Franciscan University Thread

[ChristinaTherese]

One rule my parents have is that they don't want me to switch majors. So, pretty much, I have to look into them and decide what I want to do before I go into it. Civil engineering seems like the most viable and safe option so far. It wouldn't be as easy for me as theology, but if I want to make $70,000 a year in the field I studied compared to doing what I studied for nothing, I'm going to have to work for it.

May I ask why? It doesn't need to extend your time in college beyond the normal four years, although that could get messy with a double major. (I'll hopefully get 1 major, 1 minor, and close to another minor but there's no way I'm taking a couple more chem classes to finish it and that would extend beyond 4 years in all likelihood, because I'm going abroad for something like six months. I wish I could get a double major, but I don't want to take extra time in school.)

Edited February 8, 2014 by Christina Thérèse

[NotreDame]

Dual major -> CT is probably right.  I've never heard of civvies being a 5 year degree.  It was one of the easier engineering degrees.  Mechanical might be the better way to go instead.  It's getting your PE license is what will ultimately matter. 

 

Engineering -> This is a lot of math, trig, calc.  If when people ask you what you are good at and you don't immediately blurt out "math" then engineering might not be the way to go. Oh, and you will never double-major with engineering.  You will be kept very, very busy.

 

All the other science majors -> I would say lillabet was being over-optimistic for their job prospects.

 

I really liked the accounting idea.  Unlike engineering, you can get by on hard work alone because the math isn't that hard.  It's a good paying job.  It won't go away.  It's employable *anywhere*.

 

Switching majors?  I was going to suggest you go into a JC or liberal arts school without one, take a little of everything, and you'll find out real quick where you fit.  Should you find out what you are good at, definitely major in it.  If you are currently majoring in something else, switch. 

 

Edited February 8, 2014 by NotreDame

[Basilisa Marie]

You won't know for sure if a major is for you until you take the classes.  Maybe your parents' actual concern is that you don't take too long to finish college, switching majors so much that you don't graduate "on time."  Engineering's a good idea. More of my engineering friends have jobs than my bio friends. If I were in your shoes? I'd go into college undeclared, take some classes, and figure out my major before the end of the first semester of sophomore year. 

 

Is that, like, insanely good? On an ACT-esque scale, where might that fall?

 

I'm not sure.  It's very good, I know that much.  What I would recommend doing is take a practice test or so, and get a baseline of where you are, and then study study study. The GRE is great to try to do well on because that's a definitive comparison between you and every other applicant in the country. Even if you're coming out of a not so name-brand program, having a great GRE score shows you're just as good as all of them. 
 

[Basilisa Marie]

People I know who do apologetics for a living get to do it more because of their work experience and their professional connections, building up their own following in the process. If you want to write books, I'm not sure people will take you seriously unless you've got at least an MA behind you (unless, again, you're able to make some good connections or build up a famous blog or whatever).  

[NotreDame]

And don't get toooo focused on career prospects.  One of the best paying professions is sales.  No special degree required.  Just some brains (but not too much), confidence, and hard work.  

 

 

[Slappo]

I really liked the accounting idea.  Unlike engineering, you can get by on hard work alone because the math isn't that hard.

Someone hasn't ever looked into the requirements to be a CPA...

[PhuturePriest]

Dual major -> CT is probably right. I've never heard of civvies being a 5 year degree. It was one of the easier engineering degrees. Mechanical might be the better way to go instead. It's getting your PE license is what will ultimately matter.

Engineering -> This is a lot of math, trig, calc. If when people ask you what you are good at and you don't immediately blurt out "math" then engineering might not be the way to go. Oh, and you will never double-major with engineering. You will be kept very, very busy.

All the other science majors -> I would say lillabet was being over-optimistic for their job prospects.

I really liked the accounting idea. Unlike engineering, you can get by on hard work alone because the math isn't that hard. It's a good paying job. It won't go away. It's employable *anywhere*.

Switching majors? I was going to suggest you go into a JC or liberal arts school without one, take a little of everything, and you'll find out real quick where you fit. Should you find out what you are good at, definitely major in it. If you are currently majoring in something else, switch.

I'm unfortunately not interested and/or good at mechanical engineering. It's a lot more different than civil, plus I've never had any interest in machines and their parts.

