r/CollegeMajors

I’m 17F (soon 18). I’m on my second semester of community college. I was originally going into nursing. But actually doing the class-work for it, and re-evaluating my life from the perspective of “What do I *actually* ***want*** to spend my life doing”… I realized I’m going to hate nursing. I just chose it because it was practical. And I figured I could tough out the abuse they go through. But that’s probably setting myself up for a miserable life.

Being reliable and practical is good. But it won’t matter if I quit after 3 years and change careers anyways. Nursing has a high burn-out rate after all.

Thing is, I have no idea what else to switch into. So I figured I’d seek suggestions here. So I can look into some jobs that maybe I haven’t even heard of before.

Topics I’m good at and/or like or would be okay working in -

\- Biology
\- Psychology
\- Sociology
\- English/Writing

Out of these.. realistically none are all that useful. Which is why I’m stuck.

Some of these could be alright if I go to grad school. Which I don’t mind doing.

Id actually like to work in the research field. But I’m not sure how realistic that’d be, since I’m switching to university as a Junior and I don’t know if I’d be able to get research experience that late.

Does anybody have any suggestions? Thank you.

I'am a bit confused in choosing my bachelors between the two. Can the folks who are in the job market share their perspective? Which of them has better job prospects, mobility, etc?

Shoud i study medicine or not? Everyone around me,especially my family who are mostly doctors and pharmacists, are discouraging me about it and i kinda agree with them but i cant seem to make up my mind. Im pretty good in maths and was researching about studying in the financial field but idk what to do🥲. I saw the syllabus of a uni that i was interested in for economics and there was microeconomics and macroeconomics which i think is good. Either way i want to pursue for masters later but i really need advice.

I'm 20 y/o. I tried a degree in chemistry and pharmacy, but I didn't like wet-lab work. I'm writing this post to get a clearer picture so I can decide which degree program to choose. I'm certain that my interests lie in programming. However, I've also taken health science courses-such as the fundamentals of morphology and cell biology-and found them quite interesting, which has drawn me toward biomedical engineering and biotechnology, especially the field of bioinformatics.

Is a history major worth it? Is there any stable well paying job out there that you can use a history degree for other than teaching? Or should I minor in history and major in something else? I’m really lost and torn between a good degree or a degree i love

I'm about to start school with a focus in plant and soil science and my hope is that this will give e a foot in the door for a farm loan and I can get into crop production.

But am I missing anything? I have thought about getting my associates in agriculture and then maybe getting my bachelors in environmental science and working with climate research.

Right now I work in manufacturing and food service and the most I've ever made in my entire life was $28,000 a year, and that was with me working 70 hours a week all year.

I know starting my own farm investment is a liability and I'm not really question that, but I would like to find employment to keep the bills paid and was thinking about becoming an arborist, and when I start my farm it will be orchards and christmas trees.
Are there any high paying employment jobs in the agriculture industry that I'm overlooking?

Next year I am going to college, and I don't know yet which field of study I want to specialize in. Financial growth is a primary priority for me, that is why I want to know what are most highly remunerative fields right now ?

I am open to any suggestions you guys have , and I would appreciate any guidance or advice you can share. Thanks in advance.

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How can I properly research a specific bachelor's degree? I want to know what careers graduates go into, long-term career paths, job security, career longevity, and what is actually taught in the program.

I once heard that looking at LinkedIn profiles of people who studied the same degree is a good idea, but my account is new, I don't know anyone personally, and as a student I don't really have people to ask.

Are there any other good ways to research a degree and understand what life after graduation is actually like?

Just wondering how ppl feel about getting STEM degrees and grinding through all the difficult math, science, coding, and engineering classes now that ai can do those things. Also for those getting a PhD, what’s even the motivation to continue it knowing ai is just going to replace you?

