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 Expert
Posts: 1304
 
| Let me start off by saying I'm a sophomore going into my junior year of college and I'm having a hard time with picking my major. I thought my WHOLE life (from 4 years old to 18 years old.lol) that I wanted to be a vet and started school out with that but realized after shadowing and starting the classes the first semester that I liked the sound of being "a Vet" more than I liked it so I decided that I still wanted to be involved in agriculture, as I have my whole life, but that a Business/Marketing degree would be more for me because I didn't know what I wanted to do and may want to follow in my mom's footsteps with a dress boutique or do something else. Just not too sure. Well I'm one more class until I can be admitted into the business program but my heart is telling me Agribusiness (which I wanted to do after the vet thing fell through and before I wanted to do business) as that really really interests me, but my mind is telling me Marketing...honestly because I'm afraid I won't make as much money. I'm not all about money but stability is a big thing to me and I just want to live comfortably and not like I'm struggling or living paycheck to paycheck. It's ultimately my decision in the end but I need some input! I could minor too but that would take me longer to do and I'm not sure if I'd even want to do that. It's kinda either one or the other to me at this point. And I HATE having no plan, it's been driving me nuts not knowing what I want to do and I know it's normal for many college students but it's driving me crazy. Someone help. Lol  |
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Expert
Posts: 3147
 
| The worst choice you can make is based on money-choose something you enjoy that will provide a living. Making less money in a job you care for is so much better than making more money in a job you dislike. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 836
Location: Southern Pennsylvania | Whatever you choose: make sure that you shadow someone in that field. I originally wanted to be a Physical therapist. However, I realized that I like what the assistant does better (more patient interaction and less paperwork). I love my (PTA) classes. They are something that I am passionate about. I really do enjoy learning and studying. So far everything has been "easy". Not because it is easy, but because I enjoy it. I expect my work experience to be the same. There will be bad days, but I will always love it and strive to be better. A good comparison is how I feel about my hobbies. Mucking stalls and paying a fortune for horses is outweighed by the joy recieved from owning them, usually lol....Also, the video released by Sherry Cervi reminded me of what I love.
"If you say that money is the most important thing, you’ll spend your life completely wasting your time: You’ll be doing things you don’t like doing in order to go on living, that is, in order to go on doing things you don’t like doing — which is stupid!"
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oBV_CJ6jc-s |
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Duct Tape Bikini Girl
Posts: 2554
| Don't waste your money majoring in education. The only thing important to many states now is passing the state test. You can't teach the child anymore, just the test. Insurance and other benefits were hard to beat 20 years ago, but they are going down the drain. |
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 Regular
Posts: 54
Location: Valley City,ND | I looked into veterinarian, decided on pharmacy. Always in demand, whether retail, hospital, long term care or research. Currently I'm a pharmacist specializing in equine veterinary compounding, with a patent n commercial license on an omeprazole suspension I came up with while working retail and long term care. Great career with money for our hobbies n good hours. You can be the communicator between equine vet n horse owner! |
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 Am I really the Weirdo?
Posts: 11181
Location: Kansas | Don't major in communications unless you want to be poor or live in a big city LOL. I have a masters in communication and am looking at a Transition 2 Teaching program so I can teach English/reading/language arts at the high school or middle school level.
