The WTF are u doing with your life thread

[Gauntlet]

I'm currently attending a school with the #3 BBA program in the nation. I'm a first-year BBA student (sophomore, as it's a 3-year program), and the school is extremely competitive.

I've found that being a BBA student requires drastically more social interaction than most other majors. In fact, for the most part, it's not just advantageous, but almost necessary if I hope to be competitive in relation to my peers. Most of my classmates are highly social and are the kids on Facebook you see with 2,000 friends, the ones that hit up all the parties, and the ones who seem to know everybody they run into.

I'm not super-social, though. I'm not socially awkward by any means, but if I had to pick between being on my own and doing my own thing versus going to a college party, I'd pick being on my own hands down. Sounds lame, but I guess I'm just an introverted person by nature.

As such, I think it's easy to understand how I'm not entirely meshing with my major. The entire reason why I selected to come to this school was because of the excellent BBA program, though, so switching majors is out. And while I'm not nearly as social as my classmates, I'm a hell of a lot smarter than the vast majority of them. I'm breezing through my core classes while my peers are struggling to even grasp the basic concepts. These kids aren't rocket scientists. They're the students that hope to manage the rocket scientists in the future, but when it comes to intelligence, they're not anywhere near as smart as the engineering or science students.

The thing is, I don't think simply being good in the classroom is good enough. From what I've seen, read, and heard, networking and connecting with others is paramount to the success of any BBA student. And that's just not something I'm good at, or even something I want to be good at.

So confused on where to go and what to do. For now, I'm just trying my best to do well in my classes and to keep my grades up. I'm participating in a business competition that 17 other top-tier schools are competing in (Notre Dame, Northwestern, Emory, etc.), and I'm hoping to bring back first prize out of everyone participating. I feel like that would be a nice feather in my cap and make me look a little better.

[gettoasty]

sounds like you would enjoy accounting

[TTM]

turn the odds around and be the only none socially retarded engineer at your school

[shufon]

^I second that.

[Gauntlet]

Not at all. I'm making an A+ in my financial accounting class currently, but the subject matter is dry and boring to me personally. I think that out of all the concentrations that I could pursue in my BBA program, I'd most like to go into the financial sector. Working on Wall Street sounds pretty great, and the possibility there is virtually limitless if you know what you're doing and have a little luck on your side.

My parents are successful entrepreneurs in the textile industry that make big bucks, which is how I got started down the entire business path in the first place. My family would disown me if I told them I wanted to be an accountant.

Business really is something that interests me a great deal. Being social just isn't my strong suit. Like I mentioned earlier, I'm really not a socially awkward guy by any means -- I know that for a fact. I just really dislike having to make all the asinine small talk that I see my classmates making with one another. It doesn't interest me very much. Parties don't interest me very much. I want to claw my way to the top of the business world, and I know that I'll have to make connections to do it, but it's just something that I'm not very good at is all.

[bryanayrb]

我目前就讀一所學校，在全國＃3 BBA課程。我第一年的工商管理的學生（大二的學生，因為它是一個 3年計劃），和學校的競爭十分激烈。

我發現，被工商管理的學生需要大幅更比其他大多數專業的社會互動。事實上，它在大多數情況下，不只是有利的，但幾乎是必要的，如果我希望在我的同齡人競爭。我的同學大多是高度社會化和2000的朋友，擊中了所有各方的，和那些似乎知道他們遇到的每一個人都看到Facebook上的孩子。

我不是超社會，雖然。我不會以任何方式社會尷尬，但如果我必須選擇我自己，做我自己的事情，與大學黨之間，我會挑上我自己的手正在下降。聽起來跛，但我想我只是一個內向的人的性質。

因此，我認為這是很容易理解如何我並不完全與我的主要嚙合。整個我之所以選擇來這所學校是因為優秀 BBA課程，​​不過，所以轉換專業。雖然我不為我的同學幾乎一樣的社會，我比他們中的絕大多數聰明很多地獄。我通過我的核心類微風，而我的同齡人都在努力，甚至掌握的基本概念。這些孩子是不是火箭科學家。他們希望學生管理在未來的火箭科學家，但是當談到情報顯示，他們不是工程或科學專業的學生的智能附近的任何地方。

