6 answers
Tristen
Student
Julian, Pennsylvania
2
Questions
Updated
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How were you able to be happy with the degree or specialization that you chose?
#Fall25#Searching#Science#NeedHelp
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6 answers
Teklemuz Ayenew Tesfay
Electrical Engineer, Software Developer, and Career Mentor
517
Answers
Ethiopia
Updated
Teklemuz Ayenew’s Answer
I earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering. From a young age, I have been curious and eager to learn, which led me to this exciting field. I am truly glad I made this choice, as it has allowed me to grow both personally and professionally. This field is in high demand and offers numerous career opportunities. When choosing a field of study in college or university, it is important to consider your passions, interests, skills, potential, long-term goals, and the opportunities available in your chosen field.
Renata Hairston
Consultant
4
Answers
Rolling Meadows, Illinois
Updated
Renata’s Answer
Hi Tristan,
Great question! It is hard to decide what to choose for college when you may have multiple areas that you are interested in. I decided to go with my passion for education and the joy of working with children. I picked up an intern position that helped solidify my interest in Family, Consumer, Nutrition, and Sciences. I worked in a day care, earning credits towards my Bachelor of Science degree. Learning more about the possibilities that I could do with this degree allowed me to stay focused and committed to choosing this area of study. Remember to choose something that you genuinely want to see change or succeed in for yourself. As well, don't put yourself in a box, meaning most degrees can be tailored and used effectively in the 'real' world. Wishing you great career success in the future!
Great question! It is hard to decide what to choose for college when you may have multiple areas that you are interested in. I decided to go with my passion for education and the joy of working with children. I picked up an intern position that helped solidify my interest in Family, Consumer, Nutrition, and Sciences. I worked in a day care, earning credits towards my Bachelor of Science degree. Learning more about the possibilities that I could do with this degree allowed me to stay focused and committed to choosing this area of study. Remember to choose something that you genuinely want to see change or succeed in for yourself. As well, don't put yourself in a box, meaning most degrees can be tailored and used effectively in the 'real' world. Wishing you great career success in the future!
Wong Loke Yuen
Head of Programme cum Senior Lecturer
645
Answers
Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia
Updated
Wong’s Answer
I can honestly say that I am very happy with the degree I chose, which is a degree with a specialization in management. This specialization has opened up many opportunities for me and has allowed me to build a career in Human Resources and, eventually, to pursue my passion for teaching business courses at the college level.
When I first chose to specialize in management, I saw it as a versatile path that would give me a wide range of career options. Management is an essential skill in almost every industry, and the knowledge I gained in areas like organizational behavior, leadership, and strategic planning has been incredibly valuable. These skills are not only important for managing teams or businesses but are also transferable across different sectors. This flexibility made me feel confident that I was setting myself up for a successful career, no matter where I wanted to go.
As I progressed in my career, I found that my management background was especially useful in Human Resources. HR is all about understanding people, managing teams, and helping organizations function smoothly, all of which are key aspects of management. My degree gave me the tools to navigate workplace dynamics, resolve conflicts, and contribute to a company's culture and growth. Over time, I realized that HR was the perfect fit for me because it combined my interest in management with my passion for helping people reach their full potential at work.
Looking ahead, I am also excited about the possibility of teaching business courses at the college level. With my specialization in management, I feel well-equipped to pass on the knowledge and skills I've learned to the next generation of students. The combination of real-world experience and academic knowledge allows me to offer practical insights and make the material come to life in a way that engages students. It's incredibly fulfilling to think that I can inspire and mentor future leaders in business.
When I first chose to specialize in management, I saw it as a versatile path that would give me a wide range of career options. Management is an essential skill in almost every industry, and the knowledge I gained in areas like organizational behavior, leadership, and strategic planning has been incredibly valuable. These skills are not only important for managing teams or businesses but are also transferable across different sectors. This flexibility made me feel confident that I was setting myself up for a successful career, no matter where I wanted to go.
