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Which major / career path should I aim for?
04-06-2014, 05:59 PM
Post: #1
Which major / career path should I aim for?
I was thinking of applying to U of T, majoring in mathematics and minoring in arts if possible.
I don't really know what direction I want to take, but my strong areas are math and art and I also wanted to keep my options open, so that's why I thought a math major would be a good choice. I don't really have a good idea of what kind of job I want, but I know that I'd prefer not to work with a large company. Ultimately, I'd rater avoid office jobs because in my point of view, they're really stressful and I'd have to worry about mass layoffs (talking about larger companies). I'd also like to have a job where group projects aren't a huge part of the work. A moderately laid back setting would also be nice (e.g. flexible work hours, maybe the possibility to work from home, the ability to just do/send my work digitally since it would be nice to have the ability to pay somewhat frequent/extended visits to friends and family abroad). Another huge factor is that I'd prefer not to have a job that is notorious for being outsourced.

I'm a logical thinker so I really like the maths and sciences, but I'm also very attached to drawing and painting. In the ideal environment, I'd like to become a concept artist / freelance illustrator. However, I didn't really want to completely leave the maths and sciences to pursue that, because my passion for both of them is more or less equal, and the arts are significantly riskier in terms of employment rates and salaries. I don't mean to disrespect art majors with this, but I believe that for illustration, the portfolio matters more than a university degree, especially if I just plan to freelance. That's pretty much my reasoning for deciding to pursue a maths/science major while still keeping art as a hobby at least and see where it goes. I've also thought about wanting to become a professor, since I am probably going to pursue a phD, the work itself sounds very appealing, and having the summer off would be pretty awesome. I know that I'm getting ahead of myself though, because it must be really hard to get the job and I'd also have to pick a major where I'd have other attractive options if I fail to become one.

I've talked to my school counselor and some teachers, and they've suggested architecture/engineering/med to me. I get really queasy at the sight of blood and I'm just not too excited by the prospect of being a doctor, in addition to the fact that med school would be really hard to get into and I'd want to have a fallback option. I'm also not too thrilled by architecture because:
i) I've heard various horror stories about studio hours from friends who've majored in that
ii) I don't really care for buildings and designs in art. I'm more intrigued by characters / scenery and just fantasy elements in general, which is why I thought that a concept artist would be a pretty cool job.
I'm not too sure if I'd like engineering, but I was under the impression that it's a very popular major and I'd rather avoid something too specific with a very competitive job market. I have a huge passion for math contests - I like doing the problems that fall into that category.

As for my personality, I'm usually a pretty quiet and shy introvert, and I'm kind of awkward in social situations, which is why I'd prefer mostly independent work environments. I'm also a wimp - I have a lingering fear of flames and although I can handle it, I still become a little bit uneasy around bunsen burners. I'd be the type to worry about accidents involving chemicals if my job had something to do with constantly handling highly reactive chemicals in large quantities or some kind of field work. I have quite a bit of tutoring experience, because that's mainly what I've been doing as volunteer work. I find that it feels nice to be able to help people learn / solve tough problems, but I really don't get along with younger kids because there's a lack of respect / willingness to learn. Mainly, I find that explaining concepts/problems/theories is nice but I don't have the faintest idea where to begin when it comes to keeping children/younger teenagers in check. I also find it really frustrating to try and help people who have absolutely no desire to improve their understanding of the subject, and just mess around on their cell phones.

My parents want me to try applying to universities in the USA. I have no objections to that but I only think that there's a point in going if I'm offered a scholarship, which I don't think is extremely likely. I've been to the USA a few times, and I think I just prefer Canada more as a location. Also, my marks are mostly around the mid-90s.

Any advice on majors/minors/jobs/career paths/life direction would be appreciated.

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04-06-2014, 06:14 PM
Post: #2
 
Engineering is the way to go. You get to study all kinds of math and science. You get to be creative with your designs. Even if it is a competitive job market there are a lot of engineering jobs. There won't be a lot of opportunity to make a living as a concept artist / freelance illustrator as many of my friends have found out. I know you are young and probably say "I dont care about being rich" but it is nice to be able to pay bills stress free. Not having to wait on pay the next pay check.

Just because you're not making 100% of your living off of art doesn't mean you can't still pursue it. I have several friends who are engineers/programmers who play music/draw/write as a hobby. One of my friends is in IT and plays a gig with his band almost every weekend.Use your day job to fund your creative side. And like I said their is a creative aspect to engineering.

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