“Stand alone” undergrad majors beside CS and Engineering

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Physics majors. It’s like engineering and CS on steroids. Extremely employable because involves a lot of higher order math. All physics majors can do engineering and CS, but the opposite is not true. However, physics is a difficult major and not for everyone. A lot of the underpinnings of AI math comes from theoretical physics.

You are attaching a Physics degree to engineering and CS.

A Physics major on it's own? Not many prospects unless you want to teach in high school.

This. We know a Physics major from an elite school that was struggling to get a job. He stayed an extra semester to do courses that qualified him as a CS minor which eventually got him a great job. PP's thoughts about Physics is correct but unfortunately does not translate to jobs.

My friend got a physics undergrad from Cal.. then went on to get a masters in engineering.. then got a job in CS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DC has an international affairs degree and is living independently. No grad degree.

While extremely admirable, this is atypical.

DP: My 2023 grad has an international relations major from W&M and their lease on their new apartment just outside of DC starts Oct 1 (with one roommate). They can afford their independent life on their federal government job salary. Their friends with international relations, government, and public policy seem to be in a similar situation.

** with roommate".. which is fine, but I think it shows that it's hard to live on your own without a roommate. I lived on my own just out of college without a roommate, and it was financially difficult. I was just getting by.

[Anonymous]

Lol, I had an engineering technology degree and lived alone on $23k. Weird post.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DC has an international affairs degree and is living independently. No grad degree.

While extremely admirable, this is atypical.

DP: My 2023 grad has an international relations major from W&M and their lease on their new apartment just outside of DC starts Oct 1 (with one roommate). They can afford their independent life on their federal government job salary. Their friends with international relations, government, and public policy seem to be in a similar situation.

** with roommate".. which is fine, but I think it shows that it's hard to live on your own without a roommate. I lived on my own just out of college without a roommate, and it was financially difficult. I was just getting by.

Isn't living with roommates pretty normal for recent grads? Especially in a HCOLA? They have a 2bdrm apartment so it's not a big issue. My kid prefers having a roommate and it saves a few hundred a month. It's not making the difference in their ability to live independently because they could have got a studio instead but wanted the bigger space. Sure, it's going to be tight, but the fed job has good benefits etc.

[Anonymous]

Economics. Salary and promotion potential are higher with an MS or PhD, but even a BS Economics has good job prospects.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lol, I had an engineering technology degree and lived alone on $23k. Weird post.

? In a hcol in the 2000s? Did you live in a hovel?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lol, I had an engineering technology degree and lived alone on $23k. Weird post.

That's minimum wage that doesn't require a college degree

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lol, I had an engineering technology degree and lived alone on $23k. Weird post.

That's minimum wage that doesn't require a college degree

So? I had one, and lived alone in an apartment. $910 a month.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DC has an international affairs degree and is living independently. No grad degree.

While extremely admirable, this is atypical.

DP: My 2023 grad has an international relations major from W&M and their lease on their new apartment just outside of DC starts Oct 1 (with one roommate). They can afford their independent life on their federal government job salary. Their friends with international relations, government, and public policy seem to be in a similar situation.

** with roommate".. which is fine, but I think it shows that it's hard to live on your own without a roommate. I lived on my own just out of college without a roommate, and it was financially difficult. I was just getting by.

Living with roommates in your 20s out of college is normal, fun, and the challenges are good life lessons. Living alone at 22 isn't the norm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lol, I had an engineering technology degree and lived alone on $23k. Weird post.

That's minimum wage that doesn't require a college degree

So? I had one, and lived alone in an apartment. $910 a month.

In 2000s or in 1984? Where did you get your degree? You made $23K with a degree in engineering? yikes.

I'm 53. Graduated in '92 from a no name state u. Lived alone in CA in a studio making $26K with a BBA degree. Wow, the ROI on your degree was awful. Shame on your school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Economics. Salary and promotion potential are higher with an MS or PhD, but even a BS Economics has good job prospects.

I think that's correct. But, if you're a BS, expect your CS / Data Science chops to be what you're hired for. That's true for some MS as well I'd say.

With interest and drive you can of course then go on to do more actual economics, still apply your technical skills and have an exciting well paid job if economics interests you.

Economics is definitely an area where a PhD may be a clear advantage and not necessarily a waste financially. Though, as you will learn early on, the upfront discounted net present value cost and loss of compound interest clock starts ticking...

[Anonymous]

I am an Econ undergrad and felt I needed a mba to get more interesting work. However, if I were in DMV at the time vs SF, I may have had more opportunities for more Econ type work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DC has an international affairs degree and is living independently. No grad degree.

While extremely admirable, this is atypical.

Not really? His friends are doing the same thing with the same major.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DC has an international affairs degree and is living independently. No grad degree.

While extremely admirable, this is atypical.

DP: My 2023 grad has an international relations major from W&M and their lease on their new apartment just outside of DC starts Oct 1 (with one roommate). They can afford their independent life on their federal government job salary. Their friends with international relations, government, and public policy seem to be in a similar situation.

** with roommate".. which is fine, but I think it shows that it's hard to live on your own without a roommate. I lived on my own just out of college without a roommate, and it was financially difficult. I was just getting by.

Living with roommates in your 20s out of college is normal, fun, and the challenges are good life lessons. Living alone at 22 isn't the norm.

+1
I thought it was assumed "with roommate(s)" when the OP said living independently. I posted earlier about my IR grad living independently, but he does have a roommate. He is independent of his parents, which is what I thought OP was getting at.

[Anonymous]

Yes- Independently can mean having roommates; just meant not receiving funds from parents.