting up a business? And I can come up with better solutions to peoples problems?

However, my concern with economics is that it revolves around a scarcity mentality. "Economics makes the assumption that human beings will aim to fulfill their self-interests."

[Doku]

Originally Posted by Radical

If I can better understand why people make the decisions they do, then surely that would help me in setting up a business? And I can come up with better solutions to peoples problems?

From all of the econ majors that I know, their jobs are basically to help the marketroids sell as much of their product as possibly for as high of a price as possible, not helping people come up with better solutions to people's problems.

[Deuz]

I'm studying civil engineering, I knew in advance that it would be hard, (& it is =)) but it's sooo interesting & the jobs in the future are also verry interesting

I don't think you have to chose your study on the things you've studied before, I know a friend who started economics at the university because that was "the only thing he knew something of" ... he failed, because he only chose it because he thought he had an excellent background for it.

[Dave Kaminski]

Originally Posted by Doku

From all of the econ majors that I know, their jobs are basically to help the marketroids sell as much of their product as possibly for as high of a price as possible, not helping people come up with better solutions to people's problems.

Any major can go that way. That's a silly way to classify a huge diversity of fields that branch from economics.

Anywho, I hate college and am taking next semester off. That aside, I wish you great luck in your continuing education. I'd say that what degree you get doesn't matter so much as the networking/strength&skill building you do while there. Break the mold, join clubs and groups and stuff and be ACTIVE, make some friends, question some conventional beliefs, and enjoy yourself. Figure out where and how you have fun and how you can integrate that into your learning experience and you'll be able to do the same with your earning experience.

!

[Radical]

Originally Posted by Dave Kaminski

Any major can go that way. That's a silly way to classify a huge diversity of fields that branch from economics.

Anywho, I hate college and am taking next semester off. That aside, I wish you great luck in your continuing education. I'd say that what degree you get doesn't matter so much as the networking/strength&skill building you do while there. Break the mold, join clubs and groups and stuff and be ACTIVE, make some friends, question some conventional beliefs, and enjoy yourself. Figure out where and how you have fun and how you can integrate that into your learning experience and you'll be able to do the same with your earning experience.

!

Thanks for the advice.

BTW has anyone studied philosophy? Because at the moment I have applied for Ba and Bsc courses in economics, and I have a place at both. However, there is a course called Economics and Philosophy, which is a joint degree.

[Dave Kaminski]

Originally Posted by Radical

Thanks for the advice.

BTW has anyone studied philosophy? Because at the moment I have applied for Ba and Bsc courses in economics, and I have a place at both. However, there is a course called Economics and Philosophy, which is a joint degree.

It will certainly be interesting if you have roots in PD. I know a guy who majored in philosophy and is now a lawyer at a large firm in New York. Go for the double major if it doesn't tax your time too highly. You really want time for that extra-curricular stuff.

[Radical]

Originally Posted by Dave Kaminski

It will certainly be interesting if you have roots in PD. I know a guy who majored in philosophy and is now a lawyer at a large firm in New York. Go for the double major if it doesn't tax your time too highly. You really want time for that extra-curricular stuff.

Any advice as to what kind of extra-curricular activities/clubs to participate in?

Also, what's the best mental attitude to have? Should you go there with the primary objective of getting a degree? Or should you make effort talking to people and getting to know them etc?

Finally, what kind of friends should you try and make? And should you try and make female friends as well as male friends?

Sorry for all the questions.

[Dave Kaminski]

Originally Posted by Radical

Sorry for all the questions.

First of all, never apologize for questions. You have a right to ask if you're curious!

Second, go with the mindset of growth, in whatever way the universe hands it to you, or you grasp it(depending on your proactive nature).

If you're interested in politics, join the group for the side of your choice. Spiritual? Join a group for that. Into business/marketing/something else? Join a young entrepreneurs group. You've got to see what's offered, and then seize the opportunities for what is around.