If you are on the fence about Agribusiness or marketing, major in one and minor in the other. Marketing seems like a good thing to have some training in because every business on the planet needs someone to help market it. I would suggest taking any social media marketing classes you can because that's one of the hot new things. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 696
Location: Sunny California | I wouldn't pinhole myself into Agribusiness. You can always go into Agribusiness with a business degree, so take electives in agribusiness and get your major in business. I've always said make sure you do a job you like that brings in enough money to afford your horse hobbies. I know people say that money doesn't matter, but to a certain extent it does. For most people in the end I think it always just turns into a "job". There are some people like my inlaws who have never retired and have lived for their careers because they love it, but I think that is the exception. I could be wrong, but that's how I see it. |
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 Buttered Noodles Snacker
Posts: 4377
Location: NC | My advice. Go with some high in demand that wil allow u to afford the things u want. I wish this is what I would have done instead of going with what I was interested in..... |
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Expert
Posts: 1304
| Thank you for all of the advice everyone! My dilemma with majoring and minoring is that I almost feel like it's one or the other for me. I can see my self doing agribusiness and minoring in some kind of business but now I'm not so sure I can see myself majoring in marketing and minoring in agribusiness. I just feel torn. I have so many ideas with what I'd like to do so that doesn't make it any easier! Lol. I'd possibly like to help my mom with her boutique because she plans on expanding to cities nearby, I wouldn't mind being a beautician, I would like to have my own business that has to do with agriculture or maybe a welding fab shop or heavy equipment business, I can see myself actually going into a trade when I'm done and getting training for a heavy equipment operator, or even doing something that's a desk job but interesting like insurance, etc or just I'm not sure! I like a lot of things! The right opportunity will come when I get closer to getting my degree but for right now, I really need to pick my major. Ultimately, what I would love to do would be a DNR officer or an Ag extension agent but I'm not gonna waste all this money in a degree and the pay not be there ya know? Ugh! Decisions decisions...-____- |
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Hungarian Midget Woman
Location: Midwest | major in business, not marketing.
I know way too many who cannot get a job with marketing degrees.... just sayin. |
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 Expert
Posts: 2457
| If you weigh your pros and cons ... a few things stick out, or at least they did for me and my career path.
1) Choose your major to be broad enough that it will transition between fields easily - like Business.
2) Choose your minor in something you enjoy that goes with the major - like ag marketing, ag business, ag communications, etc.
3) Choose something you enjoy - nothing is harder than MAKING yourself get up and go to work daily with something you hate.
Lastly - this is advice I received that has proven time over time - get a job during college that reflects what you are interested in and going to eventually apply your degree. So, if you love agri-business and marketing, intern with a grain company, or an ag magazine, or an ag-marketing department of an advertising agency. Internships (paid and unpaid both) are what landed me a full ride to grad school, helped determine what I LOVED, and definitely showed me what I didn't care for.
Good LUCK and way to be proactive in what and where you are going!!  |
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Expert
Posts: 1304
| Thanks everyone! I worked for Tractor Supply for awhile and plan on working there or at our Ag farm, or somewhere else close when I start school again in the fall, and then getting an internship next summer! I make pros and cons lists too. Lol |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 927
Location: Iowa | I would look at "where do you want to live?" "Do I want to work weekends?" "What is the pay for the area I want to live in?" "Is the market flooded?" I would do business. Or medical field. |
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 The Vaccinator
Posts: 3810
Location: Slipping down the slope of old age. Boo hoo. | What about Accounting with a minor in Agri Business? There is growing demand for Accountants and if your are interested in AgriBusiness you could go that direction and the Accounting degree could open the door. Once "in" you begin learning the business and can establish you are looking for a career within in the company and get on the path..... And perhaps could begin work on an MBA on-line in your spare time. If you are interested in "moving up", understanding "the numbers" and "the business" will set you up for a bright future. |
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Expert
Posts: 1304
| Thank you everyone!! I'd do accounting but I really hate it and can barely get through the first Accounting class needed, which I'm taking for a second time now. Lol. I look at Monster.com every now and then to see what kind of jobs are available in the area I'd like to live in. There are many business related jobs in my area ( I live near our state's capital) but with it being in the country, there's a ton of agricultural businesses and equipment businesses and all that too. I'd possibly like to work for the USDA so I'm going to talk to someone I know who works for them too. SO many options!! But thanks for all the advice everyone  |
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 Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
Location: Phoenix | I must agree with Accounting. I see slot of opportunities for those with accounting degrees. And I suck at accounting!!
