You’ve planned it all out perfectly: attend the school of your dreams, major in the one field that you know is right for you, and then graduate with that well-paying job that will be waiting for you on graduation day. It’s your future, 2.0, and you’re determined to make it happen.

Then you find yourself three years into school, a seasoned student, majoring in a field that yup–you guessed it–won’t pay the bills. You’ve heard Sallie Mae horror stories, and you don’t want to end up one of those college graduates ducking and dodging the student loan collectors once that grace period is up. So, while you still have a chance, it’s time to revise that plan of yours. If there’s anything you’ll learn in college, it’s how to be practical, and let’s be real–you’ll practically kill yourself if you have to move back in with your parents after graduation.

Lucky for you, it isn’t too late to switch to a field that you know will have a job waiting for you with a decent salary once you graduate. (Note: I’m talking to those of you still in undergrad. For all you recent grads, well, I feel you.) These select fields are always hiring, welcoming all you proactive undergrads who are eager to do almost anything (yes, even switching majors at the last minute!) for a paycheck that’ll keep you off of mom’s couch after graduation. Here’s a list of 6 fields (and their average salaries) for you to consider when the near-graduation jitters begin.

Take it from me, this post-grad-still-living-at-home-with-mom knows just what she’s talking about. Happy (job) hunting! Read More »

The following post is written by Josh Olson from UNC, one of our many friends at Uloop, a student powered marketplace. Read more great posts in their blog.

I once heard a story from the time of the Dot Com boom about young computer science majors, fresh out of college, who sat around their phones taking calls from giant conglomerates. The conglomerates and corporations would offer them six-figure salaries. And the programmers, for fun, would reply with words like, “$300,000? Frankly, I’m insulted” and then hang up with a bang, knowing that half-a-dozen more calls would come.

These may not be quite as heady times as those were. But the tech industry is still where most of the available jobs are. This becomes important as we are coming out of a Great Recession. So here are six reasons to consider getting a job in tech (even if you’re not a techie).

1. Supply and demand.

The Tech industry is one of the only industries with more demand for labor than there is supply. While the unemployment rate dances between nine and ten percent and companies everywhere are figuring out how to do more work with less personnel, the tech industry is currently one of the only industries that is hiring.

2. New markets.

New markets in the tech industry are popping into existence and exploding, like the Big Bang. And, historically, new industries are where people become rich relatively easily. For instance, consider the iPhone (or Droid) app industry: every major company wants an iPhone app; they are willing to pay top dollar; and yet there are not nearly enough programmers who know Objective C (the programming language of the iPhone) to meet the demand. This means that iPhone programmers command huge salaries (see reason 1). Read More »

What do I want to do with my life?!

When you first arrive on your university’s campus at the ripe age of 18, the world is your oyster. You have yet to begin your four years of college education, which have a heavy hand in shaping your future. To quote Remember Me, you are most likely undecided… about everything.

Mapping your own personal life-path begins with choosing your major. Although this is the first, it can also be the most difficult step. The vast amount of choices you are given can be overwhelming. What if you pick the wrong major and because of that one mistake your life turns out horribly miserable?

Don’t worry, I doubt such a terrifying outcome will occur. Plus, you can always switch majors mid-way through college. But, if you plan on graduating on time, it helps to have an idea of the educational direction you want to go in, what sorts of classes you want to take, and a vague sense of possible careers post-tossing your academic hat in the air.

Since specific advice varies for every individual (and that’s what academic advisors are for), here are a few general themes to keep in mind when declaring your major.

What Are You Good At
This is simple. People enjoy being successful. If you currently find advanced calculus intellectually stimulating and exciting, but find yourself spending hours solving simple problems, you will most likely regret declaring a math major halfway into your semester. Use your talents to your advantage; not only does this make your classes easier, but it also makes you happier. It’s definitely important to continue to challenge yourself, but don’t burden yourself with an unrealistic course load. Read More »

If he spends one more minute telling me to go to med school....

A special thanks to our nerdy yet totally helpful friends at Hack College for providing us with this insightful post. Check ‘em out for all your techy needs. They’re like the nerdy boyfriend you never had but always needed.

Students are gearing up to head home for Thanksgiving and winter breaks, and that means getting back into the swing of life with family–including explaining what you’re doing at school to your parents’ friends and your extended family. For some people (engineering majors and pre-med people), this is not so bad! For others, it can be a little stressful. Here’s how to handle some of the most common less-than-positive results.