As for friends, just meet whoever you find interesting. You'll find a lot of childish people still at school, but an exponential increase in the number of interesting, accepting and helpful people as opposed to grade school or ::gasp:: even the workplace! It's less competition and more community, so take advantage! The guy/girl question is completely subjective. Relationships are fun, friends are fun, acquaintances are fun. Just focus on bliss & positive impact/growth and you'll enjoy yourself.

[elainevdw]

I would suggest studying something that you're passionate about. If you're passionate about economics, go for it! You will find a way to use that to your professional advantage.

I know psychology majors who used their knowledge to become wealthy businesspeople. English majors who went on to be successful lawyers. Geography majors go on to be pro snowboarders tracking first descents around the world.

Also, if you're most passionate about the idea of being a businessperson, and are just trying to figure out what field of business you should major in towards that end -- remember that you can gain loads of real-world experience to flesh out whatever you're studying through internships or part-time jobs. So if you feel more drawn to study international business, or finance, go for it, and research internships that will give you a taste of the world of economics.

[elainevdw]

Originally Posted by Radical

Any advice as to what kind of extra-curricular activities/clubs to participate in?

Also, what's the best mental attitude to have? Should you go there with the primary objective of getting a degree? Or should you make effort talking to people and getting to know them etc?

Finally, what kind of friends should you try and make? And should you try and make female friends as well as male friends?

Sorry for all the questions.

You could join a business fraternity.

Depending on your institution and the people who study there, you might learn more from your peers than you do in your classes!

Make friends that are elevators -- not ones that will hold you back, or who will be afraid of you changing. And I'd say, definitely make friends of both genders. All it does is increase the pool of perspectives you get to experience, which you can learn a lot from!

[Radical]

Originally Posted by elainevdw

Make friends that are elevators -- not ones that will hold you back, or who will be afraid of you changing. And I'd say, definitely make friends of both genders. All it does is increase the pool of perspectives you get to experience, which you can learn a lot from!

Ok, thanks for the advice.

I just mentioned the female/male friend thing, because in my experience of education females have a tendency to act flirtatiously (as do some males). Maybe that's good sometimes, but it could cause distractions, no...?

[andrew]

I think you should learn what you want to learn, not just go for the degree.

Granted, I pretty much have my skillset already, so I can afford to do that. But I'm taking music theory class now, and business classes next semester. Why? Because I'm really passionate about music and I'm starting my own business. Makes more sense than english and history class, yeah?


Maybe the career you want to pursue needs a degree, like a doctor, teacher, etc. Well then you're going to have to go for it. But if that's what you WANT, then there's no problem. I just hate to see people go just to go, or do it just for the money.

[andrew]

Originally Posted by Radical

Ok, thanks for the advice.

I just mentioned the female/male friend thing, because in my experience of education females have a tendency to act flirtatiously (as do some males). Maybe that's good sometimes, but it could cause distractions, no...?

College is the best time for girls, come on.

But don't let that be confused with me being okay with a girl distracting you from your goals. It's not. Don't let anybody get in the way or hold you down, esp a relationship. Flirting with girls in class is actually one of the motivators for me to go. But one of my goals just so happens to be dating women, so it's not really a problem.

Just have some fun man, take it seriously only when you need to. I mean if you get attached really easy and want to fall in love and be all husbandy, maybe you should ignore girls until you're done. I still don't think that's any fun though.

[Radical]

Originally Posted by andrew

Flirting with girls in class is actually one of the motivators for me to go. But one of my goals just so happens to be dating women, so it's not really a problem.

Just have some fun man, take it seriously only when you need to. I mean if you get attached really easy and want to fall in love and be all husbandy, maybe you should ignore girls until you're done. I still don't think that's any fun though.

Hmm, yeah that's kind of my problem. I don't like being a player/center of attention type and I don't have any experience with girls yet, which is not a problem, it's just I'm more innocent than most people would probably think. Also, flirting with girls sometimes makes me feel uncomfortable, because I don't like judging people superficially or giving them the wrong idea.

I know this makes me sound like a total square.

However, it's outside of my comfort zone thats all. I need to learn to enjoy life more.

