And what was your college major & how did you decide on it?

[dennis thompson]

I saw Curtis' question on a college major & it got me thinking about how I decided on a college major. I was working for the phone company as a switchman, repairing central office machines, & going to college at night. I had no idea what to major in, I had been an auto mechanic before the phone company. I was studying with a friend one day & he said "you might want to look at Finance, you can always get a job with that major" Based on that offhand comment I majored in Finance. It was enough to get me into the Harvard Business School, I then spent 25 years at a pharmaceutical company in NJ ,ending up in the corporate acquisitions area, took a nice package when my company was acquired & have had a very nice retirement since then. All that based on that offhand comment 35 years ago, funny how things work out.
Dennis

[Joe Pelonio]

Interesting subject, hopefully these days young people are more thoughtful about their careers when choosing a major, taking advantage of the experience of us older folks, and seeing which jobs have lasted in this economy.

I was a psychology major, planning at the time to go on to be a clinical psychologist. While in graduate school working on my Masters I discovered the facts about their role in court cases, custody, commitment and prison sentencing, and decided to change directions. Using my education in another way I became a management analyst and worked for 17 years at a large municipal utility district in CA before moving here to use my creative side as a sign business owner. Recently (May) I took a similar position to what I did before in utilities and do the business "on the side" after living off it for 16 years during the better economic times.

[Tom Veatch]

AeroSpace Engineering at Auburn University, graduate school at Auburn and Wichita State University.

How did I decide on that? There was never any question. As a kid, barely out of diapers, out playing in the front yard, I looked up and saw a dirigible fly over - must have been at the very end of the rigid airship era - and developed an instant love affair with flight that has never dimmed. One of the most intense disappointments in my life was physical disqualification for the AF Academy and military flight training. But, if I couldn't fly 'em, at least I could build 'em.

[Chris Struttman]

I got into the Information Technology field because I couldn't make it through a business statistics course. I was originally going for a Business Administration degree but when it came time to take the business statistics course, I found that I hated it and just couldn't get myself to do the work. The next semester I took a COBOL course while I was once again trying to make it past the statistics course. I found that I liked the logic of making computers do what I wanted them to do so I switched majors. That was in the mid '80s. That may have been the best decision I have ever made in my life. Aside from asking my wife to marry me.

For my MBA I completed concentrations in Operations Management and Management Information Systems. Soon after finishing I realized that I should have gone for Finance instead of MIS. It seems that the guy that holds the purse strings controls a lot.

[Brian Kent]

I loved geology because of the influence of a great sixth grade teacher. Started out as a geology major. That was at Palomar College. I bet there was some great woodworking going on there already but I didn't think about that.

Second stop - Music major for a year at San Diego State University. Loved it but learned what I needed to understand - that it was a hobby for me and not a career.

Third stop - signed up as a sociology major at Point Loma College and never took a sociology class. I took an ancient Greek class and found I loved biblical languages. Switched to Biblical Literature.

Ended up in Seminary and became a pastor who also like earth sciences and music.

[Bob Borzelleri]

High school dropout at 14. Living on my own at 15 and and washing dishes at the W.T. Grant lunch counter. While washing dishes didn't particularly play a part in helping me choose a college major, it did convince me that there had to something better than what I was doing.

My first decision was to get a HS diploma at the local community college. By the time I had enough credits to apply to a HS diploma, I could also transfer to a 4 year college as a junior so I did that.

Prior to leaving the community college, I got a night and weekend job at the county juvenile hall so it seemed logical to pursue a degree in social welfare and corrections. That worked out as I worked the next 15 or so years in juvenile corrections including two years where I established a private treatment center in Tigard Oregon when I was about 25 (40 years ago). It's still operating today.

Along the way, I decided to pursue a Masters Degree in Psychology and, once that was over, I worked on a PhD in Clinical Psychology. Ended up derailing that effort after a serious bout with cancer and never went back. So now I have an AbD (all but dissertation).

By the time I whipped the cancer thing (1991), I had already moved on to work in environmental regulation and spent the last 20 years of my career before retiring as Assistant Secretary for the California Environmental Protection Agency and Chief Deputy Director for California's Department of Toxic Substances Control.

