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theabortionator
April, 2025

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Don't really want to be an Engineering major anymore...

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SnorkBoard
Posts: 311 - Karma: 821
I know I can do it, its not that its too hard or too much work but I feel like its not really what I want to do, more or less it was just the nice, safe option that my parent where pushing for and since I like to make and design things/ideas I thought it was a win win. But, I don't really know if I'll be happy still doing this in X number of years.

I don't know what to do, I'm a sophomore and don't really have another Idea lined up and ready to go if I were to switch majors.

So lost.
11 years ago
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.MASSHOLE.
Posts: 7578 - Karma: 12,727
True this. If you can communicate well and digest numbers like an engineer can, the doors are unlimited.
Although, lets be honest, there are not too many people blessed with the ability to follow the numbers and hold a true conversation. I cant tell you how many times I have heard stories about/conversed with people who are smart as all get out, but cannot hold a conversation. They are socially crippled which in the end will ultimately be a hindrance.


If anyone here has read the Outsiders, they will know what kind of doors can be opened by analytical skills that competent engineers have. The book is a great read too for any aspiring stock-market gambler.
11 years ago
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Barefootin_Fiend
Posts: 7618 - Karma: 4,727
hands down the most valuable business degree. source, me.
11 years ago
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lIllI
Posts: 1255 - Karma: 1,986
Just curious - do you think its feasible for a finance major to get a CPA? I'm essentially treating my finance degree like a liberal arts degree, but in the back of my mind I've thought about doing accounting (despite absolutely hating it). If I could do finance and still get a CPA, that'd be preferable.
11 years ago
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Lucas
Posts: 4882 - Karma: 1,597
anything is possible if you stick your mind to it.
11 years ago
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spliff.Life
Posts: 7847 - Karma: 1,542
Im almost in the exact same situation, i had to do a paper sophomore year and interview 10 mechanical engineers which was my major at the time. I realized i wouldnt be doing as much with the physics and math i enjoyed as much as id be writing things out etc and also realized thats totally not the kind of job for me. I have to be doing something hands on if im not planning on quitting in 6 months. So i took a year of philosophy and a year of art, now i have BA and a minor (few classes away from major) in Phil.
     Art was ridiculously easy, like i wish i would have taken harder classes because i spent so much in art classes doing things ive known about since who knows when. Now im debating whether to go back for a year and a half to finish a M.E. degree or to start pursuing other options and jobs more geared towards the ski or bike industry and hope to find something.....

Theres my 2 cents, i hope this helps you make a decision
11 years ago
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Arabian
Posts: 702 - Karma: 1,298
The only useful majors you will ever take will be Pure Mathematics or Mathematical Physics kthxbai.
11 years ago
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Halo1junkie
Posts: 202 - Karma: 435
What does cpa stand for? I know cfa but i dont know this cpa business
11 years ago
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Halo1junkie
Posts: 202 - Karma: 435
I saw a thread on physics forums of a physics major who was absolutely at his wits end trying to get a job. Physics only majors dont have that good of job prospects. Math is better but not as good as engineering
11 years ago
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gravel
Posts: 5524 - Karma: 42,379
Why the fuck are people downvoting this? This is the attitude and mindset that everyone should have.
11 years ago
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Halo1junkie
Posts: 202 - Karma: 435
I think nobody wants to work 12 hr days
11 years ago
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ESAND
Posts: 1607 - Karma: 744
I love when engineers throw around crap like that. Trust me if you really think money = happiness (it doesn't) you should be looking at this.


For the most part engineering is just a fast track to upper middle-class nowheredom
11 years ago
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Arabian
Posts: 702 - Karma: 1,298
I don't know any competent engineers who didn't later put themselves through what amounts to a math/physics degree. You might have a job as an engineer, but you're a fucking idiot usually.
11 years ago
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49566738265
Posts: 0 - Karma: 7,705
Because a degree is something you get in order to do what you want. You don't go to college for fun so you can be unemployed, sad, and useless with 4 years of good memories. Sometimes the degree required to get a great job that makes you happy sucks balls to go through. So the whole "major in what's fun to you" argument isn't often the smartest way to go about it.

I suggest "major in what can keep your doors open". You aren't valuable in 99% of the fields out there as a recent graduate aside from an office bitch work dumpster. You're basically proving what work you're capable of putting meaningful effort into, and you will basically be hired based on your potential to learn and attain a level of competence where you contribute to the team.
11 years ago
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.MASSHOLE.
Posts: 7578 - Karma: 12,727
Yes, it is possible, but it will take a LOT more work than if you went with the accounting concentration. You would probably have to do a lot of outside the class study and teaching yourself. Im not sure how your school works, but here at UVM, you can take accounting classes and put them towards a business administration minor and major to get a feel for them at least.

Honestly, if you hate it, why do it though? I was considering making it my minor just to have an applicable skill to put on a resume, but hated it and stopped.
11 years ago
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.MASSHOLE.
Posts: 7578 - Karma: 12,727
You may not go to college for fun, but you should study what you are interested in. Hopefully, fun and interesting go together, even if it is not at the same time. I currently am reading the Denationalization of Money by von Hayek for my Econ Seminar, and it is far from fun, but is quite interesting. I know however, writing the paper at the end of the semester will be fun because it will draw on all we have discussed this year.