[Cassie]

I love philosophy. It's relevant to every portion of life, whether its mathematics, sciences, economics, etc. It enlightens you on the deepest intellectual level. It's well worth pursuing. But be prepared. It is also very abstract.

To give you an idea:

Aristotle divided the human intellect into three levels.

The first level is the sciences, which is the lowest level. This is where we as humans extract information about the world around us by through our senses (for example, animal biologists may use their eyes to observe animals and thus learn more about them).

The second level of human intellect is the mathematical sciences, which encompasses arithmetic (the properties of numbers) and geometry (the nature of plane surfaces). It's a bit more complicated than the sciences. Engineers operate on this level to construct materials.

The third and deepest level of intellect is what is known as metaphysics. This is where Philosophy falls. On this level, one strives to understand the meaning of reality and the nature of being in it's deepest form, to its very essense. Philosophy serves as an umbrella to encompass the other two levels and really helps your mind transcend itself.

It's really very cool stuff.

[placebo]

If i could do it all over again i would choose some studies with a lot more girls involved than here in computer science. Of course we have girls here but they are minority and you can't do selection and just have to follow your needs. And then you turn around yourself and see that you are with a woman who is totally different of you and you are with her just because she was in the right place at the right time. That sucks.

Of course if you finish college with many women around your job and profession will probably be like that too. And it sounds cool.

Do this only if you really don't have any special wishes or interests !!!

[Hsiang-Lin]

Girls are overrated

[Michael Chui]

Originally Posted by Radical

What subjects are other people studying? Or what subjects have you studied?

Why did you choose that subject and would you recommend it?

I'm an Informatics major. I chose it because I read the mission statement of the school and it resonated with me. I've discovered that it's more of a bridge to what I want to do next--education--than anything else.

Originally Posted by Radical

Hmm, yeah that's kind of my problem. I don't like being a player/center of attention type and I don't have any experience with girls yet, which is not a problem, it's just I'm more innocent than most people would probably think. Also, flirting with girls sometimes makes me feel uncomfortable, because I don't like judging people superficially or giving them the wrong idea.

*chuckles*

My advice: cross the bridge when you come to it, not before.

Girls will show up in your life; for every new person you meet, there's a 50% chance that person will be female. C'est la vie. Maybe they won't physically attract you, but they might be great to hang out with. They're people. Some of my closest friends happen to be female; I find I love their perspective on life, and the conversations I have with them are interesting.

The more diverse your friends are, the more perspectives you get exposure to, and that's really the greatest thing about a university. So explore the other gender, explore people from poor and rich backgrounds, explore other ethnicities, make your choices, don't feel obligated to anyone you don't like, and so on.

[Wanderer]

It was maths
After A2 Integration I am no longer sure
Integrate 2sinx+5x/3cot2x+6tanx+17

Not nice

[Doku]

Originally Posted by Radical

Any advice as to what kind of extra-curricular activities/clubs to participate in?

As others have said... There will most likely be a club/frat that is similar to your major. Join that.

Originally Posted by Radical

Also, what's the best mental attitude to have? Should you go there with the primary objective of getting a degree? Or should you make effort talking to people and getting to know them etc?

Yes, and Yes. You should definately work on getting the degree. You/your parents/someone is paying for it. Get it and make the most of it. You should also get to know people. Lots of people. The most miserable people I know have very few friends. The happiest that I know have hundreds.

Originally Posted by Radical

Finally, what kind of friends should you try and make? And should you try and make female friends as well as male friends?

Find both male and female friends. It is much easier to ask a woman/girl out on a date if you have female friends... if you have lots of female friends, you feel comfortable talking with women, and that's one less thing to worry about when asking someone out. Also, women quite often have radically different points of view about topics. It is much easier to be a well balanced individual if everything in your life is fairly balanced. It will also make things much less awkward when you enter the workforce.

I would also suggest two things (since you are asking about social aspects of campus).. 1) Read "Never Eat Alone". 2) Join ToastMasters.

