Help in thinking about a major: Economics? Data Analytics? Anything!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Did your DS in college know he wanted to major in CS and minor in physics since the 8th grade?

Mine did!!
-NP

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:8th grade.... ask again in 2-3 years

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.

Comments like this are why I can’t take this board seriously half the time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:8th grade.... ask again in 2-3 years

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.

Comments like this are why I can’t take this board seriously half the time.

Sorry. Some kids need direction and guidance. I'm with OP. She can always change lanes later, people! If kids are open to guidance from parents, I say let 'em have it. Too many times, parents ease up on giving their opinions for fear of being pushed away. It would be a parenting fail no to provide guidance at a point when the kid is genuinely interested.

[Anonymous]

NP

My son is in 8th grade and we're discussing majors since he wants to do Navy ROTC (in college not HS) and is picking HS classes in January. Navy ROTC prioritizes certain majors over others so it's important that he decide if any of those majors interest him or not. No reason to dedicate 4 years in college and then the additional years of service to something you hate. Better to start young figuring it out by looking at and understanding what each major entails. Maybe if more kids, did you wouldn't have so many trying to switch majors in college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:8th grade.... ask again in 2-3 years

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.

Comments like this are why I can’t take this board seriously half the time.

Sorry. Some kids need direction and guidance. I'm with OP. She can always change lanes later, people! If kids are open to guidance from parents, I say let 'em have it. Too many times, parents ease up on giving their opinions for fear of being pushed away. It would be a parenting fail no to provide guidance at a point when the kid is genuinely interested.

Sorry, but saying “picking a major in 11th seems late” is ridiculous. So so many kids go to college undecided. 11th grade is late, no matter how you spin it. If someone is interested in figuring it out early on, then go for it.

[Anonymous]

One aspect of history I always enjoyed most was visualizations like timelines and maps, and creating these leans on both creative and mathematical skills, and these days the tech skills of learning GIS and/or design software. That said, jobs that have anything to do with history (e.g. maybe making maps for textbooks / online resources, or documentaries, etc.) are few and far between. Anyway, might be worth asking if geospatial/mapping or data visualization is an area that piques her interest at all.

[Anonymous]

Look into Social Data Science at Maryland

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In 8th grade she is analyzing historical documents and writing DBQs? I thought that method was part of the AP curriculum.

Anyway, she sounds a natural for law school.

PS- Who is telling an 8th grader she’s a fit for a career in sales??

OP here - Thanks for all the people who responded with suggestions. I really appreciate it.

At my kids school they do DBQs starting in 7th grade. She loves it! As to the sales thing, this has been a recurring observation since her early years. She actively engages in public speaking and is frequently invited to address various events at church and school, including student panels. As a result, she regularly interacts with diverse audiences who have commented on her speaking abilities. Someone on here said "lawyer." We get that a lot but I'm not sure she's interested.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Did your DS in college know he wanted to major in CS and minor in physics since the 8th grade?

OP here - since 5th.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

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]

This has got to be a troll. 8th grade?!

[Anonymous]

Putting aside the 8th grade craziness, with these likes/dislikes/strengths, what about the Intelligence Analysis major at JMU? That requires putting together information from many aspects (social, history, geography, comms patterns, etc.) and building to conclusions.

[Anonymous]

It's really hard to know in 8th grade what your life looks like. Who are all you parents who want to put your kids on any path before age 21? Like is long and these days there's so many paths to making a living.

I know it's hard as I have 2 MS too but I'm also in talent acquisitions and hire people for a living in many industries. There's no magic bullet to finding success. You really have to love what you do in the long run to wake up every day doing the same damn thing. It's not even about work it's about studying for school too.

I say let your kid try different paths. I do career coaching for Kaplan and my best advice to college students is track what you like, what you're good at and how you envision the structure of your life ie travel, money, grad school commitment, etc. that's all you can do. When you know, you know but until then you do your best and try a lot if classes/experiences/learning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.

Logistics. (Moving stuff around.)

[Anonymous]

I would not be concerned w this in 8th grade. I am not concerned about my HS student (yet).