The numbers don't lie: people who major in math and advanced sciences are making the most money right after graduation. At the top of the financial ladder are the engineering majors. People who major in the liberal arts have actually seen a small decrease in their entry-level salaries. Compare the salary of a fresh-out-of-university engineering major with that of an English major: approx. $60,000 a year vs. approx. $30,000. Now for my point.
I know that there are many people who are interested in science and technology but aren't there also a lot of people who aren't? I don't know how many times I've heard one of my classmates say "I'm majoring in such-and-such." "Oh," someone will respond. "Do you like it?" "Not really," they'll say. "I just figured I'd make more money."
Don't get me wrong, I think that there should be a reasonable thought process when one chooses a career. A certain quality of life requires a certain sized bank account, that's just common sense. But (and this at the risk of sounded oh-so-cliche) does money buy happiness? Endless studies have shown that a person will, on average, spend more time with their co-workers than with their family. It follows then, that one will spend lots of time working. Don't you want it to be something you love? Lots of people say that if they were making a certain amount of money, they would MAKE themselves enjoy the job. But we all know that isn't true. You can't make yourself love something. Just think about all the people who've had successful careers and then suddenly, in their mid-life, go back to school! People's dreams don't just go away, so maybe they're worth pursuing, even if they don't make us millionaires. What do you think?
SOURCE: "Most Lucrative Degrees for 2007 Grads." Jeanne Sahadi. CNNmoney
http://jobs.aol.com/article/onlinecampus/_a/most-lucrative-degrees-for-2007-grads/20070212162809990001?ncid=AOLCOMMjobsDYNLprim0002
Jessamine Q.
Yeah, I just posted a blog kind of about this called Selfless Examination of Music and Your Part In It. I totally agree that people need to start working in what makes them happy. I also believe they should work in a field where they think they could make a great change.
Read my blogs, comment and vote. Thank you
http://progressiveu.org/blog/jbr3
Money definitely should not be a career decider, but there is also a certain level of practicality one must use in deciding. You might love performing arts, for example, but when you graduate with a major in this subject, where are you going to find a job? Sometimes it isn't just a matter of how much money, but a matter of if there will be money at all.
Jessamine Q. Oh there is money in performing arts, just not a lot. You could be a teacher. You could perform at weddings or other events. You could be a studio musician, so on....