Im practically in your same boat....have no idea what I even LIKE doing....ugh. |
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Sideways Riding Expert
Posts: 11371
Location: ND--it snows, it floods, it snows, it floods | As someone in the Ag sector there is a shortage of capable Ag Sales individuals. Right now to get kids out of college are starting out at $55K, company vehicle, cell phone, benefits, plus bonus going into Agronomy sales. I am constantly looking for capable sales staff. I can teach someone the agronomy side, it's the sales side that you can not teach in my mind. |
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Expert
Posts: 1304
| Yea, accounting is not my thing as much as I'd like it to be! And I'm going to PM you DOCSCHIC! |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1119
| I did things backwards, but I have ended up with my dream job. I got a degree in Agriculture 7 years ago and then spent the first 6 years out of school doing jobs I hated. I got very interested in finance/accounting a few years ago and started taking classes at the community college in those fields. I know work for a large farm as a "Financial Specialist" and the owner says he has plans for me to become CFO one day. He says that I stood out because I had that balance of Agriculture and Business. Being in the job, I can tell you that the business classes, as well as all the things I taught myself about business by reading/listening as much as I could have been much more helpful than my ag degree.
I love ag and always wanted it to be part of my career, but I probably could have saved myself a lot of money and time spent in crappy jobs if I would have majored in a business field and minored in ag! |
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 Owner of a ratting catting machine
Posts: 2258
| Honestly, money rules this world. I don't know about you, but I can't do what I love without money. Horses, trailers, trucks, comfortable homes, no holds barred vet visits, $100 shoeing jobs, nice quality tack, yata yata yata ALL cost an unrealistic amount of change.
My job takes me out of my comfort zone, throws me into areas I knew I'd never even visit, much less live, makes me deal with some people that I can't stand, and is one of the wildest rides you could ever be on. I'm in for the ride of my life chasing that check, so that I can chase that almighty barrel. Sometimes I'm just so freaking unhappy I sit down and cry. But then, I pick myself up, go to freakin' work, and then go home and ride my fantastic barrel horses that I could NEVER afford with a lesser job. They are my ultimate reset button. I do like and enjoy my job, but I don't love it. It's stressful, I never get to go home, and it has incredibly demanding hours. BUT, it challenges me daily. I get so bored without a challenge. I would die if I got caged up in an office doing the same thing over and over again.
In the long run, I'm lucky to be on this crazy adventure. You don't get any stories sitting safe at the house or in an office 3 miles from home.
I say go find something that you're good at, that they will PAY you for. Hours of our life are so very precious. If you have to live them away from your family and your horses and your friends so that you can provide a decent living, make them PAY you. Often, they will only pay you if you have the education, the personality, and the swagger to make it happen. Arm yourself as well as you can, and never ever ever stop pushing yourself to make yourself better.
I was lucky to grab a major in college that I enjoyed. I didn't love the major, but I liked and enjoyed it. It continues to pay off. I advise a major that has a million options for employment, not just locked down into one little income venue. I graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Rangeland Ecology and Watershed Management, with a minor in Reclamation. Dirt. Water. Plants. All pretty common sense stuff.
I can reclamate anything from strip mining to pipelines, road ditches to drainage systems. I'm qualified to plant huge prescribed burn areas, and any kind of construction project you want. I'm qualified to work for the private sector or the government sector. I can figure out grazing allotments, grazing rotation, and animal nutrition. It really has a ton of different little things I can do with it. I can do stormwater on a Federal, State, County level. I can identify any kind of plant you want and tell you what it's good for. I can stabilize huge hillsides to avoid mudslides.
Again, I didn't love the major, but I sure do love all the doors it's opened up for me! Find something you can have a complete understanding of and thrive at, and chase that dollar. That dollar opens doors. If new and better doors are your thing, go for it! If you like your comfy old door and are comfy not pushing boundaries, set yourself up for that. Do what your heart tells you. It's better to allow yourself as many options as possible, so you can choose the best one, and not have to sit around limited by life wishing you had picked a bigger major that you loved less. Just my thoughts.
I'm so glad you're finishing school! It's so important! |
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