It is not uncommon for current high school seniors to be completely clueless concerning their future. What to study, what career path, will I like it, will I make enough money? There are other kids who are already dead set on specific career goal, whether they actually follow through is a different story. If you talk to a jaded college student, chances are they will tell you it is not that hard to choose. Assuming a reasonable work ethic and intelligence, the following fields are most highly recommended with a career goal in mind. If you have an extraordinary talent for something, the following probably does not apply to you, as you will succeed in whatever something that is. This post is more for the average undecided student. Also the following is more of a list with opinions and not definitive overviews of each discipline. Wikipedia exists for that. Forgive me for being so one track minded but Barrett Strong knew what was up.
Engineering- Electrical, Chemical, Mechanical
I would say these are the big three of engineering. Each is well worth taking a look and seriously considering. Electrical is very solid as technology is everywhere today. Chemical is good, the energy industry provides an almost insatiable demand and a high starting salary. Mechanical is a very fundamental discipline and people who study it are in demand wherever mechanical systems are involved (everywhere). In addition, because of the rigor of most engineering programs, engineers tend to be well respected for their problem solving skills, analytical thinking, and quantitative skills so it is not uncommon to work in an unrelated industry after school.
Engineering- Civil, Bio-medical, Environmental, Systems -
I am personally less familiar with each of these fields. Civil is the oldest discipline and involves infrastructure from bridges to waterworks. Bio-medical is hard to define, I guess it's the engineering that's involved in medicine, such as medical devices. Environmental is basically a subset of Civil. Systems addresses stuff like process control and manufacturing efficiency. These fields are generally stable, many work in governmental agencies and municipalities. Less exciting in my opinion.
Computer Science
A very good field, lots of prospects in any industry. Teaches a fundamental understanding of computation which leads to software engineering, artificial intelligence, graphics, data processing, and much more.
Maths-
Excellent if you are willing to study it. A bit of mental agility would help.
Physics- Same as maths.
At this point, all of the disciplines I've mentioned tend to be viewed as tough fields, and that's not an incorrect assumption. But one certainly does not need to be anything close to genius to study them, especially at the undergraduate level. A good work ethic and strategic planning is far more important.
But of course there are other very good careers and fields.
Pre-med/other health- You can major in pretty much anything, biology and chemistry often preferred as those majors automatically satisfy the science requirements for med school.
Law- Go to law school after college, become a lawyer.
Economics- At top 10 or top 20 schools, studying economics is usually a very good choice as financial firms are drawn to prestigious schools as moths are attracted to light. Can expect to make 60-80k out of college at a Wall Street firm. If you survive for 5 years, rising up the ranks 200-300k annually is reasonable. Other finance locations are Boston and Chicago. There is investment banking, trading, asset management and each contains many subcategories.
Am I missing anything? Other common career paths for college students that I failed to mention? Please leave a comment if you know of one or would like to voice an opinion on anything else.
Monday, April 8, 2013
Saturday, April 6, 2013
Welcoming a New Voice!
In an effort to diversify the viewpoints here on University Days, I have decided to open this blog to students from other schools. I am honored to present KC, a potential Dartmouth student for the class of 2017! She has not decided what school to attend yet and her first post will probably be addressing the decision making factor. She is one of the chosen ones and will hopefully expand this blog to include perspectives from the higher end of the university spectrum. Argh, I am getting Ivy envy...
Sunday, March 31, 2013
KC's First
Greetings!
Hope you are all well. Firstly, I am very honored to be a partner of this wonderful blog. I was pleasantly surprised to hear of this endeavor and hope that my additions will offer a fresh insight into the confusing yet exciting world of (soon to be) college students! I'm going to start with a quick profile of myself- I'm a senior at Lebanon High School in New Hampshire. I am 17, I play violin, tennis, enjoy all kinds of outdoorsy things (running, hiking, swimming, fishing, soccer, frisbee, gardening, etc), do acrylic painting and drawing, love reading a wide range of books from classics to children's, listen mostly to classical music, am a fan of cooking and baking, and really appreciate Good Food. Whew, that was a lot. Friends have described me as outgoing, funny, ambitious, quirky, and artistic. As a college-bound student, you can imagine that I have been thinking about the future a lot lately. I have been accepted into Boston College (honors nursing), Clark, Case Western Reserve (nursing), UNH, and Dartmouth College and rejected from Penn. As you can tell, I am interested in nursing, but also very much into history. I am currently taking a Dartmouth history class- The US and the World since 1945 (HIST 25.3). This is actually a brand new class, and I am a guinea pig once again.
I look forward to writing about my own admissions process, preparing for college, and the final Big Decision concerning which school I will attend in the fall. I will also dip into the gap year possibility, and what you can do with your year off. I really hope that you will enjoy my posts!