事情是，我不認為只是在課堂上的良​​好是不夠好。從我所看到的的，閱讀，聽說，網絡和與他人連接任何BBA學生的成功是至關重要的。而這只是不是我擅長的東西，甚至我想要善於。

所以去哪裡和做什麼的困惑。現在，我只是盡我所能做好我的班，並保持我的成績。我參加了一個商業競爭，其他17個頂級學校（巴黎聖母院，西北大學，埃默里等）的競爭，我希望帶回人人參與一等獎。我覺得這樣會在我的第一個漂亮的羽毛，讓我看看好一點。

help???

just kidding though... but what the heck do you wanna do in business without networking?

[shufon]

Gauntlet, I have a BBA in Investment Finance.. if you want to go work on Wall St, get an undergrad degree in CS, Applied Math, Operations Research, Physics, or a double major in 2 of those. CS + Applied Math from a top school is pretty killer to get into a trading/quant role right out of undergrad.

Plus, I've said this previously in this thread, but majoring in one of those will open a multitude of other opportunities in case you don't want to be in finance by the time you graduate.

[Gauntlet]

I was actually considering getting a dual degree (BBA and BS) and majoring in Computer Science for my second degree. I really like computers and technology. I'm not too great at math, but it's something that I'm willing to work at. My strongest suit by far is reading, learning, and spitting information back out. But I honestly do feel like I'm intelligent enough to do well in almost any field as long as I apply myself to it.

A question I've asked myself, though, and the thing that's stopping me from pursuing a dual degree in Computer Science, is how CS ties into my BBA at all. They seem like two completely independent fields, unless I want to do something in business information technology. Additionally, I wonder if the trade-off in time that it takes to pursue a dual-degree is worth it. I would have to stay a summer to study to pull it off if I wanted to graduate in the standard four years, and would have to forgo an internship opportunity by doing so.

But then again, as a sophomore, first-year BBA, I don't know much.

[gettoasty]

i am going to tell you right now, if you are relying solely on your smarts in business, you will not get very far.

the industry in general requires a lot of interaction. start socializing now or get disowned by parents.

re:

you sound like me back in undergrad. listen to shufon, he knows what's up.

take the harder quantitative courses and forget the BBA altogether if you want to get into finance.

finance degree ≠ finance career same as law degree ≠ law career (speaking in terms of undergrad)

hey shufon, how do i get an investor to trade in all their assets from company a to company b??

i need help with portfolio analysis :fu:

[shufon]

Investment finance is becoming completely CS based nowadays Gauntlet. If you double majored in CS/BBA (finance?), you would have the financial acumen to apply your CS skills (your actual applicable skills) at a financial firm, which = $$$ right now.

That being said, most of the banks/trading firms/hedge funds/etc don't give a shit how much you know about corporate finance, financial theory, etc. They just want you to have the math, programming, and problem solving skills to build algos and trade with them.

[boy better know]

[Gauntlet]

Thanks for the advice, shufon. I'm not 100% on pursuing finance yet, which is also a problem. But I'm figuring it out. I have a friend who's doing a dual degree in business and applied statistics. Sounds like an interesting field, and one that would be helpful in finance as well.

How much math is involved in computer science anyway? Like I mentioned earlier, I'm not the best at math, but I know I can do well in it if I apply myself. Math has been a bad cycle for me every since elementary school. I never really paid attention in math class starting in first grade, and progressively fell more and more behind after every subsequent year. My girlfriend is a chemical engineer major and tells me that CS majors need more math than they do.

Finance sounds interesting. It sounds exciting. And honestly, it sounds like I can make a fuck ton of money. But I definitely need to start getting on the right track in terms of my education if I want to make it happen.