Ok so let me tell you about my situation

I am from india I recently got selected for economics bachelors at National Taiwan University ( QS ranked 54 of all unis)

Its English taught with almost all fee covered with stipend

I love economics and data analysis alot

But since economics is a social science degree i am worried of my lack of Chinese knowledge there to work there

Also i am worried of the economics degree condition in today's world , will it be leading to replacement by ai or will the market to get job gonna diminish?

In the mean time I also got admission there in another uni in taiwan (qs ranked 780)

Its for mechanical engineering

I dont love that sub that much infact i would say its just neutral, but since its technical degree will it be better to land in a job than economics?

Also the lang problem is little more sorted in it

I also get scholarship and the stipend as in earliest case

But here the catch i didn't have physics in my 11 and 12th

My end aim is to work in US, SCANDINAVIA, EU or SINGAPORE as well but if get a job then Taiwan too

I know its my own problem but I dont know to whom to ask for help so here i am...

I am 20 years old, and I’m truly having a hard time choosing a major. I’m transferring to a four-year college and reconsidering my major from what I had at my community college. The main issue is that I’m considering majoring in history and sticking with it, but I’m also thinking about a complete change and majoring in radiation therapy. I want to be a doctor in the near future, and I’m committed to that path, but a part of me feels I should have a second option, with a third being law, just in case it doesn’t happen. I’m not doubting my choice; I just need help. What should I do? I’m so confused!

Im stuck deciding between either accounting or going into mech e or civil e, I really like both honestly and my main goal post graduation is just to have a stable work life balance and a decent salary that could scale up over time (cpa / PE)

Hey, so I am going into my second year in college, right now I am pursuing a associate degree in liberal arts, but my university also offer business management technology, I don’t know which one I should do, stick with liberal arts or switch, does any have recommendations? I’m looking for what careers do could do?, does it have good work life balance?, is this something I can do for a long time?

I am 24 got sick of minimum wage jobs and want to get a degree. My local college also offers a IT degree besides these two.

Which one should I pick?

i want to study something biology related , but i think medicine and dentistry is not fun for me. i know its not supposed to be fun , but i want to explore other majors that arent talked about but are important (and most importantly , pays well). i havent entered uni yet , but i want to make a decision that isnt last second so i can properly decide what i want. thanks !

Do civil engineers choose to make the horrible car centric infrastructure we have with dangerous crosswalks and suicidal bike lanes you shouldn't ride in? What about unnecessary no through streets that are technically public but useless to anyone who doesn't live there because they don't connect?

Did our civil engineers graduate from a banana university or is the kakistocracy making them build retarded infrastructure?

Last but not least, with the lack of serious public transit in this country, what do civil engineers do all day? Pave roads? You definitely aren't managing high speed rail or any kind of rail in most areas of the country.

Roundabouts, protected bike lanes or separated trails for bikes and pedestrians. It seems like we could use a lot of upgrades to our archaic infrastructure design.

Last but not least, maybe civil engineers could use some help from the humanities in deciding what should actually get built—not just building something that can theoretically/mathematically work.

I don't want to dox myself but my area is slowly improving. We have the Sonoma Marin Bay Area Transit called SMART. We got a few round abouts in Sonoma County. But I am thankful I do not live in Santa Rosa California because that city is hellishly car centric, it's like straight out of the Houston Texas playbook, I fear for my life crossing streets in that city which I had to do at least once when I was taking the bus to college.

Now tell me, what do y'all civil engineers do all day and aside from the core calculus math sequence what classes do you take?

This post is pretty self explanatory, basically I’m completed my first semester in applied math and I still have the desire to switch to either engineering or tech related degree (IS, IT) but then again I like the idea of my degree can pivot me into data science, or anything code heavy.

my actual goal is to land a job as fast as possible when I graduate (say in 2030), but I fear the title of my degree could hold me back since many recruiters prefer a specific degree for a job, or if it isn’t tech/engineer I’m done for.

is this fear justified or am I just being anxious for nothing?

for more information I’m in Middle East, so I’m not sure how they handle mathematics compared to western job market. as I’m fairly new, and I did ask those in my country and they were also confused.