Cheers,
KC
I look forward to writing about my own admissions process, preparing for college, and the final Big Decision concerning which school I will attend in the fall. I will also dip into the gap year possibility, and what you can do with your year off. I really hope that you will enjoy my posts!
Cheers,
KC
Saturday, March 30, 2013
UNH Courses Reviewed Pt 2
Spring 2013
Math 644 Statistics for Engineers and Scientists
Instructor: Veronica Hupper
Textbook: Not required
http://www.unh.edu/undergrad-catalog/1011/ug-math-1011.htm
I was expecting a more challenging course but the general attitude seems to be this is a boring required course for us engineers, I just want to plug and chug. And that's what we get from the professor, we go over examples on her powerpoint slides and do similar problems for homework. Without too much effort one can probably earn an A and learn very little about statistical thinking, which is much more important than the formulas that can be looked up in a split second. I am beginning to see that most required classes eventually get worn down to the bare minimum and this is definitely one of those.
History 579 History of Modern China
Instructor: Yan Lu
Textbook(s): The Search for Modern China by Spence, Six Records of a Floating Life, Things that Must Not be Forgotten
There is no doubt that Professor Lu is a great learned China scholar. She is clearly very knowledgeable, one time she forgot to bring notes to class but still presented the lecture without any decrease in quality. The bulk of the class consists of lectures in which she presents a lot of material that could be tested on. Taking good notes is a must. Spence's thick book is not required, it is used to supplement the lectures. I would recommend having it as an all around reference. The class meets twice a week for two eighty minute sessions. There are weekly readings from outside sources that are the focus of discussions once a week. My one criticism is that the discussions are not very focused and often become small quarrels between two factions in the class, usually over a minor-ish detail or semantics.
This is a good class to take to learn about a very fascinating country that has experienced huge economic growth and also faces great challenges, both in the short term and in the future. It is probably a good idea to know a few things about the world's most populous country and one that is often called a threat to U.S. interests. By going back to the 1600s, the class traces how China became the way it is today. It is not too difficult and can be taken as an elective for students in any major.
Computer Science 416 (CS416)
Instructor: Professor Robert Daniel Bergeron (RDB)
Textbook:
This is the continuation in the introduction to computer science sequence. The main topics covered are basic java awt graphics, data structures, and recursion. The assignments are significantly more involved but more time is given. It is also easier to look up hints and ideas online and in books as the class uses standard java libraries as opposed to exclusive learning libraries. The class can easily take up 10-15 hours a week of outside time due to the nature of programming. Professor Bergeron is very knowledgeable and always willing to explain the material. He is a bit unorganized at times, but this mostly just results in funny typos or missing bits and pieces. He likes to joke about his procrastination and is generally a down to earth guy. If he is late with posting an assignment then the class gets extra time to complete it so no complaints there.
Math 644 Statistics for Engineers and Scientists
Instructor: Veronica Hupper
Textbook: Not required
http://www.unh.edu/undergrad-catalog/1011/ug-math-1011.htm
I was expecting a more challenging course but the general attitude seems to be this is a boring required course for us engineers, I just want to plug and chug. And that's what we get from the professor, we go over examples on her powerpoint slides and do similar problems for homework. Without too much effort one can probably earn an A and learn very little about statistical thinking, which is much more important than the formulas that can be looked up in a split second. I am beginning to see that most required classes eventually get worn down to the bare minimum and this is definitely one of those.
History 579 History of Modern China
Instructor: Yan Lu
Textbook(s): The Search for Modern China by Spence, Six Records of a Floating Life, Things that Must Not be Forgotten
There is no doubt that Professor Lu is a great learned China scholar. She is clearly very knowledgeable, one time she forgot to bring notes to class but still presented the lecture without any decrease in quality. The bulk of the class consists of lectures in which she presents a lot of material that could be tested on. Taking good notes is a must. Spence's thick book is not required, it is used to supplement the lectures. I would recommend having it as an all around reference. The class meets twice a week for two eighty minute sessions. There are weekly readings from outside sources that are the focus of discussions once a week. My one criticism is that the discussions are not very focused and often become small quarrels between two factions in the class, usually over a minor-ish detail or semantics.
This is a good class to take to learn about a very fascinating country that has experienced huge economic growth and also faces great challenges, both in the short term and in the future. It is probably a good idea to know a few things about the world's most populous country and one that is often called a threat to U.S. interests. By going back to the 1600s, the class traces how China became the way it is today. It is not too difficult and can be taken as an elective for students in any major.