I have said this time and time again, your undergraduate degree does not define you. Countless people in well-paying positions have been philosophy, english, and history majors in undergraduate and come out with a business, economics, or political science masters that have allowed them to succeed. Undergraduate is the time for you to figure out what you enjoy and are interested in. Your masters (if you so choose) is where you bite the bit and grind through. Hopefully though you will have chosen a subject area that interests you.


And CPA is Certified Public Accountant. It is earned through a series of tests (4 I think) that stretch over the course of a year or 18 months. It is not a cakewalk

11 years ago
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El_Barto.
Posts: 11661 - Karma: 24,358
You telling me ive studied basket weaving for 8 years for nothing?
11 years ago
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seward
Posts: 5233 - Karma: 2,174
lol.
now youre just being silly.

youre implying that i need to be a business major to understand what wealth is.
and that somehow, because youre post secondary educated, and have assumed that im not, that your opinion is final, and correct.
lets use some common sense here. i wouldnt argue with a chemist either.
we are not talking about chemistry. we are talking about wealth, and your bullshit extremely vague idea of what it is.

and i hate to break it to you, but absolutely anyone has a "license" to partake in established theoretical discourse, regardless of academic accolades, and ESPECIALLY on a fucking ski site forum.
and if you think other wise, youre not only delusional, but extremely ignorant.

You actually said something that i agree with, qualifications are not wholly indicative of a persons capacity. some of the most intelligent people i have ever met dont have degrees AT ALL!
The reason you asked is quite simple, you are a dingus.
I learned from a very young age that people will have different opinions of terminology.
It didnt take me until first year to learn that.
And since we are making completely blind assumptions about each other, i would be very surprised if you are out of first year at all!
Simply because you seem to have a mentality that you are right, and fuck everyone else. I find most first year students think they are better than everyone else, until they quickly learn that they are just like everyone else.
In second year you will learn to be more accepting of other peoples opinions.
By third year you will probably have dropped out or been placed on academic probation.

you are perfectly welcome to disagree with my original sentiment, but to simply rub my nose in your education is a horribly lazy argument, not to mention wide open in douchebaggery.
11 years ago
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lIllI
Posts: 1255 - Karma: 1,986
You think so? As far as I can tell the only difference between accounting and finance degrees at my school are a couple classes.

I feel that any job worth doing isn't that interesting. Finance careers pay higher, but its also not something you can just jump into from what I'm told. Accounting seems like it would be a good temp job in case my life goals don't work out.
11 years ago
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yuck
Posts: 8384 - Karma: 2,090
didnt realize this thread was such a shitstorm

i will summarize my thoughts by saying that no degree is a sure thing or will guarantee you a comfortable life. I think an engineering degree gives you as much of a shot as anything else though, and doesn't require a Masters or any post-grad education to be competitive in the job market.

also, the thing about engineers getting business jobs. thats pretty common i believe. I know an Engg Physics grad who works in investment banking now in NYC making mid 100-200k per year. also a stat that got thrown around in one of my classes last week was that 8-9% of engineering graduates are NOT working in engineering 5 years after they graduate.
11 years ago
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lIllI
Posts: 1255 - Karma: 1,986
Physics/Engineering grads are the perfect candidates for Quant Financial Analysis because they work with advanced mathematical models and the pay can hit near the 7 figure mark. They also work up to 150 hours a week.

But investment banking is very simple math. As in, arithmetic. True, it takes advanced math to get the degree and understand some necessary concepts, but on the job you're generally using provided models to save time. Why would they pay thousands of dollars for you to do something by hand when we have computer programs that can be used to calculate it instantly? It's the same way in civil engineering...
11 years ago
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Willgum
Posts: 3254 - Karma: 3,066
Certified Public accountant. Not a degree but a title, you need to pass an exam and have certain qualifications. It gets you recognized, in the same way an mba earns recognition
11 years ago
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Barefootin_Fiend
Posts: 7618 - Karma: 4,727
sure, as long as you have enough accounting hours in your degree to qualify to sit for the test. I think it's 15-30 if my memory serves. The CPA is a fucking bitch though. I can't imagine trying to take it without a solid understanding of accounting/tax/audit. If I recall, it's got a first time pass percentage of 15%. However, once you have it, your options in the business world are virtually endless.
11 years ago
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lIllI
Posts: 1255 - Karma: 1,986
As a finance major I'm literally only taking one or two less accounting classes than an accounting major. I have to take up to ACCTG 5600 plus international accounting, on top of every finance course under the sun. I'm pretty sure I'd be skipping tax/auditing though...
11 years ago
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lIllI
Posts: 1255 - Karma: 1,986
I should add that I have a lot of friends who have their masters in accounting and really seem to be pleased with their career in it, and these are guys who regularly go camping/skiing so it can't be too bad. Though they admit finance is more interesting, accounting no doubt has more job opportunities than finance.
11 years ago
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Barefootin_Fiend
Posts: 7618 - Karma: 4,727
i don't remember if you have to have tax/audit course work as I had more than enough, but you can check out everything at aicpa.org.
11 years ago
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lIllI
Posts: 1255 - Karma: 1,986
Interesting...I need work experience before I can even qualify. So essentially interning without doing any actual accounting work? Whole section on auditing. sonofabitch
11 years ago
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Barefootin_Fiend
Posts: 7618 - Karma: 4,727
also have a masters in accounting. legit field to get in to. not sure about the whole work experience thing as that was not applicable to my situation. and yeah, the auditing section sucks fucking balls. I hate auditing. The sections are

