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HELP!! Choosing a Major

cstrunk

cstrunk

Well-Known Member
Mar 21, 2006
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Longview, TX
I'm ABE (environmental systems). Brumm is a really nice guy. Studying engineering is a great way to enhance your problem solving skills and will benefit you beyond the workplace. With an engineering degree you are also not limited to just a strictly engineering career, it can lead to many business opportunities and different careers as well. Like others said, give it some time. You still have a couple of years to decide.
 
C

Cyclone42

Guest
If you want to virtually guarantee yourself a job, choose something related in some way to health care.
 
throwittoblythe

throwittoblythe

Well-Known Member
Aug 7, 2006
3,513
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Minneapolis, MN
mwitt said:
Why?
Click to expand...

I'm not trying to speak poorly of the honors program, but it definitely was not for me. I did freshman honors and stayed in up until my junior year. There is a lot of extra work to do for something that isn't even shown on your degree. The only place your honors work will show up is on your transcript and/or resume.

For example, I got my undergrad in CE and I had to lay out the coursework I was going to take to fill my honors requirements. Basically, you have to gear your studies so that you are doing "above and beyond what the standard student does.'' They wanted me to take a 500 level English course. As an engineering major, that seemed to be a complete waste of time for me. Plus, there were a lot of loops to jump through to get your honors requirements and I chose to focus on my studies/activities and view the honors program as another activity, so I dropped it.

I definitely recommend freshman honors, if you can. It's a great way to get to know a lot of people, very fast. Beyond your freshman year, I don't see much benefit.

To address the original question, I agree what someone said previously...take your time. Take some visits to ISU (and other schools, for that matter), talk to students, talk to professors, etc. Then, sit down after all that and think about what you want to do. All the while, realize that changing your major is not difficult and if you stay in a related field, should not set you back all that much. Best of luck to you!!!
 
CyVeteran

CyVeteran

Well-Known Member
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Nov 8, 2006
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Management Info Systems(MIS). You can't go wrong with a business/IT degree.
 
mwitt

mwitt

Well-Known Member
Mar 23, 2006
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throwittoblythe said:
I'm not trying to speak poorly of the honors program, but it definitely was not for me. I did freshman honors and stayed in up until my junior year. There is a lot of extra work to do for something that isn't even shown on your degree. The only place your honors work will show up is on your transcript and/or resume.

For example, I got my undergrad in CE and I had to lay out the coursework I was going to take to fill my honors requirements. Basically, you have to gear your studies so that you are doing "above and beyond what the standard student does.'' They wanted me to take a 500 level English course. As an engineering major, that seemed to be a complete waste of time for me. Plus, there were a lot of loops to jump through to get your honors requirements and I chose to focus on my studies/activities and view the honors program as another activity, so I dropped it.

I definitely recommend freshman honors, if you can. It's a great way to get to know a lot of people, very fast. Beyond your freshman year, I don't see much benefit.

To address the original question, I agree what someone said previously...take your time. Take some visits to ISU (and other schools, for that matter), talk to students, talk to professors, etc. Then, sit down after all that and think about what you want to do. All the while, realize that changing your major is not difficult and if you stay in a related field, should not set you back all that much. Best of luck to you!!!
Click to expand...

I agree completely. I kept getting hounded with emails to join honors, so I made an appointment with the honors advisor to hear what she had to say. Like you said, it seemed like a lot of extra work for not much reward.
 
S

syclones

New Member
Jul 8, 2008
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1
Does anyone know much about the Architecture Department? I am thinking of doing that but don't know if my drawing abilities will hold me back.
 
mwitt

mwitt

Well-Known Member
Mar 23, 2006
5,834
166
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syclones said:
Does anyone know much about the Architecture Department? I am thinking of doing that but don't know if my drawing abilities will hold me back.
Click to expand...

You'll pull a lot of all nighters and have more projects than you can imagine.
 
LeaningCy

LeaningCy

Well-Known Member
Jan 18, 2008
2,833
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throwittoblythe said:
I'm not trying to speak poorly of the honors program, but it definitely was not for me. I did freshman honors and stayed in up until my junior year. There is a lot of extra work to do for something that isn't even shown on your degree. The only place your honors work will show up is on your transcript and/or resume.

For example, I got my undergrad in CE and I had to lay out the coursework I was going to take to fill my honors requirements. Basically, you have to gear your studies so that you are doing "above and beyond what the standard student does.'' They wanted me to take a 500 level English course. As an engineering major, that seemed to be a complete waste of time for me. Plus, there were a lot of loops to jump through to get your honors requirements and I chose to focus on my studies/activities and view the honors program as another activity, so I dropped it.
Click to expand...

I completely agree with this. DO NOT waste your time with Honors if you go into engineering.
 
S

syclones

New Member
Jul 8, 2008
29
0
1
mwitt said:
You'll pull a lot of all nighters and have more projects than you can imagine.
Click to expand...

Do you do most of the drawing on the computer or on paper? In my Arch Drafting class in HS we do almost all of it on the computer.
 
T

trigger1

Well-Known Member
May 21, 2008
325
304
63
Ames
I just want to say one word to you - are you listening? Plastics.

OK, that dates me. :smile:

Set up a personal visit with professors in the areas of interest. You've already done the group stuff, now contact the admissions department and set up an individual visit. We did that with our daughter a few years ago and it ended up being very useful. Not that day, but down the line. She learned quick what departments actually had an interest in the students.

Can't speak to the honors program from an engineering major perspective, but one of the advantages for many students in the other colleges is early registration for classes. You often get to skip to the head of the line if you're in the honors program. And depending on your major, advisors for honors students can sometimes waive and substitute class requirements.

ISU is a solid choice for all the majors you indicated. Good luck.
 
jsmith86

jsmith86

Well-Known Member
Dec 5, 2006
7,629
250
63
Cedar Rapids
trigger1 said:
I just want to say one word to you - are you listening? Plastics.

OK, that dates me. :smile:

Set up a personal visit with professors in the areas of interest. You've already done the group stuff, now contact the admissions department and set up an individual visit. We did that with our daughter a few years ago and it ended up being very useful. Not that day, but down the line. She learned quick what departments actually had an interest in the students.

Can't speak to the honors program from an engineering major perspective, but one of the advantages for many students in the other colleges is early registration for classes. You often get to skip to the head of the line if you're in the honors program. And depending on your major, advisors for honors students can sometimes waive and substitute class requirements.

ISU is a solid choice for all the majors you indicated. Good luck.
Click to expand...


Plastics? What do you do in classes?


And as far as the honors thing goes, do it at least freshman year, you can always just stay in it until junior or senior year without really doing anything and then drop it. It is DEFINITELY worth it to get to register early.
 
intrepid27

intrepid27

Well-Known Member
Oct 9, 2006
5,720
4,641
113
Marion, IA
I'm an executive recruiter for agriculture. Plant breeders/ geneticists are worth their weight in gold. Especially the ones who can speak English.

Give me a call if you want AgXecutives
 
JordanHXC

JordanHXC

Member
Apr 1, 2006
222
7
18
Omaha
Pass on Genetics. I have a genetics degree. I taught for a couple of years, couldn't find a decent paying job in the field. Went into logistics, now I work as a freight broker. Make about double what all of the genetics jobs around here pay. You couldn't pay me enough to go back into a lab...
 
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