Computer Science 416 (CS416)
Instructor: Professor Robert Daniel Bergeron (RDB)
Textbook:
This is the continuation in the introduction to computer science sequence. The main topics covered are basic java awt graphics, data structures, and recursion. The assignments are significantly more involved but more time is given. It is also easier to look up hints and ideas online and in books as the class uses standard java libraries as opposed to exclusive learning libraries. The class can easily take up 10-15 hours a week of outside time due to the nature of programming. Professor Bergeron is very knowledgeable and always willing to explain the material. He is a bit unorganized at times, but this mostly just results in funny typos or missing bits and pieces. He likes to joke about his procrastination and is generally a down to earth guy. If he is late with posting an assignment then the class gets extra time to complete it so no complaints there.
What I Think About UNH
I am asked all the time, why UNH? This even came up during an interview. I am never sure what to say, should I be truthful and say it was a choice made out of necessity or should I try to play up my school? I usually end up explaining that I like the location, the in-state benefits, and that the academics are quite good. About the most generic answer out there.
To make up for all those insincere answers, today I am presenting the real answer. This is how I would thoughtfully answer such a question. I will try to keep a civil tongue and stick to the facts.
event
What makes a school is its people. The faculty are generally quite good, most have strong backgrounds and a true interest in their respective fields. That said, I find many of the faculty to be slightly unmotivated, sitting on tenure positions teaching about one class per semester. It is harder to be involved with them, especially as an undergrad. Some run undergraduate research programs that I've heard are quite good but for the most part UNH faculty exist to teach. Those that do serious research tend to distance themselves from the undergrads, creating a distinct barrier.
To be quite honest, UNH would be a much better school if the students were more motivated. About 60% of the student population is in-state, and most of them were very average in high school and continue to be average. The out of staters tend to be students from nearby states who couldn't quite make it into their own state schools. In both categories there are exceptions of course. There is a small minority of students who came perhaps from a difficult background but are eager to leave it behind or highly motivated students who had unusually bad luck during the admissions process. Age twenty is past the formative years, few people transform themselves at this age. Habits have already been set and a certain worldview is already formed. Sadly, the majority of the students just try to get by the weekdays to party on the weekends. UNH has some great parties but I don't really live for them. I personally find it difficult to celebrate when the future is uncertain at best. Most kids either don't care or are ready to accept mediocrity.
The administration is garbage, quite frankly. Always going on about the budget and making stupid cuts in areas like library hours and materials. Or trying to get excellent faculty to retire. What they should be doing is cutting the fat, but that would mean reducing themselves, which of course will not happen.
To make up for all those insincere answers, today I am presenting the real answer. This is how I would thoughtfully answer such a question. I will try to keep a civil tongue and stick to the facts.
event
What makes a school is its people. The faculty are generally quite good, most have strong backgrounds and a true interest in their respective fields. That said, I find many of the faculty to be slightly unmotivated, sitting on tenure positions teaching about one class per semester. It is harder to be involved with them, especially as an undergrad. Some run undergraduate research programs that I've heard are quite good but for the most part UNH faculty exist to teach. Those that do serious research tend to distance themselves from the undergrads, creating a distinct barrier.
To be quite honest, UNH would be a much better school if the students were more motivated. About 60% of the student population is in-state, and most of them were very average in high school and continue to be average. The out of staters tend to be students from nearby states who couldn't quite make it into their own state schools. In both categories there are exceptions of course. There is a small minority of students who came perhaps from a difficult background but are eager to leave it behind or highly motivated students who had unusually bad luck during the admissions process. Age twenty is past the formative years, few people transform themselves at this age. Habits have already been set and a certain worldview is already formed. Sadly, the majority of the students just try to get by the weekdays to party on the weekends. UNH has some great parties but I don't really live for them. I personally find it difficult to celebrate when the future is uncertain at best. Most kids either don't care or are ready to accept mediocrity.
The administration is garbage, quite frankly. Always going on about the budget and making stupid cuts in areas like library hours and materials. Or trying to get excellent faculty to retire. What they should be doing is cutting the fat, but that would mean reducing themselves, which of course will not happen.
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Rejected today? More bad news for you...
March 28, 2013 Another D-Day
Thousands of dreams were made today and many more broken, when the Ivy League released its regular admissions decisions for the class of 2017. Many years ago, when I was a little high schooler, I heard this analogy. Going to an ivy league or similarly elite school is just like riding in a luxury car, the ride might be nicer but the destination is the same. These words were comforting at the time but I am here today to tell you that those words ring more false than true.