So many things helped my decisions about majors and career choices but the only common factor was that they were pretty much all unplanned. I got real good at reading the terrain and taking the right path.

Wouldn't go back and change any of it.

[Chris Kennedy]

I did my first degree at Berkeley and my doctorate at Michigan. I always liked my science courses in high school the most, so I planned on majoring in Chemistry. In my last year of HS, though, I started taking Calculus. I was sick a lot that year and my teacher was far from stellar, and I had to learn a lot of it on my own. Doing that, I realized I actually found math interesting. So, the weekend that I was finishing up applications, I changed my mind and went with pure math. Haven't looked back since.

Cheers,

Chris

[Dusty Fuller]

I didn't declare my major until my junior year, but I had been sure of what I was doing since I signed up for an upper-level history class my sophomore year and the professor pulled me aside after class and said "This class will kill you." Turns out it was for dedicated history majors and consisted mostly of seniors. We talked for a while, and he sent me to the anthropology department and from then on out I was an archaeology/anthropology major. Turned out to be a great decision, as I really enjoyed the classes and the field work... I'm not good at working indoors for too long.
Long story short, I'm working for Georgia's state parks system in a career that involves history, anthropology, law enforcement, business management, communications, and maintenance. On any given day I could be removing a tree from a trail, writing tickets for illegal hunting (or God knows what), working in our park's 1930's era blacksmith shop, digging up septic lines, or dealing with difficult employees and customers. I consider myself lucky. I'm good at my job, but also lucky and thankful to be where I am.

[Eddie Watkins]

I started as an accounting major. While I was going to school I got a job in computer operations center as a computer operator working from midnight to 8:00am. I was promoted into computer programming prior to getting any degree.
I took a lot of computer science and finance courses as electives and when I went for a degree check after my junior year I found out that I could graduate a year earlier with a business degree with a minor in computer science. Since I already had a career that had potential to pay more than an accounting degree would have gotten me, I chose to change majors and graduate. I have always had a job and always made a decent salary so I have no complaints. I wish all my decisions had worked out so well.:rolleyes:

[Doug Shepard]

After putting in about 2.5 years as a music major I took a very long hiatus from the books and worked as a musician for quite a while. Finally started going back again when I was 32 and did a Math/Computer Sci degree that took me about 6 years at night. Some of the math past the calculus was real killer but something about having either a right or wrong answer (black or white) appealed to me. None of that grey area stuff, lengthy essays, getting graded on style rather than substance, etc.

[Ben Franz]

I started out to be an aeronautical engineer but got sidetracked into Computer Science. This was in the early days - batch processing, IBM 7090/7094 and magnetic core memory. Everything was entered by punched cards and the truly paranoid among us kept all of their files backed up by storing the card decks in the trunk of the car! Spent 20+ years as a software engineer in Silicon Valley before midlife crisis time. Went into residential construction and never looked back. I don't regret the time in engineering and the money was definitely better. For me, the satisfaction of building stuff is better.

[Tony De Masi]

We had a tremendous music program in HS which I was a part of. I was dead set on going to Berkley School of Music, Boston, and get into their Jazz program. One problem, I wasn't that good, and actually I knew it. So off to college to become a teacher. Went 3 1/2 years and dropped out to work two jobs as I was going to be married soon. Only took one semester off and went back to finish up with senior year student teaching. I remember my dad telling while I was in school, that if I didn't like teaching or couldn't find a job in that field, then I should seriously look into the state or federal government, if for nothing more than the benefits program. So in August 1980 I land my first job at a junior high with a starting salary of $8700.00 per year. Two weeks later I recieved a letter from the Secret Service advising me that I had been accepted for a postion. If I was interested I had to be there in three days. Starting salary was $15,500 per year. It was a no brainer for me. Retired from the Secret Service in January 2008 and have been loving this retirement gig.

Tony

[Judy Kingery]

Interesting the twists and turns our lives take - good question. I loved my high-school and worked full time as a nurses' aide so planned on becoming an RN. There was a girl in my high-school who had been raped, beaten. I didn't know her well.