[Ali]

Radical

What ever you choose my advise is to try to have a very clear picture of the future and check, do you see yourself doing this in the next few years? is that what you want to take with you in the future?

It sounds like a simple thought. It is simple yet powerful. Many get so consumed with the present without picturing the future because the future is not manifested in front of them like the present. But one should always be smart enough to try and bring the future here and now to get a clear picture of what’s coming.

I am doing I.T, it is a business degree majoring in I.T but that’s after I did very badly in my previous degree, Computer science. Computer science is very technical and involves lots of mathematics however the degree which am doing now focuses more on business. After failing papers in Comp Sci I discovered I really wanted to do business. I should 've been smarter before. Any ways I finish my I.T degree in few months so its all good now.


Thanks

Ali

[julien]

Study only what you are interested in. This is a huge mistake to think that the most important is to pick a branch which provides the best jobs, because once you get your golden job, nothing says you're going to be happy with it.

I met so many golden boys in New York and I can tell that many of them are so fundamentally unhappy with their lives ...

[Calculusaurus]

Be careful about choosing economics for the purpose of "providing you with knowledge to get a good career or start up a business."

Having an economics or business degree does not automatically place you in any better position to start your own business than any other course of study would.

Starting your own business involves risk-taking, ingenuity, creativity... An economics degree won't give you these things.

At my school, physics majors get into better business grad school programs than the economics majors do. Not as many apply, but physics will make you think, it will give you a new way of looking at the world and requires an incredible cognitive force to tread through. I'm basically committing public suicide by saying this, but economics is often a load of BS. Arbritrary, meaningless esoteric knowledge might make you sound like a well-toned intellectual in your 400-level ECON course, but does little in making you really THINK.

The universe knows this, and it won't grant you any special privelages in your business path in life.

It very much reminds me of a story from Richard Feynman. He was a physicist his entire life, but one year he decided to take a detour in biology. He once gave a talk to a class and in the introduction of the talk, he overviewed the anatomy of the cat, giving strange names for different parts of the anatomy--you know, gotta overview a little language and semantics so that the audience knows what you're referring to throughout the talk. Anyway, the audience basically said, "what are you doing? We know all this terminology already, and actually have it memorized. This is some of the stuff we've been learning for the past 4 years..."

What took a group of bio majors 4 years to eventually memorize took Feynman 5 minutes to look up in a book. Feynman actually went on to make a few interesting discoveries. He ended his shortlived bio career by giving a talk to the bio dept of Harvard or something. I forget the details.

A background in physics did not deter him from succeeding in biology. Just as a background in ____ will not deter you from starting a successful business. But then again, Feynman was a genius and we're not.

Bottom line: major in something you are passionate about, be it music, philosophy, or even econ. If you don't know your academic passion yet, then don't force yourself to decide immediately. Try a liberal arts college, perhaps, where you'll have the freedom to "shop around," instead of having to sign your soul over to a department freshman year.

[Maciek]

I'am studying Computer Science... it's my first year however now I know that I made right decision. Why CS?? My intention is to make a contribution to world/society by working on and developing new technologies and solutions...

I would like to quote Muhammad Ali:

"CHAMPIONS aren't made in gyms.
Champions are made from something they
have deep inside them: a desire,
a dream, a vision"

So make sure you choose studies that you'd be passionate about, having a purpose helps you to know why are you studing and it's good to think about it in hard moments...

[RT Wolf]

I haven't had a chance to read the whole thread yet, but I'd like to throw in my two cents.

1 cent: I'm reading a book called What the Best College Teachers Do. It's really quite an interesting book about teaching and what exactly is/should be taught. When you enter a discipline, you learn to think a certain way. You are supposed to be taught a new mental model for understanding the world. Economics, for example, teaches you about people interacting with other people through goods and services (and related stuff). Unfortunately, many teachers don't do a good job of causing you to think differently and think within that model. Many don't even recognize that it is a model of the world that they are giving you.

