College Majors. Any Ideas?

[PhuturePriest]

I'm currently trying to figure out college majors. But all of my interests will make me really poor. Here is the list of majors that Benedictine College offers: http://www.benedictine.edu/academics/undergraduate-programs The ones I am interested in are theology, psychology, political science, history, and theatre arts and dance. The only safe jobs that pay well in this list are psychology and political science. But I'm not sure I want to go with the headache of getting in thousands of dollars of debt because psychology requires years of college, and I'm not sure I want to be a politician (Plus I'm not sure anyone would vote for me). So I find myself at an impasse. If I do what I really like then I'm either poor or in a lot of debt. Any ideas? I know I have a lot of time to think about it, but this doesn't look promising so far.

[Nihil Obstat]

Have you looked into commerce or management?

[PhuturePriest]

[quote name='Nihil Obstat' timestamp='1352953540' post='2510340']
Have you looked into commerce or management?
[/quote]

I would hate both of those.

[Nihil Obstat]

Too bad.

What about economics, if political science already interests you?

[LaPetiteSoeur]

History? Not a huge job market but if you love it and teaching you could be a professor! My cousin was a polisci major and he's now in the coast guard. Other friends have majored in that and gone onto grad school because they want to work in politics but not as a politician.

[PhuturePriest]

[quote name='Nihil Obstat' timestamp='1352953701' post='2510343']
Too bad.

What about economics, if political science already interests you?
[/quote]

Economics would be difficult for me, and I don't like it that much.

[PhuturePriest]

[quote name='LaPetiteSoeur' timestamp='1352953705' post='2510344']
History? Not a huge job market but if you love it and teaching you could be a professor! My cousin was a polisci major and he's now in the coast guard. Other friends have majored in that and gone onto grad school because they want to work in politics but not as a politician.
[/quote]

Teaching is not a stable job right now. Plus, I would need a master's degree to become a teacher, and I'm not interested in debt, especially if the job is not stable. I'm looking for something I can do with a bachelor's degree.

[BigJon16]

a Masters of Divinity... Maybe Eschatology, Homiletics, Sacred Scripture/Liturgy...








Just gonna keep throwing those out there...

[PhuturePriest]

[quote name='BigJon16' timestamp='1352954103' post='2510350']
a Masters of Divinity... Maybe Eschatology, Homiletics, Sacred Scripture/Liturgy...








Just gonna keep throwing those out there...
[/quote]

That's nice, but to support a family I need a job that pays.

[LaPetiteSoeur]

Actually, there is a growing market for teachers, but only in certain states and subjects. You can teach without a Master's degree--and they do need really good teachers in inner-city and rural schools. Those poor schools get jipped of good teachers a lot of the time, at least where I am from. You can also get scholarships to get a Master's if you want to, or you can go to a state school--which are usually cheaper. I didn't want to get bogged down in debt, so I went to a state school and will graduate with zero debt, which is amesome

There's a high demand for male teachers. There will actually be a demand for 425,000 new teachers annually by 2016; this will increase to 440,000 by 2019. The projected supply of teachers is not actually expected to be sufficient to meet hte demand.

(I'm a French Ed major, so this is all from a textbook. There is hope!)

[PhuturePriest]

[quote name='LaPetiteSoeur' timestamp='1352954234' post='2510354']
Actually, there is a growing market for teachers, but only in certain states and subjects. You can teach without a Master's degree--and they do need really good teachers in inner-city and rural schools. Those poor schools get jipped of good teachers a lot of the time, at least where I am from. You can also get scholarships to get a Master's if you want to, or you can go to a state school--which are usually cheaper. I didn't want to get bogged down in debt, so I went to a state school and will graduate with zero debt, which is amesome

There's a high demand for male teachers. There will actually be a demand for 425,000 new teachers annually by 2016; this will increase to 440,000 by 2019. The projected supply of teachers is not actually expected to be sufficient to meet hte demand.

(I'm a French Ed major, so this is all from a textbook. There is hope!)
[/quote]

Of course, but these are paid mostly through the government, and the government is what we would call broke and is laying off teachers by the herd for a reason.

[Nihil Obstat]

How are your languages?

[LaPetiteSoeur]

[quote name='FuturePriest387' timestamp='1352954309' post='2510355']

Of course, but these are paid mostly through the government, and the government is what we would call broke and is laying off teachers by the herd for a reason.
[/quote]

FP, the thing about teachers is that we will always need them. I work with several public schools now and although they lay off some teachers, they are teaching music and the arts (sadly). We always need history teachers. We always need language teachers, we always need math teachers, etc. One of the schools I work with has a huge teacher turnover rate--they need 5-7 new teachers a year because no one wants to teach in a "poor country school." I live and study in one of the most conservative states in the country, and the teachers who are getting laid off are at the university level because our lovely governor keeps cutting education in order to give huge tax breaks to companies that are literally ruining my state environmentally

Also, teachers are usually--and most commonly--paid through property taxes. It's not like they get a check from the government, unless they teach in correctional facilities.

Sorry if I sound really defensive, but education is a growing field and many people don't realize it. I've had way too many people dismiss what I do (they think I should be a doctor or something) because the pay smells of elderberries and it's hard. Yeah it is hard. Teachers get a lot of flack from the government (who cuts programs for teachers and students), from parents (who don't believe their children should ever be punished), and from students. But in the end it is a rather stable profession, especially if you have a family.

[LaPetiteSoeur]

YOu also have the added bonus of making a difference in kids' lives. And you know shaping future generations.

[LinaSt.Cecilia2772]

There are ways that you can major in political science and not actually be a politician. There are government agencies to consider, teaching, and many other options out there.

For me, my Major when I go to college will be International Studies/Affairs or a pre-physical therapy program. I'm aspiring to go into a government agency to work once I graduate college or grad school, such as the state dept or being a pediatric physical therapist. But I don't know what you would like to go into but seriously the only advice I can give you is don't be afraid to let things change. Before I took an interest into my current interests, I had wanted to study history and be a teacher or go into the Coast Guard. Obviously they're very different from each other, but I thought I was set with the former majors. I'm glad I opened myself up to other options and really you can always find a good job opportunities with any major. I'm not the type of person who would automatically think about the job pay, but it is a big thing to think about. But then again there are people in very fulfilling jobs such as ministry, social work, etc. who don't have a big job pay. Job and study processes are also things to be discerned as well.