I didn't major in nursing as I wanted a B.S. degree and not an ADN. They had no BSN/RN program here at that time and then I was working full-time for a residential psychiatric unit for ED children, which interested me in majoring in education and teaching. I majored in English/Health Education (secondary), certified in Texas, and promptly went to work for MR Casemanagement and Volunteered for the rape crisis center - because of the kid I knew about in highschool who was a victim in a stranger/abduction rape case.

When the Executive Director's position cameI majored in English/Health Education (secondary), certified in Texas, and promptly went to work for MR Casemanagement and Volunteered for the rape crisis center - because of a kid I knew in highschool that happened to. open, I applied and was hired and stayed 25 years. For 12 of those years I also worked as a paramedic on weekends and expanded the rape crisis service to support for all victims of violent crimes, primarily sexual assault and survivors of homicide victims (domestic violence was done by another agency) as well as fairly extensive educational programs on child abuse prevention, date rape awareness, home security and safety. Most of our work was with the police departments, sheriff's offices, trauma center and schools, oh and criminal courts too. Went on and finished a Master's degree in counseling and human development.

The funny part about it is, after I semi-retired 5 years ago; 30 years later I am actually - for the first time in my life - employed by a school district although that was my original degree and certification. I love it; I sub for Sex Ed.

Interesting where our paths lead and what influences our choices! Thanks for asking and I enjoyed reading about folks' decisions, goals and life endeavors. Best to all,

Jude

[Eric DeSilva]

...I changed my mind and went with pure math.

Let's hear it for the math nerds. Didn't hurt that it was probably the university degree with the least amount of homework. Either you got it or you didn't...

[Jim McFarland]

No idea what to major in when I started college. Enrolled in a general chemistry course my 1st semester and the professor was as passionate about chemistry as a Baptist preacher is about his (no offense intended to Baptist preachers -- I heard a fair number of them in my youth and I know their passion). Chemistry it was, then. Can't say I developed the same passion though as my profession was ultimately IT related. Computer automation of labratory processes is where I developed a passion for IT so no regrets.

[Jesse Espe]

Freshman year - I, a starving freshman, was in the Engineering building during the Major Expo. Systems engineering had cookies and punch. Mech engineering had pizza.

I was hungry.

4 years later, a degree in Mech Eng.

:)

[Dennis Peacock]

after 15 years in the computer IT industry....I figured it was time to get me an education to prove I was in the IT industry.....so I picked Computer Science. :D

Now....where's that box of IBM punch cards that has my accounts receivable program in it.....no.....that was 3 boxes of punch cards. Well, I may have converted it all to an 8" floppy disk.....oh never mind. I'll just write a program to find it for me. :rolleyes:

[Chris Tsutsui]

I majored in Art at CSUF.

The reason was because it ran in the family, and It was just so easy for me to translate the images in my mind onto paper or the computer.

It quite possibly the easiest path I ever took. :D

[Jim Becker]

Business Logistics...with a lot of general business classes, too. Of everything, the accounting courses have been the most use over the years.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

The two biggest and best decisions I made in my lifetime were spur of the moment....right now. I met the LOML on a blind date and asked her to marry me 3 days later. 8 days later I left for bootcamp after signing over my checking and savings accounts. 2 days after I got home from boot camp, we were married. It will be 41 years ago this coming Christmas Eve.

The 2nd...I got an invitation to take a draft physical in September of '68. I passed. I quickly enlisted in the Navy. The recruiter looked at my HS transcripts, classes etc. and asked me to take some tests. After some 6 hours of tests, he said I could have any job in the Navy I wanted but they currently had a shortage of Nuc ETs (nuclear electronics technician). I said it sounded good to me and I enlisted for 6 years. I later dropped an exam to get out of the Nuc program.

I had a wife and 3 kids when I got out of the Navy 8 years later. A company later to be owned by J&J was looking for Navy ETs who'd worked air traffic control and had a specific school. I did. Northrup wanted me big time because of my active security clearance. In the end I elected to work for the other company on a new product called CAT scanners. This was in the fall of 1976. 10 years later J&J sold us to a bigger corporation.

Over the years I've taken a number of college classes in engineering, math, sciences and business classes. I have enough hours for a college degree....they just don't all align properly...:confused:

I'm getting ready to retire in the next 2-3 years. I now work on MR scanners, CT scanners, and x-ray equipment. It's been a helluva ride. It's paid good and it's been steady. Since my leaving the Navy in the fall of '76, I've never had to look for another job.