“So you’re planning to go to law school?” or “A future teacher, I see!” – This one tends to be tossed at Political Science majors (and liberal arts majors in general) by people who see law school/teaching as a backup plan. This can be frustrating for people who actually do want to be lawyers or teachers, since it implies they’re following a predictable path, and for people who are interested in other things (for instance, being the next Nate Silver) it’s equally irritating. It’s best to pick your battles–if it’s someone you’re only going to see once, laugh and say, “Anything’s possible!” before finding some more eggnog.

For family members and people who will be interacting with you when you finish school, a little more explanation can be good. If you are, say yes and give a short summary of what kind of law you want to do or why you want to become a teacher. If not, something like, “Actually, no. But I am planning to try for the Peace Corps!” will usually do the trick. You want to make the point that there are other career paths than law school or teaching that you can follow. Don’t stress about one-off encounters too much, though–over the holidays it’s best to save your energies for people who you’ll be seeing again. Read More »

Obviously the current job market isn’t looking so hot for anyone right now.  Most of us don’t have a trust fund to fall back on, and the state of our economy makes attending grad school a distant dream for so many of us.  With the pressure to land an entry-level position armed only with perseverance, savvy, and Bachelor’s degree in hand, the importance of choosing the right college major is more crucial now than ever  before.

In a recent article, Newsweek names the nine majors that lead to the “best” jobs.  The list includes majors along the lines of finance and information systems – things that have always been regarded as boring safe and prestigious.  I have to say, though, that the value of a career can’t be summed up by the median starting salary.  Sure, some people are actually passionate about construction management (hey, we don’t judge) and if you are, then of course this is the perfect major for you.  But for those of us who prefer to pursue skills that are slightly less mainstream (or that won’t make you want to bludgeon yourself with a calculator during your third all-nighter in a week), I say “why not?”

Throughout college, I remember seeing my peers who chose to major in things like biology struggle to stay awake during their work days while my Communications major (obviously not the most conventional) allowed me to spend the days of my internship interviewing high profile celebs at a major magazine. Win!

With that being said, we say “suck it, high paying jobs!” and have compiled 5 majors that put you on the path to career awesomeness. Read More »

Look back to the person you were when you walked onto campus your Freshman year. Whether that was 4 years ago, 3 years ago or just 8 months ago, you’ve come a long way, baby.

College time is like dog years; the things you accomplish/see/learn/sleep through in one year would take seven in the real world. And by the time you graduate, you’ll have a whole lot to look back on. Between your academic accomplishments, your social accomplishments and just those little things you’ve learned about life (like doing your own laundry – HUGE milestone!), there’s a lot to be proud of. I know I’ll always look back on my four and a half years (yes, getting my parents to pay for one extra semester was a HUGE accomplishment) and feel proud about that time I didn’t die when Jell-o wrestling my roommate in my backyard.

Having done so much, it’s hard to pick out our greatest college accomplishments, but this week I asked the CollegeCandy writers (and all our Twitter/Facebook friends) to come up with theirs:

Kari – Florida State: My greatest accomplishment is an even tie between raising $300 for charity playing quarters and getting invited to a party thrown by a secret society. Equally awesome.

Hannah – University of Northern Colorado, Greeley: Never sleeping through my 9 am class that I HATED even though it would have been so much easier! [Submitted by a fabulous reader via Facebook.]

Rachael – University of Miami: Managing to earn myself a position in nearly every student organization I’m involved in, as well as placing in nationals with my debate teams two years in a row, all while maintaining a good enough GPA for Deans’ List or higher four out of six semesters. Balancing all of that is definitely my biggest achievement! Read More »

"So you see, class, that is why men think fart jokes are funny."

Traditionally, many universities offer an array of courses under the department of Women’s Studies.  As an acceptable area of study, it is a bit confusing why its counterpart, Men’s Studies, is not more prevalent.  Although it does exist, its main focus is typically on social construction of masculinity.  This week, New York’s Wagner College announced the new “Foundation for Male Studies” to supplement what Men’s Studies is lacking.  Its purpose is to focus on “the male as male” and the “purpose of maleness.”  Clearly a topic we are all dying to be educated on.

In order to properly teach the male as male curriculum, a set of rules has already been set forth so that the classroom setting mirrors how men act in real life.  For example, if a student needs extra help with his work, or is feeling overwhelmed by the demands of the course, the student must text message his teacher to discuss these issues.  Meeting with the teacher face to face would only solve things efficiently and ease communication: obviously too easy.  Instead, to protect his maleness, he must attempt this text conversation and wait half an hour in between each response so that both parties will end up more confused than when they started.  Read More »

Got some college questions? Unsure of a decision? Hate your roommate but still have to live with her again next year? Just wanna chat it up with some really awesome chics? We’ve got the girls for you. Hit them up in the comments or shoot them an email with the subject “College Q&A”! They’ve got all the answers you need, no matter who you are.

