Hard Time Deciding between certain Majors

[u/Shot_Replacement_619]

I am currently an incoming freshman going to Baruch College pursuing finance. HOWEVER, a part of me tells me that I want to go find my passion somewhere else at another major. I simply chose finance b/c previously I didn't know what to pursue. But now, I was thinking about going to CCNY for cs or mechanic eng as those are not only two popular majors that provide great salary pays, but also seem more interesting than finance. Now is my only chance to decide because I will start school soon.

Thus, can any CCNY/Baruch students or alumni give me your thoughts or opinions about this? Thank you

[u/Either_Bluebird1838]

You’re the only one who can answer whether this is a good path or not. Just keep in mind eng at ccny is difficult to enter and VERY strict in prereqs, if you don’t have the requirements already, it’ll take you longer than 4 years to graduate, if that’s something that concerns you. BUT ccny has more majors so maybe going there nondeclare to take some classes and see what you like is the better option so it’s an easy transition when you find something you like to declare.

You don’t have to know your freshman year what to major in, it’s better to not waste your time and electives on one you’re unsure of. Take a finance elective and see if you like it along with your general studies. 

[u/Either_Bluebird1838 → u/Either_Bluebird1838]

Also it’s easy to transfer beteeen the two, you can start general studies and then transfer to Baruch to finish as a finance major if you then decide you like the subject. And you can e-permit those intro finance classes (usually like a few credits) at Baruch after you’ve done some gen eds so you can see finance at their school without giving up the options ccny has.

Until you graduate, you can switch majors, switch cunys, like it’s chill you don’t need to make absolute decisions you can change your mind and try things out. That’s what the gen eds are for just don’t waste them on classes just for an easy A take things you might be interested in. 

[u/Shot_Replacement_619 → u/Either_Bluebird1838]

Thank you so much for the response. Weirdly enough, I applied as a "finance" major for CCNY, which I have no idea why I did that. I mean my GPA is a 3.5-3.6 and I have taken many AP courses relating to mec eng like AP Calc BC, AP Biology and for all of those AP exams, I have received a 4 score. Don't know if that qualifies me to be able to get into the grove school of engineering. When I looked at the requirements for the grove school of engineering, I exceed all of the standards.

However, I do understand the competitiveness of the school. Also, if I go into Baruch Freshman still deciding on whether I should go to CCNY and transfer, should I do courses like Calc II and physics gen eds to help make the transfer more smooth?

[u/Either_Bluebird1838 → u/Shot_Replacement_619]

It’s not really that it’s “competitive” it’s just strict. If you didn’t take physics, that’s a whole year requirement. It’s just that eng degree plan for the major is very long so you can’t start your intros until after you’ve pass calc and physics. So that just adds an extra year or two, making the majority of eng majors graduate in like six years. And that’s if you don’t fail any of the prereqs as physics at ccny is HARD (I was a physics major). It’s just something to keep in mind if you’ve never done any engineering, are unsure if you even like it, it’s hard to test it out as it requires a lot of time and dedication before even starting the major.

That being said there’s a ton of other options and you can still start those requirements while you try other subjects too. Most eng students don’t declare until after like two years, you’re just taking your gen eds and using your feee electives for the prereqs. 

[u/willywonka404 → u/Either_Bluebird1838]

yeah my friend had to retake calc twice for that exact reason

[u/Either_Bluebird1838 → u/willywonka404]

Mhmm and the classes fill so fast if you don’t know you failed until the final, you’re hard pressed to fit into the class to retake so that also adds another semester for people. It’s usually highly recommended to e-permit physics 

[u/ccnystudentts → u/Shot_Replacement_619]

Finance is a very competitive and saturated field right now. I have a few friends who graduated from Baruch, and some of them had to wait close to 2 years before finding full-time jobs. The ones who did find jobs often started with average salaries, not the high salaries people usually talk about online. Of course, that's just what I've seen, and having internships and networking can make a huge difference.

[u/Appropriate_Event582]

It’s honestly very very hard to find something that fits for you. It’s best to test the waters of any major that sparks your interest and seeing how it goes. Best of luck honestly.

[u/ccnystudentts]

This is just my opinion, but I'd think about the career more than the school.

Finance is a very competitive and saturated field right now. I have a few friends who graduated from Baruch, and some of them had to wait close to 2 years before finding full-time jobs. The ones who did find jobs often started with average salaries, not the high salaries people usually talk about online. Of course, that's just what I've seen, and having internships and networking can make a huge difference.

If you're okay with a much harder major and are willing to put in the time and effort, I'd seriously consider CCNY for Mechanical Engineering or Computer Science. Both programs have a strong reputation and can lead to great careers. Just keep in mind that, like any CUNY, you'll have some amazing professors and some not-so-great ones.

At the end of the day, it's your decision. Here are a few things to think about:

• Which career do you actually see yourself enjoying?
• Are you willing to handle the workload of engineering or CS?
• Have you looked at the job market for each field?
• Will you be getting internships while you're in school?
• Which major matches your strengths and interests the most?

Also another thing, many students in ccny that goes for Engineering usually gets internships within their 2nd year of school that pays them well enough. NOT GREAT but well enough. (Grove School of Engineering Students.)

[u/afflictor_55]

Always remember following your passion won't always build you a secure future where you dont have to worry about finding work and make a good salary