Picking a Major

[BamaSlamma]

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I'm having a hard time figuring out what to major in for my undergrad. I'll be 27 when I start, and I'll have been out of high school for 9 years by the time I step foot back into a classroom again. I know that above all else, I want to go to medical school, but I don't want to major in biology and then be SOL if I don't make the cut for med school. I would consider myself a fairly intelligent person, but math is one subject that doesn't come easily to me. Part of it is that I just don't get some of the more abstract concepts, and the other part is that I didn't pay attention in math class in high school and I'm probably missing some fundamental concepts because of it. Calculus I doesn't scare me, but honestly, the thought of having to take anything beyond that is downright terrifying.

I'd really like to pick a major that I can fall back on in the event I don't get into medical school, but everywhere I look, all the "safe" majors these days are very math intensive (i.e. mostly fall into the college of engineering at any major school.) Lord knows I don't want to be a doctor because of the money, but I have to be realistic about my age and understand that if I don't get accepted to medical school, I can't afford to be an un/underemployed 32 year old fresh out of my undergrad. I need a major that will provide some form of financial stability in my life if the medical school thing doesn't work out.

So, can anyone suggest a major that meets the following requirements:
1) Useful/financially stable in case I don't get into medical school
2) Must be able to complete in 8 semesters (GI Bill plays a huge part in this)
3) Relatively light in the math department.

I know people say you should study what you love/are good at, but as the clock approaches 30, I have to look at the financial aspect more and more. Besides, the only things I'm really good at is collecting intelligence and hunting terrorists, and neither of those are things I want to be doing for the rest of my life.

 

[TriagePreMed]

In today's economy, there are very few "fall back" majors. These are mostly IT and engineering related majors, which often burn out people. Even science majors are getting depressing results in the market. Other than that, you can get a job in any industry if your major is relevant to that industry AND you put the time through internships/volunteer work/etc. to be more than just a graduate with an expensive sheet of toilet paper that says you've earned a BA or BS.

 

[Yoseph101]

If you don't want to do a lot of math you can do Computer Science. I think you only need calc 2. Or Information systems if your school has it.

 

[HesyRa]

First and foremost, you need to choose something that you are genuinely interested in. If you are not passionate about the majority of your studies, you will end up not doing well, while also hating your life. Depending on the curriculum at you school, BIO can be very math light. I know that at my undergraduate institution the evolutionary biology majors did not even have to take calculus. On the other hand, the molecular/cellular biology majors did.

If I had to recommend and good science major, I'd say geology, but I am bias. I did a geophysics degree bachelor's (and now an MS), which obviously included quite a bit of math, but the regular geology track people only had to take Calc 2, and Calc based physics 2. I know a few people that I went to school with that are making $30-$35/hr a year out of school (~60-65k/yr) with just a bachelor's.

 

[HesyRa]

Oh! And if you don't end up going the med school route, the NSA / CIA / NASA / DOD / NGA love geologists and geophysicists for spatial analyst positions. Just thought I would mention that because it may be of interest to you considering your background. A fellow grad student was just offered a job with the NSA. Look into remote sensing, it's pretty awesome stuff. If you have any interest in that field, I have published a few papers in regards to spectral imagery and its spatial analytical capabilities. I'd be glad to answer any questions.

 

[BamaSlamma]

Oh! And if you don't end up going the med school route, the NSA / CIA / NASA / DOD / NGA love geologists and geophysicists for spatial analyst positions. Just thought I would mention that because it may be of interest to you considering your background. A fellow grad student was just offered a job with the NSA. Look into remote sensing, it's pretty awesome stuff. If you have any interest in that field, I have published a few papers in regards to spectral imagery and its spatial analytical capabilities. I'd be glad to answer any questions.

Two of those three letter agencies have already expressed their interest in me continuing to ply my trade without wearing the uniform anymore even without me having a degree. Its just not something I'm interested in doing anymore, it can be real soul stealing work, especially when you get closer to the pointy end of the sword like i've been.

And maybe thats the problem right now? For the past half a decade i've been so involved with this high risk, high reward, high stress facet of the intelligence community that I can't see beyond the end of the week, let alone to the end of my contract. I'm just so worried that if I don't go into college with a major in mind, i'm going to be that guy that never figures it out, and never graduates.

 

[HesyRa]

There are 100 more possibilities besides those agencies. You can go the route that most go and dig for oil, or you could go into consulting for groundwater/seismic hazards/environmental remediation.

If I had to do it all again I'd get a biochem degree and an english literature degree. Knowing how to write well is 60% of being a good scientist... no joke. I read papers by great geophysicists all the time who can just simply not write a coherent article.

 

[MedWonk]

Two of those three letter agencies have already expressed their interest in me continuing to ply my trade without wearing the uniform anymore even without me having a degree. Its just not something I'm interested in doing anymore, it can be real soul stealing work, especially when you get closer to the pointy end of the sword like i've been.

And maybe thats the problem right now? For the past half a decade i've been so involved with this high risk, high reward, high stress facet of the intelligence community that I can't see beyond the end of the week, let alone to the end of my contract. I'm just so worried that if I don't go into college with a major in mind, i'm going to be that guy that never figures it out, and never graduates.

If you want something to fall back on that won't leave you unemployed and will leave you in healthcare, then go into nursing.

I don't recommend Comp Sci unless you're really into it. Unless you're very good at what you do and have some specialized skills that few others have, you'll get tossed out after a decade or so and replace you with a fresh grad who will work at a lower pay grade. People who don't get tossed out are generally people who were always into the field and didn't go into it solely for employment/money.

Accounting is nice and stable. It might not be the most exciting field, but it's steady.

Teaching is also an option, though you'll likely have to start out working in a not-so-great school in a not-so-great location. The first few years will also likely suck as you're trying to figure how to actually teach on top of dealing with and disciplinary issues the student's may have and any administrative/contract issues that may exist between the teachers and the school district.

 

[KnowFace]

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[BamaSlamma]

So my school will let me select "pre-med" as an initial option for an intended major. Obviously this isn't a real major (at least not at my school) But after speaking with one of the preprofessional programs advisors, I've learned that what this will allow me to do is front-load my pre-reqs into my first three semesters and then I can decide on a major later once I'm back in the world of academia and have a better idea of what I will enjoy. The person that I talked to indicated that while nothing is a guarantee, if I choose a STEM major, my pre-reqs will satisfy most if not all of my basic science/math (Calc) requirements for a degree, and if I choose a liberal arts degree, in most cases my pre-reqs will satisfy the majority of my gen-ed or elective requirements and therefore (probably) won't put me behind.

I think this is probably the best option for me right now, but does anyone else see a giant elephant in the room by the name of "fail" that I'm not seeing?

 

[TriagePreMed]

I think this is probably the best option for me right now, but does anyone else see a giant elephant in the room by the name of "fail" that I'm not seeing?

No, this sounds like a very good alternative for someone that's undecided. The only type of major you might end up behind on is engineering since pre-med requires far less math than engineering requires.