Also, that track posted above is eluding me right now. I'm not in an Ivy League, but like I mentioned, my school is consistently in the top 1-5 BBA programs in the nation. Does that even count for anything?

[ohsnap]

^ yo, i feel you, gauntlet

i work in fashunz now but i'm still hanging onto this finance major because i'm probably ultimately going to pick $$$ over happiness.

i just need to lock something down for the summer and i'll be good, honestly.

[shufon]

Your friend has a good thing going. Statistics is very desirable nowadays, especially applied stats, and you can get some very interesting jobs with those skills.

As far as the math involved in a CS degree goes, I don't know the specifics as I don't have a degree in CS. I think the bare minimum you should take for any quantitative job though is calc 1, calc 2, linear algebra, and probability.. personally though, I think it's good to tack on multivariate calc and diff eq if you're ambitious. That is a well rounded suite of math courses that will let you do most anything you need.

Lastly, when you look at finance, don't just think "omgz I can make so much money" like so many young kids do. There are a lot of people in finance who don't make tons of money, and from my experience the amount of money people make in finance (or anything actually) is proportional to how much they work/how much effort they put in.

And yeah, despite what some people may tell you, pedigree matters.

[Gauntlet]

shufon, would you definitely recommend looking into pursuing a dual degree, then? You think the trade-off is worth it (sacrificing a summer internship to study more)? The alternative is staying in college for another half-semester and graduating in 4.5 years.

I've talked to three different academic advisors at my business school, and each of them have stated that a dual degree won't necessarily make me look any more attractive than the next (single-degree) BBA student. One of them was the director of academic counseling (or whatever it's called) at my school who has been in the business for 20-30 years, so it would seem like her judgment is pretty good. On the other hand, it just doesn't make sense to me, how a dual degree wouldn't help.

In regards to the "TRACK" flow posted earlier, where does a MBA factor into the entire thing? Does it even? I'd like to go back to school in the future, preferably (definitely) an Ivy League.

Definitely a lot of food for thought from this conversation alone. Thanks again, guys.

[shufon]

I was just saying that a technical degree is much more important than a business degree. Business acumen can be learned easily while on the job, whereas highly technical skills can't. I totally agree with you in not understanding how a dual degree wouldn't help. As far as staying longer and missing summer internships, etc, graduate in 5 years and load up some summers while interning other summers.

Also, at your MBA question, if you have a BBA in finance, an MBA is pretty pointless. I have sat in on numerous MBA courses at two Ivy League schools and they were both on par with my undergrad finance courses in the speed at which the material is taught, as well as the difficulty of the assignments/tests. From what I see every day (I'm at an Ivy right now getting an MS), the MBA students don't work that hard, network a lot, have time to go out, etc, whereas everybody in any technical program is doing 70-80+ hours a week just for class/studying/homework.

[gettoasty]

If you can fit in an internship, I would choose that over course work. Or do what Shufon suggested. But honestly looking back, an internship at the present time would be better than course work over the summer. Unless you can fit both together in a schedule, even better.

[bernieee]

2 years ago i had no clue what i wanted to do, bouncing back and forth from school to school trying to find out what I'm passionate for. depressed as fuck with no motivation whatsoever.

Then i just did it and started to study fashion design seeing as how it was the only thing that peaked my interest. I'm currently at a very technical college, its a 2 year program and i will be graduating in 7months. Though it is only a diploma, i am extremely glad that i attended the school i did, it teaches us to draft( which is what im passionate for) and sew because really designers are a dime a dozen without any technical skills whatsoever. anyhow, i haven't looked back since and I've been more content and busy than i have ever been. 14hour days are what my days consists of and having no social life at all anymore but its definitely more rewarding and fulfilling than anything i have ever done and I'm actually happy. I'm ecstatic to be graduating because the possibilities are limitless but I am also afraid of how competitive this industry could be and is.

anyways long story short for all those who were in my position 2 years ago, stay strong you'll find what your passionate for and things will start to turn around. you only live once so do what you want because life is really too short to be regretful as corny as that shit sounds.