Regulation (tax), finance (accounting/statements), auditing, and business concepts. some states also have an ethics requirement which is an additional test.
11 years ago
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.MASSHOLE.
Posts: 7578 - Karma: 12,727
To be a CPA you need an additional 15-30? credit hours on top of an undergraduate accounting/finance(with accounting courses) degree I believe. That more or less is encompassed in a masters in accountancy.

Internships in accountancy arent too hard to come by, but the more prestigious ones are difficult to get. The big 4? are usually the best ones to intern for if you can but they are highly competitive.

Life after the CPA is a breeze until its tax or audit season if that is what you focus on. That actually, for most companies, is during ski season so if you think you want to do tax or auditing, consider that.
11 years ago
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Barefootin_Fiend
Posts: 7618 - Karma: 4,727
correct, you have to have 150 hours to sit for the exam. some universities have a 5 year accounting program where your 5th year is basically a review for the cpa or you can pursue a masters in acct. which is the avenue i took.
11 years ago
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howlongcanausern
Posts: 4982 - Karma: 1,737
im a systems engineer and have to deal with accounting software all the time....

FUCK.
THAT.
SHIT.

it's really no wonder people are paid so well to do it...i feel like taking a nap every time i hear 'general ledger' or GL
11 years ago
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Barefootin_Fiend
Posts: 7618 - Karma: 4,727
i do a lot of info systems work from the accounting side, so i can kind of relate.
11 years ago
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49566738265
Posts: 0 - Karma: 7,705
I agree that your undergraduate degree doesn't define, which strengthens my point that you don't have to study what you're in love with but what you need to learn to do what you love. Undergraduate is not solely a self discovery experience however, and I strongly disagree with that point. If you use 4 years to "find yourself" and walk away with nothing of value, you're going to quickly learn that there are millions of other useless college grads like yourself.

Frankly, I think you're points would hold more water if you had a college degree and life experience.
11 years ago
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49566738265
Posts: 0 - Karma: 7,705
I would fall into that 8-9% as a Civil Engineering graduate, but I will also note that my CE degree challenged me, is a valuable alternative career opportunity, and taught me several high level skills that allow me to tackle the Masters/PhD level materials I often have to decipher.
11 years ago
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Scotty_B
Posts: 287 - Karma: 423
This is my take on your situation, and I think this is one of the hardest things you have to do in life.

You need to look down the road ten years, and try to envision yourself at work and....happy.
For me, school isn't fun, but the idea that one day I can go to work and feel GOOD about it is satisfying enough for me to keep my wheels turning. I'm a MechEng that wants to go into renewable and sustainable energy, and even though my major has NOTHING to due with it yet, I really can't wait for the time that I can design my own piece of functional art to help the world be a greener place. I think in ten years I will be happy doing these types of things.

Ask yourself what TYPE of work would satisfy you and would it make you HAPPY and CONTENT.
11 years ago
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Halo1junkie
Posts: 202 - Karma: 435
Oh ya engineers are fucking idiots, you pretentious cocksucker. Plenty of engineers out there smarter than your ass. Enjoy working at dennys while you wait to find a job in your field, which has horrible job prospects as i said.
11 years ago
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jadavis
Posts: 142 - Karma: 136
Seriously, take a second to pull your head out of your ass.

I know plenty of competent engineers who only have a BS. You don't really get good at engineering by going to class, you get good at it by actually designing stuff. If you ever apply for any engineering position they will turn you down for someone with more real world experience pretty much 100% of the time. I've met machinists that would make better engineers than someone who has been through all the math and physics classes they can cram in simply because they've seen the all sorts of designs.

And by the way, by the time you graduate with an engineering degree you pretty much have a minor in math...
11 years ago
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.MASSHOLE.
Posts: 7578 - Karma: 12,727
Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't possible to learn from other peoples mistakes as well? Just because I have not completed college yet does not mean I am uninformed about mistakes others have made. Believe it or not, adults, even parents, have advice that is actually helpful when it comes to education and life experience.

College and post-college life are when we all will have to make some of the most impactful decisions on our life in our life. It is not a time where you really want to experiment because there are not too many instances where you will get a second chance. I do not know about you Dustin but personally I like to be as well informed as I can be, and for me to do that I often get advice from people I respect. Not surprisingly, almost all have unanimously agreed that undergraduate work is the less-defining aspect of ones education (in most cases).
11 years ago
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