The Importance of Being Elite
Attending a top school conveys advantages that last for life. If you are thinking that the education at Harvard, for example, must be so much better than at let's say Penn State, then you are missing the big picture. The power of a Harvard grad over anyone else is in the brand name, the prestige, and the ocean deep connections. An analogy that I came up with is Nike Sports. Say there are two pairs of shoes on sale and they look almost identical, except one has the swoosh and the other has an X logo. Which pair would you buy? Nine times out of ten the buyer will choose the swoosh. Why? No particular reason, except for the fact that branding is powerful. In a similar vein, if you are an employer, would you take the Harvard guy over the SUNY grad? Some "shallow" industries hire exclusively based on branding, think consulting or finance. The reality is that many doors are closed to those of you not attending an Ivy+. The truth isn't pretty but then again few things are.The View From Under The Bus
Before you work yourself into a fury, let me remind you that I am not writing from an ivory tower, I am on the outside looking in. In fact I have already experienced the disadvantages of attending a state school. I am simply telling it as it is. On campus recruiting is mediocre at best, and supposedly UNH had a decent year attracting employers. We are mostly limited to local firms and some large companies looking to fill sales or IT drone positions. For example, recently I inquired about equities research or analyst positions at Fidelity Investments and was told by the campus recruiters that they don't recruit for those positions at our school. A quick look at several other Boston area schools showed that the coveted "front office" positions were available, just not to us. I know of a few students who tried to reach out to some better known firms such as Goldman, Citi, Morgan Stanley, of course with no success, and it was not due to lack of competence. The closest anyone has come to getting on the Street was Eric, who somehow landed a summer analyst position at Nomura, and that's because he has so much relevant experience. For those of you unfamiliar with the firms in banking, Nomura is one of the new comers. I myself did not even bother, despite my strong interest in markets, I knew that my resume would be sent straight to the trash at anyone of these places.
All Is Not Lost (and another way to get that Ivy green)
My quick and simple advice is this, if you didn't make it past the ivy walls, do well at wherever you end up going (high GPA) and apply as a transfer. Work hard and try to stand out in order to get a strong recommendation from your professors. Cornell University has a 30% transfer admissions rate, although that number is artificially inflated by its guaranteed transfers program, it still provides a relatively easy entrance. I have one more tip that will get you in but I will keep it a secret for now as it's something I am planning to do myself, to give myself one last shot. I guess you will have to check back in a few months to find out what I'm up to.
Thursday, March 21, 2013
The disadvantages of a public education
A few years ago, (5 actually) William Deresiewics generated quite a bit of attention and noise with this piece, The Disadvantages of an Elite Education. At the time, I was going into my sophomore year of high school and I was not sure what to make of his essay. From my understanding the general idea is that these elite schools give their graduates many advantages to succeed in a worldly sense but also create stuck up people who cannot relate to the general public. Ok, cool story, you can't make small talk with your plumber so blame your social ineptitude on some of the best schools in the world. There are literally millions of people that would kill to have received your education, Bill. I go to a school ranked outside of the top 100 nationally (by any methodology), and I haven't learned how to make small talk with repairmen either. I think it's quite obvious what the problem here is, we have this mentality that you get an education through x years of schooling and then you're "set for life". A better essay would have been something along the lines of "Why an Elite education is wasted on the people who are lucky enough to receive one".
I personally know of many Ivy graduates who all studied different fields yet are very down to earth and relate-able people. Some of them came from highly educated families while others are from less than well off families. What they have in common is a sense of curiosity and a deep sense of humility. These qualities cannot be taught. Still I would kill to be have the educational opportunities that Deresiewics had, no doubt about it.
The reason I bring up this is whole "elite school" business is because I have been toying with the idea of transferring schools, more on that in another post. It is also one of the major reasons why I study Computer Science, one of the few fields where elite schools don't get all the fun. I know from Career Services that job placement for the social sciences is pretty terrible. At your elite school, you can study almost anything and get a nice high paying job in consulting or finance. At a crappy public like mine, those doors are all but closed to even the brightest of minds. Luckily, if you have an aptitude for code (or can hack it at least), it is still possible to find a job that pays above the national average due to the huge demand for IT type positions. I pity the poor souls who study economics or psychology at UNH. Perhaps they have good connections or know how to win the lottery.
I personally know of many Ivy graduates who all studied different fields yet are very down to earth and relate-able people. Some of them came from highly educated families while others are from less than well off families. What they have in common is a sense of curiosity and a deep sense of humility. These qualities cannot be taught. Still I would kill to be have the educational opportunities that Deresiewics had, no doubt about it.
The reason I bring up this is whole "elite school" business is because I have been toying with the idea of transferring schools, more on that in another post. It is also one of the major reasons why I study Computer Science, one of the few fields where elite schools don't get all the fun. I know from Career Services that job placement for the social sciences is pretty terrible. At your elite school, you can study almost anything and get a nice high paying job in consulting or finance. At a crappy public like mine, those doors are all but closed to even the brightest of minds. Luckily, if you have an aptitude for code (or can hack it at least), it is still possible to find a job that pays above the national average due to the huge demand for IT type positions. I pity the poor souls who study economics or psychology at UNH. Perhaps they have good connections or know how to win the lottery.
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