Hey everyone! I’m applying to colleges this fall and planning on the pre-med track.However, I want a bachelor's degree that actually has good job prospects on its own if things don't go as planned. Right now I’m looking a bachelor’s in neuroscience.

I’m currently applying for university and already know which one I’ll be attending, but I’m stuck choosing between majors.

Architecture appeals to me more because I like the creative side of it and the idea of designing spaces. I also found out it involves very long studio hours, which is something I don’t fully dislike because it would keep me busy and away from home most of the time. That does matter to me because I’m in an unhealthy family environment, so being occupied with university work and not being at home often feels like an important factor in my decision.

At the same time, I’m aware that this is only a short-term solution, since university eventually ends and I still need to think about long-term independence. I’ve also heard that architecture can have a difficult job market at the beginning and that salaries can be quite low early on, which could make it harder to become financially independent or move out later.

On the other hand, computer engineering seems more stable and flexible in terms of job opportunities and salary, especially in the GCC region where I live.

So I feel torn between choosing something I’m genuinely more interested in day-to-day, versus something that might offer more stability and independence in the long run.

I really need support and advice on this

As a highly experienced Mechanical Engineer in the US, I’ve come here to warn you against pursuing a career as a Mechanical Engineer or getting a mechanical engineering degree

1. The pay is extremely mediocre for the effort.

In the past, the median Mechanical Engineer would outearn about 80% of the population. This has fallen to about 70% and continues to plummet with no end in sight. The median Mechanical Engineer now has earnings no different than a man with any generic bachelors degree.

Given current BLS trends, Civil Engineers have very likely passed Mechanical Engineers in median earnings, meaning Mechanical Engineering would be the lowest paying engineering career.

Likewise, one can earn as much as a Mechanical Engineer by picking up a “healthcare trade”, an associates degree in something like Dental Hygiene or Xray Technology.

2. Mechanical Engineering is marketed as “broad and general”, that’s no longer a good thing in 2026

Mechanical Engineering is marketed to prospective college students (remember, colleges are a business selling a product, beware of their marketing tactics) as a “broad” degree that can allow you to “work in any industry”. This is something that used to be true to some extent but no longer is.

First off, it’s empirically incorrect. When we look at job placement rates at different colleges for 2022-2025 grads, ME grads have lower placement rates than grads with other engineering degrees that are less “broad”. This fact along throws a huge wrench in the “broad” marketing line, if MEs were desirable in every industry, one should expect them to have higher placement rates even if the pay was lower. Instead, we get low placement and pay.

Second off, when this statement did have a smidgeon of truth to it, the US economy looked a lot different. The largest companies were oil companies. Manufacturing employed a lot more people. White collar work in general was much less competitive. Nowadays, two of the biggest industries, tech and healthcare, have zero overlap with Mechanical Engineering. You are not broadly employable in the modern US economy. White collar work in general is also dramatically more competitive, employers have more choices so they want specialists, not just generic smart guys.

3. Manufacturing has no real future in the US

Manufacturing is like the bread and butter industry for MEs. Many ME graduates don’t end up in design roles, they end up in ancillary engineering roles created as a result of manufacturing physical products being so complicated (think of roles like production engineer, quality engineer, process engineer, sales engineer, test engineer). If manufacturing leaves the US, so do all of these roles, almost immediately. People will say “oh, you can still design things in the US and manufacture them elsewhere!” and that’s true, but there’s simply a longer delay between when manufacturing leaves and when design work leaves, the knowledge loss from being away from the product you’re making doesn’t show up immediately, it’s a generational thing.

4. If you’re smart enough to get an ME degree, you’re smart enough to make a lot more money doing something else

You would likely make a lot more money in medicine or law or tech, or you’d make the same money in less stressful careers. The US economy has a lot of extremely high paying roles (400k+) in 2026, mechanical engineers do not have access to those roles.