I like math, actually. I've never taken calculus, but I do really enjoy and am good at trigonometry.

If I go into civil engineering, I will choose Benedicine over Franciscan because Benedicine has a better engineering program.

And let's just say I would go into mechanical engineering before I would accounting. :P

[Slappo]

And let's just say I would go into mechanical engineering before I would accounting. :P

Accounting is a giant algebraic equation that needs simplified (into financial statements), but needs simplified by following a very specific, yet sometimes grey, set of guidelines (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, A.K.A GAAP).

 

I wonder what your take is regarding what accounting is and what accountants do. It's definitely not all taxes that's for sure. Most people I know that have studied accounting dread the tax law portion because it's so messed up.

[Nihil Obstat]

Accounting is a giant algebraic equation that needs simplified (into financial statements), but needs simplified by following a very specific, yet sometimes grey, set of guidelines (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, A.K.A GAAP).

 

I wonder what your take is regarding what accounting is and what accountants do. It's definitely not all taxes that's for sure. Most people I know that have studied accounting dread the tax law portion because it's so messed up.

Weird 'Muricans. Get on board with IFRS, eh?

[Slappo]

Weird 'Muricans. Get on board with IFRS, eh?

Lol the only difference between FASB and IFRS is that IFRS takes away some of the grey ;-).

 

 

Now if only we could simplify our tax laws...

Edited February 8, 2014 by Slappo

[NotreDame]

Accounting is a giant algebraic equation that needs simplified (into financial statements), but needs simplified by following a very specific, yet sometimes grey, set of guidelines (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, A.K.A GAAP).

 

I wonder what your take is regarding what accounting is and what accountants do. It's definitely not all taxes that's for sure. Most people I know that have studied accounting dread the tax law portion because it's so messed up.

 

I've taken graduate coursework in accounting.  It's not easy, but like you said and I said earlier, there's not the same level of math in accounting as engineering.  Accounting is algebra and arithmetic.  Engineering is about 4-5 years of math beyond that. 
 

[Slappo]

I've taken graduate coursework in accounting. 

Then you'd know that simple hard work won't pay off to advance in the field. Engineering requires understanding complex mathematical equations, professional level accounting requires understanding complex accepted accounting procedures for every facet of a business.

 

You could say the same thing then about engineering. Enough "hard work" and you can memorize and understand the math...

 

 

If accounting is just algebra and arithmetic then there'd be no point to classes specific to accounting since pretty much everyone has to pass college algebra to graduate with any 4 year degree. Instead it's a field that offers a variety of Ph.d's depending on what aspect of the field you want to focus on...

Edited February 8, 2014 by Slappo

[PhuturePriest]

Accounting is a giant algebraic equation that needs simplified (into financial statements), but needs simplified by following a very specific, yet sometimes grey, set of guidelines (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, A.K.A GAAP).

I wonder what your take is regarding what accounting is and what accountants do. It's definitely not all taxes that's for sure. Most people I know that have studied accounting dread the tax law portion because it's so messed up.

What do accountants do other than taxes?

[NotreDame]

Then you'd know that simple hard work won't pay off to advance in the field. Engineering requires understanding complex mathematical equations, professional level accounting requires understanding complex accepted accounting procedures for every facet of a business.

 

You could say the same thing then about engineering. Enough "hard work" and you can memorize and understand the math...

 

 

If accounting is just algebra and arithmetic then there'd be no point to classes specific to accounting since pretty much everyone has to pass college algebra to graduate with any 4 year degree. Instead it's a field that offers a variety of Ph.d's depending on what aspect of the field you want to focus on...

 

I'm saying that you need higher cognitive math ability to complete an engineering degree vs accounting.  If you think you can "memorize" the math involved, well, you can't.  That's where those extra 4-5 years of math come in.
 

[NotreDame]

What do accountants do other than taxes?

 

Audit, bankruptcy.... and most of your internal corporate finance is really accounting.  Also, a general biz undergrad degree from all but the top schools can be a bit wishy-washy, but accounting is accounting and you can take exams to prove you know your stuff.  So I'd never do biz undergrad unless you were at Wharton or a handful of other schools, I'd do accounting instead.