Question:
I’m a Junior and I still have no idea what major I want to do. I declared English just because I thought that made the most sense (and could potentially work for anything I want to do after college), but I just don’t know if that’s right for me. I still have no idea what I want to be when I grow up and I was hoping you guys might be able to give me some tips on how to figure that out. I’m really sick of reading literature and really don’t know if I want to continue on this path. Help?

GPA Girl:
If you’re sick of reading literature, you might want to consider changing your major. It doesn’t really sound as if you chose English for a good reason, anyway. You have a couple of options. Number one is to change your major to something that really interests you (music? art? astronomy?) and pursue that, even if it takes you a little more time than planned to get your bachelor’s. Option two is to keep going with the English major, finish it up for the sake of finishing, and do something entirely different after graduation. Why not? You wouldn’t be the first person to get a job (or do something else) that has nothing to do with your major. Read More »

Recently, graduating from college, it seems, has sprouted a ripe mid-life crisis for the college student.  It may not result in buying a convertible and a condo in southern Florida, but it does send soon-to-be college grads in a downward spiral as they freak out about their futures, their jobs and, well, surviving real life.

Graduating is almost like watching Paranormal Activity; it’s just plain terrifying.

Because of the current economy (read: in the toilet) many of us are making some pretty rash decisions when it comes to choosing majors and getting the ball rolling on our futures. Students are trying to do whatever they can to get ahead of their peers, often choosing majors early in order to get a head start on internships, jobs and other experiences valuable to an attractive resume. Some schools are even getting rid of their “useless” majors – like Philosophy – in favor of majors that will actually get students some jobs – like Business.

But is being so totally focused and career minded in college really the right way to go?
Some people don’t think so.

Besides specializing in “Ramen Cuisine,” college is an essential time to focus on your career. I mean, that’s why we’re here, right? It often feels that you haven’t even unpacked your bags into your tiny dorm room before your academic advisor is pressuring you to declare your major, and fast. And it makes sense; money is tight and it’s important to get moving on a path that will secure a successful job in the future.  Unless you want to live in your parents’ basement with the family pet, college is the key to jump-starting your life.  Declaring your major early gives you more experience in the field and the opportunity to rope in an internship right away. All things that will eventually make you more appealing to that HR guy in the suit.

At the same time, though, maybe this isn’t the only aspect of college we should be focusing on.

Is getting a job the only reason people get a college education? And is a business student who only knows statistics, finance and how the banking industry works really the most appealing job candidate? What happened to being well-rounded? To being multi-dimensional? That was really important during the college application process, so why not now? Even more, how are you supposed to know what you want to do if you’ve never given anything else a chance? College is a time to explore. To learn. To try new things and find your path. Not to choose the major that makes the most money and hope you can survive it.

College, if you take advantage of all the opportunities it has to offer, opens more doors than Inconsiderate Ian did for you on your last blind date.  It also happens to be the last time you’re really given the freedom to explore such a wide variety of options. I get that we’re all desperate to nab those highly coveted jobs post graduation, but that doesn’t mean we have to lock ourselves into a box just yet. Nor that doing so is the key to success.

So, what do you think? Are we wasting our time on those art and religion classes? Should we be more focused on our trade?

College. Sigh. It’s unlike any other time in your life. It has its own set of rules, its own unique circumstances. And it’s not always easy to navigate. Everyone needs a little guidance now and then (or always) so we’ve pulled together a variety of perspectives (the does-it-all girl, the party girl and Ms. Study Lounge) to weigh in on your life conundrums and give you the best advice we can.

Every week they’ll be tackling your questions about college. From classes to keggers to keggers before classes, they’ll do their best to respond and be your Pez dispenser of collegiate wisdom. Got questions? Unsure of a decision? Just wanna chat it up with some really awesome chics?

Hit them up in the comments or shoot them an email with the subject “College Q&A”!

Question:
Help! It took me forever to choose a major and now that I have, I have a lot of catching up to do. Like, a lot. I’m reworking my schedule for next semester right now and I’m not sure if I should load on the classes (and take a full 18 credits) and really struggle through all the reading and writing (I’m a History major), or take an easier load and stick around for Spring/Summer term. I need to get these classes out of the way – I just don’t know if it’s better to struggle during the year or give up my summer to ease the load. Read More »