Help in thinking about a major: Economics? Data Analytics? Anything!
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Anonymous
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I'm seeking advice on a major for my child, who has a passion for history and social studies but also wants a career with a decent income. She's not interested in teaching, dislikes science, excels in math, but doesn't love it. She's a talented writer but not fond of writing, and she's an excellent public speaker with natural charisma. Many suggest she consider a career in sales, but I don't even know what that means. Sales in what?? What would one major in?
She has to choose what she wants to do, but I'm looking to offer her suggestions to research. I thought about economics, but I don't know much about it. Is there a general economics major, and what career opportunities exist? Can you make a good living with just a bachelor's or does one need an advanced degree to make money? How does it compare to demanding fields like BigLaw? How is the field for women? What high school classes should she take besides AP Statistics and AP Economics? Also, exploring data analytics as it involves analytical skills. In history, she loves DBQs and analyzes documents. Does one major in data analytics or is there another name for such a degree? What are career prospects? Is an advanced degree essential for a decent income? What high school courses should she consider for a data analytics degree? Open to opinions, kind and harsh. Thank you. |
Anonymous
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Undergraduate business school programs in any of the following majors:
- Supply Chain Management - Business Analytics - Information Systems (also known as MIS) - Finance All these require some math but not intense. They all have strong job prospects. Depending on the department offering the Data Analytics major, the curriculum can be math intensive. |
Anonymous
| My advice is that your daughter is going to college, not you. She's not going to succeed if you try to micro-manage her life. |
Anonymous
That is why I said: She has to choose what she wants to do, but I'm looking to offer her suggestions to research Also she is in 8th grade. She asked for and needs some guidance. She hasn't a clue about what is out there. |
Anonymous
| 8th grade.... ask again in 2-3 years |
Anonymous
Thank you. Would supply chain management be science heavy? She does not enjoy science. She is good at math and can do math intensive. She just doesn't love math like my son who is a CS major with a minor in physics. |
Anonymous
She is picking HS classes so would like to get a sense of electives to take in HS. It would be helpful if they were geared toward a potential major. |
Anonymous
Not OP but picking a major in 11th grade seems late. OP - industrial engineering is great for intuitive, analytical people. The only downside is because it is engineering, she would need gen ed science classes/labs. As a career, it may be great for her, but she'd have to suffer through heavy science in college. |
Anonymous
| Your picture should be in the dictionary next to “Helicopter Parent.” She’s in middle school. Chill out. |
Anonymous
DD is struggling with what she wants to do, but she's in 10th grade. When she was in 8th and not sure, I told her it's fine to not know. Even now, I think it's ok to now know though she does need to start thinking about it soon. I think DD would be good at sales, too, so you want to do a BBA with a focus on sales&marketing. |
Anonymous
No, picking a major in junior year of college is late. In HS and the beginning year or two of college, take a wide variety of courses. See the book Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World (https://davidepstein.com/the-range/) "David Epstein examined the world’s most successful athletes, artists, musicians, inventors, forecasters and scientists. He discovered that in most fields—especially those that are complex and unpredictable—generalists, not specialists, are primed to excel. Generalists often find their path late, and they juggle many interests rather than focusing on one. They’re also more creative, more agile, and able to make connections their more specialized peers can’t see. Provocative, rigorous, and engrossing, Range makes a compelling case for actively cultivating inefficiency. Failing a test is the best way to learn. Frequent quitters end up with the most fulfilling careers. The most impactful inventors cross domains rather than deepening their knowledge in a single area. As experts silo themselves further while computers master more of the skills once reserved for highly focused humans, people who think broadly and embrace diverse experiences and perspectives will increasingly thrive." |
Anonymous
Have her explore her interests—that’s key to finding a major (which can be finalized once she’s in college). |
Anonymous
| I was very similar to your daughter and studied Business Information Tech. I went to a consulting firm after graduation and quickly moved up in the Technology Risk and Audit field. I later moved to the Risk Management field area of our company which was a better fit when I wanted to have kids. Anyhow, there are so many different options. |
Anonymous
+1 There aren't many electives early in HS anyway. Both of my kids only really leaned into major-related electives when their schedules had more room/choice in 12th grade. |
Anonymous
🙇🏻♀️🙇🏻♀️🙇🏻♀️ Please let her be a kid. My daughter wanted to be an actor when she was in 8th grade. Now she is pursuing aerospace engineering in college. They figure it out. High school helps. |