Dilemma Time for Dogbert

[Dogbert 0]

Okay, some background: I'm in my first year of studies at the University of Ottawa, working towards a bachelor's degree in political science. I've also got a $5000/year scholarship that I'm pretty much resigned to losing, thanks to some bell-curving shenanigans pulled by one of my first-semester profs.

 

Here's the thing: I've been doing some soul-searching over the last few months, and I've figured out that political science is not what I want to do with the rest of my life. I'm really not passionate at all about what my profs are teaching me, to the point that I can hardly force myself to do the work they assign; I feel like I've wasted six months of my life on this stuff, and I don't want to throw away any more of it; furthermore, I've found a career path that really interests and stimulates me, and I think I'd enjoy this new idea a lot more than what I'm in. On the other hand, I've never been one to give up on something, and I feel like I'd be letting everyone down if I didn't keep learning this garbage.

 

Should I give up on political science and pursue the path that I want to take, or remain in Ottawa and stay the course?

 

EDIT: Sorry, Matt. I hadn't noticed that I didn't specify what I wanted to do. I want to go into broadcast-journalism; the advantage of that is that Ryerson in Toronto specializes in that field, and my family is moving there from Calgary in the summer.

[Matt Young 0]

What is the path you want to take?

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

Look at it this way. Would you rather "waste" six months now or finish your current degree path and then realize it was all for naught?

 

You only spent one semester working toward your poli-sci degree, can't you transfer over whatever credits you have earned toward another degree path?

[Detox 0]

You need to always follow your heart, if you have watched to much CSI and you want to take Criminal Justice go for it. I am close to my A+ Certification and I really enjoy computers.

[Boon 0]

Look at it this way. Would you rather "waste" six months now or finish your current degree path and then realize it was all for naught?

That's how the expression goes? I always thought it was "all for not." Damn.

 

Oh- uh.

 

I'm majoring in Poly Sci and minoring in Journalism. Do both, like me. Being like me = good thing.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

I dunno. That's how I use it.

 

Another point to make is that what would you be interested in doing regarding Broadcast Journalism?

[CanadianChick 0]

I'm in the same situation, except with business. I hate it. It's boring as hell, and if something doesn't interest me, I tend to not try as hard, as I'm sure that's the case with most people. I'll probably just switch over to Kineseology (wow, I'm pretty sure I spelt that wrong). Any other ideas for someone who enjoys fitness alot?

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

What would you do in regards to "physical fitness"? Sports training/rehab/etc.?

[CanadianChick 0]

I was thinking fitness training, since I spend a lot of time in the gym as it is...

 

Physio is an option too. I'm not too sure at this point. I just know that business is not for me. I can't imagine myself doing a big desk job like that.

[Dogbert 0]

I dunno. That's how I use it.

 

Another point to make is that what would you be interested in doing regarding Broadcast Journalism?

 

My dream is to do PBP for a professional team, preferably hockey.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

Everybody's situation is different, but if memory servers you're only in your first year. This is the best time to check out what else is out there.

 

When I graduated high school, I went to a community college for two years. During that time I took a bunch of electives and decided what I was interested in. I always knew I'd fall in the English field, considering I hated math when the equations had more letters than numbers in them, and science was even worse (my highlight here was setting my one lab project on fire, burning a hole through my notebook).

 

Why did you want to go into business in the first place? And Dogbert, why did you want to major in poli-sci?

 

EDIT: What is "Physio"?

[Dogbert 0]

There was a lot of pressure from peers and family members to go into university right away. I was in advanced HS classes, and I guess I wanted to keep up with the Joneses. Besides, politics were something I was good at and knew about, and I thought that meant I'd like it.

 

It was a dumb reason to make that decision, and I guess it's costing me now (which is why I'm leaning towards taking next year off to earn the money my family spent on this year back).

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

My dream is to do PBP for a professional team, preferably hockey.