2 cent: I don't believe in being constrained to only one model of the world. That would make me too susceptible to Man-with-hammer syndrome ("To a man with a hammer, the whole world looks like a nail"). So, I'm taking the time to learn about different disciplines (from philosophy and arts to the sciences to economics, to how to buy a car) because I believe that this multi-disciplinary education (that I'm giving myself) is improving my ability to win in the real world.

I would suggest doing something similar. Grab a whole bunch of beginners books (written easily, though, like the For Dummies books or The Complete Idiot's Guide to) and go through them and look for whatever grabs your interest. Recently I'm finding my interest being grabbed by Cognitive Science and Evolutionary Biology. Both of which offer very practical and useful information to me in understanding and interacting with the world and myself.

What I'm getting at is that your education isn't limited to what you learn in school. What you need to succeed in business, in life in general is not a man-with-hammer approach, but a more multi-disciplinary view. I also believe that success needs certain characteristics and personality traits (patience, persistance, ambition, hard-work, desire to grow and improve) more than it needs specific knowledge.

BTW, I don't think economics would help you to become a better businessperson beyond the basic concepts (opportunity cost, law of diminishing returns, etc) because economics tends to be so academic. Just my opinion.

HTH.

[Dave Kaminski]

Originally Posted by RT Wolf

(patience, persistance, ambition, hard-work, desire to grow and improve) more than it needs specific knowledge.

Excellent traits, if you have these, you'll be WAY above the average college freshman/sophomore. Add generosity and you're on your way to 'level 30,' so to speak.

I also second the suggestion of Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazi (link'um), and add to that Confessions of a Self-Made Multimillionaire by Michael Masterson (link here). The second is hard to find but is a DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH.

[Radical]

So, the general consensus is study something you're passionate about, and expand your social circle as much as possible?

To be honest I'm not really passionate about economics, but then again I'm not passionate about any subject. Then again I wasn't passionate about the subjects I studied at school and 6th form. However, I worked hard and got good grades.

Overall, I don't think I am that passionate about academic things, although I have always done well academically. Regardless, university is something I want to experience. I am lost in life at the moment, and I have nothing to lose.

I don't want to spend 3 years studying my ass off only to end up with some "Micky Mouse" degree. That's why I want to do something that would be considered valuable by a prospective employer.

Right now I don't have many friends, don't have a girlfriend, and could only get a mediocre job - even with the good qualifications that I have.

So the main reason behind going to university I guess, is because I don't know what the fcuk else to do.

[geekchic9]

Originally Posted by Radical

So the main reason behind going to university I guess, is because I don't know what the fcuk else to do.

From my blog:

If I could do [college] all over again, I would have done the following, in this order:

1) Figure out my purpose. StevePavlina.com has two ways to do it.

2) Figure out what I want to accomplish in my future. I thought I wanted to become an English professor when I started college. However, I didn't know my purpose in life, and my purpose conflicted with becoming an English professor. My purpose is to make dreams real. An English professor analyzes and writes about other people's dreams that are in book form. I want to be the actor, not the writer or the analyzer. No wonder I was miserable about my college academic experience.

3) Choose a major and minor that teaches the skills that I will need for my future. I wasted many credits and dollars on courses that have nothing to do with what I want to do in the future. I made many twists and turns that I didn't have to when I was floundering. I took 5 years to do what could have only taken me 3, because of all of my Advanced Placement credits. I came into college with 21 credits, nearly a year's worth. I should have at least graduated on time and saved a lot of money in the process, and now I'm really paying for it in both time and money wasted.

My point is this: If you don't know what you're doing in college besides the fact that your parents want you to be there or you don't know what to do with your life, figure out what you're doing, fast, or leave. Switch to a community college or get a job or do both. Maybe you can volunteer in things that look interesting, or even join the Peace Corps. Whatever you do, don't vegetate. Do something where you can learn about yourself enough to know your purpose, your plans for the future, and what skills you need to get there. Then, go back to college and get a credential that you're actually going to use. That way, you don't regret what you haven't wasted and feel the need to get a personal BA or a personal MBA to make up for what you didn't learn, like I do.