Everything considered, the two best decisions I have made in my life, were quick and instinctive, I guess.

[Jim Mattheiss]

Started in Geological Geophysics at University of Delaware - I didn't get into Engineering and picked something to get my foot in the door. 2 semesters later they bounced by butt out the door for poor grades - ok REALLY bad grades!

Went back to county college and got an Associates degree in Engineering.

Was working towards an Electrical Engineering degree and found computer programming. Realized the EE wasn't for me and went to a Computer "Trade" School.

I've been coding COBOL for 18 years now and enjoy the daily challenges. I'll eventually have to switch to another language but I already know 3 or 4, so 1 more might not kill me.

I'm encouraging my kids to get out into the world BEFORE they go to college - if they go at all.

Cheers

Jim

PS : I like to do physical tasks that have palpable results - most because what I do at work it almost virtual.

[Darius Ferlas]

Psychology, back in Poland, because I didn't want to go to the army for 2 years which was compulsory to all males who did not continue on on a university level. Graduates had to serve only 1 year (plus military school one day a week during studies). Psychology was one of the easier majors to get into, with only 6 candidates to one spot ratio.

After 2nd year I picked English philology (concurrent) because that's what really interested me at the time. Shorty before graduating I got an invite from Vanderbilt on the account of some crazy ideas I had about early Puritan lit and the Jazz Age in America. Once in the US it soon turned out the school wasn't exactly free. To me the costs were astronomical. If I had that kind of money in Poland at the time I would have bought a castle, a few cars and I woudda livede happily thereafter. Or at least till communism fell. That's when things got more expensive.

After 5 years in the US I moved to Canada where picked a major in English Lit. I had my bases covered pretty well so that degree was a walk in the park - completed in 18 months. My last two subjects were electives so I was allowed take any subject I wanted. I had always tinkered with the idea of working with computers but back in Poland math and me... well, it was a pile of disasters. In high school I was a complete imbecile in math.

In Canada I took the plunge though, especially that my grades were good, so possible failures were pretty much irrelevant. I was also somewhat realistic about the prospects of a Pole trying to teach Canadians and Americans their own history, culture and literature. I took computer math to test the waters. I completed my first math course with 95%! Not that math in Canada is any easier than it was back where I came from. I simply did not care as a teenager.

Based on the decent marks in math I applied to the department on computer science and I graduated 30 months later.

So there, it took me 3 degrees to finally find the 4th one that actually feeds the family. If I had stayed in Poland I would be probably chasing the Puritans and The Great Gatsbys to this day.

[Frank Bierline]

I started out in the AF as an aircraft mechanic, and while stationed at Hill AFB (Utah), I took a (stick) welding class at Weber State. The instructor mentioned that I should take an interest session there, and I did. It pointed to IT, so I gave it a shot. I got my AAS first, and then worked while getting my BS. Thirty seven years later, I am retired.

[Matt Meiser]

I couldn't decide between mechanical or electrical engineering when I started but since engineering majors don't actually choose a program until sophomore year that wasn't an issue. I was really interested in control systems (really wanted to work for an auto manufacturer--thankfully that didn't work out!) I took a microprocessor systems class where we did a lot of embedded programming which I really enjoyed and I ended up taking a job with a large earth moving equipment manufacturer doing that but hated where I lived so I moved back to Michigan and took a job with a civil engineering firm doing hard electrical engineering but pretty quickly one thing led to another and I basically ended up in IT. Now all I do is software.

I'm a believer that engineering school doesn't really teach you hard technical skills that you'll directly use in a job. What it does teach you is a logical way of thinking about and solving problems.

[Gene Howe]

Speech and Language Pathology. Sounded like fun. It was. 32 years later, I'm retired. Wouldn't trade those years for anything. But, sure like this retirement thing.

[Josiah Bartlett]

I took apart and started repairing small appliances as a kid. Eventually I was cleaning and repairing VCR's (back when they were expensive). I decided to major in Electrical Engineering, and got a Bachelor's and went to work. The company I worked for payed for my master's degree. I do analog design for a major test equipment manufacturer.