 

Good luck. Just about every sports fan dreams of being a PBP broadcaster at one point in their life (for me it was during my 11th-12th grade of high school). Are you interested in any other areas of the field or just that?

[Hawk 34 0]

I'm kind of in the same situation, I spent a year with no real direction and I got by in my classes fairly well. I haven't declared an major just yet, because I wanted to sample something from all angles (business, english, psychology etc, etc). Now, it's been a full year and I am in the same spot i was a year ago... clueless about where I want to go.

 

Essentially, I wasted alot of money on an 'education' that I got already in HS.

 

I took a year off after high school, to work and get a 'feel for the real world", which was just a BS excuse to not say "I have no clue if I want to go to college".

 

College, hasn't proven itself to be worth the trouble. I'm already behind where I'm supposed to be as a student, already collecting a debt that'll take years to wipe away and to make matters worse, I'm not actually doing anything with it.

 

Everyone that I ask, all tell me to do something different. Some say I am a good story-teller and that I should pursue a future with that. Others say, I am a good organizer and do something with office management. A few tell me that I am good at giving advice (Which I don't believe) and that I should be a counsler.

 

Problem is? I dont want any of those things, I know it's cliche to "not know what you want" at this stage but it's agonizing because you feel like, if you don't make a move now...you'll never get anything out of this life.

 

A part of me, already is willing to accept that I won't be anything meaningful. I will work a 9-5 office job, settle for some girl and grind out a couple kids. Load up a mountain of debt, make ends meet and live an standard average life. Put my kids into college, drawing more debt, they'll give me a couple grandkids for me to play with in my older years and I'll finally retire from that shitty job, with nothing more then a crummy "retirement party" and a handshake from whatever hotshot kid is running the company. Then, I'll die.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

The problem with going to college is that you will learn a bunch of unnecessary garbage. However, in many industries if you don't get that sheet of paper (diploma) you won't be considered for employment.

 

In my field I find it hilarious that many of the old-timers in my industry (Journalism and Communications, with a concentration in Print) got their gigs while in high school with no formal education. Now it's imperative for any aspiring person in this field to have a degree and a buttload of clips.

 

If you are a year or two into your college experience and are still unsure of where you want to go with your major, this might make you feel better. My half-brother went to a college in Florida in 1987 to become a pilot. He has since changed his major more times than I can remember (I think he finally got something in the field of biology). He then went to medical school and became a pediatrician last year.

 

Don’t hesitate to ask us old folk questions like the ones posed in this thread; that’s what we’re here for – and we won’t even bitch about how much more expensive things are now as opposed to the cost of living back when we were young with hopes and dreams.

[Dogbert 0]

My dream is to do PBP for a professional team, preferably hockey.

 

Good luck. Just about every sports fan dreams of being a PBP broadcaster at one point in their life (for me it was during my 11th-12th grade of high school). Are you interested in any other areas of the field or just that?

 

Sure. The PBP thing is the ultimate goal, but anything in that line of work would be excellent.

[ZGangsta 0]

Ryerson kicks ass from what I hear. I have a couple friends in Broadcast Journalism there who love it.

And for God's sake don't stress about 'wasting' 6 months of school. 6 months is nothing, especially if you came right out of high school. Don't let the people around make you feel like you're failing or something because if you're only 6 months into university (and right outta HS) and you already realize you don't like what you're doing, you're so fucking ahead of the game.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

You'll probably hear this a million times, but broadcasting is a tough field to crack into -- I never got into the TV/Radio aspect of this industry because you have no chance to discuss a story at length; with print you have a better chance to tell a story. From my brief experiences with television broadcasting, there's a TON of prepwork before the cameras start rolling.

[iggymcfly 0]

Dogbert, transfer into Communications now. If you're feeling this way about Poli-Sci this early, there's no way you'll make it through four years. Also, this early in your schooling, most of your credits will transfer anyway. If you hustle up and work hard from here on out, you could actually still graduate on time even with a change in majors.