As I progressed in my career, I found that my management background was especially useful in Human Resources. HR is all about understanding people, managing teams, and helping organizations function smoothly, all of which are key aspects of management. My degree gave me the tools to navigate workplace dynamics, resolve conflicts, and contribute to a company's culture and growth. Over time, I realized that HR was the perfect fit for me because it combined my interest in management with my passion for helping people reach their full potential at work.
Looking ahead, I am also excited about the possibility of teaching business courses at the college level. With my specialization in management, I feel well-equipped to pass on the knowledge and skills I've learned to the next generation of students. The combination of real-world experience and academic knowledge allows me to offer practical insights and make the material come to life in a way that engages students. It's incredibly fulfilling to think that I can inspire and mentor future leaders in business.
Tyler Hooper
Purchase
8
Answers
Detroit, Michigan
Updated
Tyler’s Answer
Hi Tristen,
I have a bachelor's degree in business administration with a minor in marketing. This degree opened up many options for me because every field involves some aspect of business. Initially, I wanted to work only in marketing, but now I am a processor at a mortgage company. These are two different areas, but my degree lets me explore various paths. I suggest choosing a degree that offers many opportunities, so you don't feel restricted in your career choices.
I have a bachelor's degree in business administration with a minor in marketing. This degree opened up many options for me because every field involves some aspect of business. Initially, I wanted to work only in marketing, but now I am a processor at a mortgage company. These are two different areas, but my degree lets me explore various paths. I suggest choosing a degree that offers many opportunities, so you don't feel restricted in your career choices.
Ed O'Neill
R&D, quality, food safety
1
Answer
Lincoln, Nebraska
Updated
Ed’s Answer
This is a tough question, mainly because its hard to project your interests and feelings 20 years into the future when your 18 years old. In my case I lucked into a major that I ended up enjoying and which has the diversity to allow me to change focus over the decades but still stay relevant.
I have both undergraduate and graduate degrees in Food Science. Not a commonly known field, most of my family still hasn't figured out what I do or have done. Food! Everyone knows how to cook, right?
I declared for this major my freshman year, primarily to get a scholarship they offered for new students willing to commit. I took the normal range of classes and looked at different options; a lot of areas held my interest at the time including psychology, teaching, math and chemistry. I took a hard look at myself, what were my strengths and weaknesses, under what conditions did I work best, was I more oriented towards lab/hands on work or supervision/management, etc. I also wanted a career that gave me options should my interests change or should my chosen path become obsolete or difficult to find jobs I liked.
In the end I stayed with Food Science. Food is an area that will not go away, everyone eats and there is a never ending need for professionals in the space. It offered a plethora of options from lab/bench to supervisory/management, operations/product/research/product development/quality control/food safety, etc. It requires a working knowledge of multiple fields including chemistry, biochemistry, biology, microbiology, engineering, management, and operations. I discovered that while I liked lab work, it wasn't something I wanted to do on a long term basis. I wanted to be in a position to guide programs and develop new and improved methodologies. I enjoyed supervision and liked helping people to develop their skills and to help them grow in their careers. I enjoyed writing and presenting in a mode that fostered innovation rather than reporting results of experiments in an academic manner.
During my career I have changed focus numerous times. I started out wanting to do new product development, then I moved into product improvement, margin improvement, operations management, research, quality and food safety. I've had the opportunity to work in a variety of environments from packaged goods, to business to business, to food service. I've worked in factories running the gamut from slaughter, meat fabrication, juices and jellies, popcorn, dairy, candies, extrusion, freeze and conventional drying, frozen, canning, ... Its been an environment where I have never stopped learning, I have continuously needed to upgrade my skills and expertise as I've entered new areas and helped expand existing technologies. I ended up as vice president quality and food safety, and have thoroughly enjoyed my career. At 78 I still consult in the field and have entered yet another technology area as I am working on electron beam processes for pathogen control in finished packaged products and have co-authored two peer reviewed papers in the last three years on high pressure processing of raw pet food.
