Is Cosmology the Right Major for Me?

[Eric Spears]

Hello,

My name is Eric, I will be starting college soon but it seems when it is time to decide on my future occupation I am at a loss. Due to the fact that I grew up in a Very sheltered town being surrounded by people who didn't really think college was something needed. I have been left with this urge to better myself but I am not sure where to start. I feel so dumb sometimes and it drives me crazy. In 1 week I have to decide what I will major in. I am at a loss. The main thing that interests me is space, I love it and I feel like with my hard work and time put into study of it that I will discover something completely new, unnoticed by others. The problem is that i am not very informed on what I need to do to arrive at this carreer choice down the road. My parents,family and friends all say that I wouldn't be able to find work if this is what I studied in school. They say I am better off being a lawyer or a doctor. I want to be a genuis.. Is that too much to ask.. :)
This is my number one choice. I have to start out at a community college then transfer because I am poor. But I will do whatever it takes if this can be a possibility for me in the future. Everyday I stay home in my room and study even though I am not currently in school. That's not an average 24 year old is it!? Please if anyone has any real and helpful in site for me, share it with me because I am almost at the end of my rope. I have been on this computer researching different carreer choices for days straight and I feel like my head is going to explode and I haven't even made any progress. If you would rather e-mail me ericjspears@hotmail.com. Thank you all and have a great day

 

[phinds]

Following a career path that is based on its probable financial outcome is a fool's errand. You could end up rich and so miserable that you shoot yourself at 40. It happens.

Figure out what you love and do THAT and the rest will follow.

 

[eri]

You don't have to pick a major for about two years. You don't need an associates degree to transfer to a 4-year school - you can take random classes for the next two years and transfer. So you've got plenty of time. Go ahead and catch up on math, then take physics and see how that goes. There are very few jobs in astronomy if you don't have a PhD in astronomy or physics, and that can take 8-12 years of college to accomplish. Definitely forget about being a genius (if that were the case they would have figured it out 18 years ago). Think about what you might want to be doing in 20 years, and what will get you there.

 

[Eric Spears]

Well from what I have understood, I have to pick a major now and can change it in the future. I don't really know what to do then.. :( well thanks for the feedback guys.

 

[hadsed]

You might do better to pick something more employable, if this is a concern for you. I would pick physics over astronomy as you can apply physics to different jobs if need be, and you can always do a Ph.D in astrophysics or astronomy or cosmology. Another thing, you can do computational astrophysics, for example, where you need to learn a lot of programming and how computers work. This is a good route to take especially because 1) there aren't many jobs for astrophysicists to do astrophysics, and (this sort of follows from one) 2) there are lots of jobs for people with the skills that a computational astrophysicist would have.

You should search the forums for keywords like 'jobs for astrophysicists' or 'cosmology jobs'. Just search these topics in this career guidance forum and you'll find all the information you need. Alternatively, you can just sort this forum by number of posts, since these discussions are one of the largest in the history of the forum.

 

[kramer733]

Just do electrical engineering or mechanical engineering. You can't fail with those two. You get enough math and physics but at the same time, your job has direct applications to the things you learn.

 

[SuicideSteve]

I agree, Engineering is a great place to start. you could easily switch to cosmology from there if you really wanted to because of all the math and physics you would get from engineering. you may even decide to dual major if you are up to the challenge.