The bottom line in all of this is simple. You need to understand yourself and your motivations in order to make a good informed decision as to what direction you would like to go. I have a short attention span and like constant new challenges, others like to have one area they are great at and continue working in that area; neither is right or wrong, they simply reflect differences in attitudes and aptitudes.
Do you personal assessment then take advantage of the diverse areas open to you in college and explore them. It will help you figure out what works best for you.
As a closing thought remember two things;
1. The average college student changes their major three times
2. Having a degree in one area doesn't preclude you going into a totally different field. Most of my peers have had degrees in chemistry, biology, microbiology, engineering, biochemistry, or some other STEM field but drifted into food. One of my successful employees has a degree in economics, but is currently a manager in quality and food safety.
I have both undergraduate and graduate degrees in Food Science. Not a commonly known field, most of my family still hasn't figured out what I do or have done. Food! Everyone knows how to cook, right?
I declared for this major my freshman year, primarily to get a scholarship they offered for new students willing to commit. I took the normal range of classes and looked at different options; a lot of areas held my interest at the time including psychology, teaching, math and chemistry. I took a hard look at myself, what were my strengths and weaknesses, under what conditions did I work best, was I more oriented towards lab/hands on work or supervision/management, etc. I also wanted a career that gave me options should my interests change or should my chosen path become obsolete or difficult to find jobs I liked.
In the end I stayed with Food Science. Food is an area that will not go away, everyone eats and there is a never ending need for professionals in the space. It offered a plethora of options from lab/bench to supervisory/management, operations/product/research/product development/quality control/food safety, etc. It requires a working knowledge of multiple fields including chemistry, biochemistry, biology, microbiology, engineering, management, and operations. I discovered that while I liked lab work, it wasn't something I wanted to do on a long term basis. I wanted to be in a position to guide programs and develop new and improved methodologies. I enjoyed supervision and liked helping people to develop their skills and to help them grow in their careers. I enjoyed writing and presenting in a mode that fostered innovation rather than reporting results of experiments in an academic manner.
During my career I have changed focus numerous times. I started out wanting to do new product development, then I moved into product improvement, margin improvement, operations management, research, quality and food safety. I've had the opportunity to work in a variety of environments from packaged goods, to business to business, to food service. I've worked in factories running the gamut from slaughter, meat fabrication, juices and jellies, popcorn, dairy, candies, extrusion, freeze and conventional drying, frozen, canning, ... Its been an environment where I have never stopped learning, I have continuously needed to upgrade my skills and expertise as I've entered new areas and helped expand existing technologies. I ended up as vice president quality and food safety, and have thoroughly enjoyed my career. At 78 I still consult in the field and have entered yet another technology area as I am working on electron beam processes for pathogen control in finished packaged products and have co-authored two peer reviewed papers in the last three years on high pressure processing of raw pet food.
The bottom line in all of this is simple. You need to understand yourself and your motivations in order to make a good informed decision as to what direction you would like to go. I have a short attention span and like constant new challenges, others like to have one area they are great at and continue working in that area; neither is right or wrong, they simply reflect differences in attitudes and aptitudes.
Do you personal assessment then take advantage of the diverse areas open to you in college and explore them. It will help you figure out what works best for you.
As a closing thought remember two things;
1. The average college student changes their major three times
2. Having a degree in one area doesn't preclude you going into a totally different field. Most of my peers have had degrees in chemistry, biology, microbiology, engineering, biochemistry, or some other STEM field but drifted into food. One of my successful employees has a degree in economics, but is currently a manager in quality and food safety.
Rei rharashi@uci.edu
Student Athlete
1
Answer
Updated
Rei’s Answer
Choosing a major that you feel will benefit you in the long run is key, even if it may be a little different from what your academic passion is. I was undeclared going into college and initially was a Sociology major. After looking at post-college career options, I wanted to get into Business Administration, but the transfer rate was very low. I ended up being an Economics major, and although it is more math-intensive than I would've liked, I know that the economic principles are fundamental in my financial literacy, and I try to make the most of the classes I take.