[julzkind]

last i posted in this thread i hadn't moved yet...

anyway, got a job with Sephora as a Color Consultant/Makeup Artist and i love it, except for the usual too much girl bitchiness that happens.

as soon as this holiday season is over I am being sent to SOS and Encore which are 2 diff trainings that qualify me to have more ranking. I got full face certified by a Pro Artist (the ppl that you see in the sephora youtube videos) and that means a lot to me cause i did it without any formal training, being basically self taught.

i love love love what i do and I'm still trying to break into the freelance area more but its hard cause motherfuckers are cheap!!

and just recently got my work published in a local columbus magazine/newspaper and their online site. the only thing i hate about this city is that it seems like everyone starts doing gore/s&m shit n working with all the same ppl. my style is totally different and i don't want to have to go through that route to get published. =/

need to move to new york.

[robbie]

I am currently working part time and the occasional day labor and temp jobs.

I have plans to enroll in some online classes next quarter. My wife and I are considering another move in the next 6-8 months. I am hoping to either get back on with a previous employer as a mow truck foreman for a commercial landscaping company and take night/online classes in Avionics & Powerplant .

I struggle with the traditional classroom setting, and hope that the A&P certificate will open up some doors for employment and upward mobility. The pay is decent, and the job is in demand. If a person sticks with the work and remains relevant in the field Airlines often promote from within in and after 10-15 years you have the potential to make 100k +. And even if It didn't turn out or never got that good I'd be making 2-3 times an hour what I am now, and I'd have a certificate, and a Bachelors of Sciences which would translate into marketability in other fields.

I'd like to do that as a way to build up capital, buy a home, establish long term savings et cetera. Once I was in a position to take a little risk I'd like to open either a small burger stand or food truck in a smaller town near my parents and inlaws in OK somewhere. If I could do it profitably I'd look into opening a more permanent place of business with a larger menu, dining area, etc.

That's the current hypothetical i am working towards.

[OkayOkay]

A lot of really good content on this page. I definitely agree with Shufon about technical degrees over business degrees. Anything you learn in the classroom in a business program you'll learn on the job, and you really need to GET that job first. I can't imagine looking an employer in the eye and telling them I have a "business degree"...I'd kinda expect them to say something like "cool story bro".

i work in fashunz now but i'm still hanging onto this finance major because i'm probably ultimately going to pick $$$ over happiness.

About this ^, one thing I've realized after working YEARS in a "fun" job...is that not making shit for money and struggling to pay your bills, never getting to travel to interesting places or shop at amazing stores, etc isn't really the path for me, and I can be totally happy working an alleged "real job" so I can afford to have fun. I'm not sure if this phantom life exists where people can work at a coffee shop and live in a safe and interesting neighborhood, and still travel to amazing places and kop jawnz and whatnot. If that actually happens somewhere, holla at me and I'm coming.

[julzkind]

^ my job def doesn't pay enough for me to survive even on my own let alone w a baby. If I could do something business like or technical I would be there, I just don't have the focus to do that shit.

If mickeys paycheck wasn't so good, I'd def be hustlin

[junglejane]

Graduated with my BS in mechanical engineering back in May, now I'm part of a small, highly specialized energy firm working in the area of thermodynamics and heat transfer.

Since we have such a niche market, we've been expanding at a faster rate than ever despite this time of economic uncertainty. I'm only 21 but I'm managing projects from the bay area all the way out to Taiwan.

You guys should try working at small firms, much less bureaucracy and often times more benefits and perks than large corporations, not to mention the pride you have knowing that you are responsible for almost every aspect of your project. Feels gr8 man.

seconded

got my BS in ME last december and now I'm working in a tiny 15 person company in italy, I am officially a sales engineer but take care of 3D drafting, marketing and other crap as well which is pretty cool.

I am originally from the bay area and plan to move back in a couple of years so I just might hit you up for info on your firm

[Spaghettini]

Q1 numbers are up 450% from last year. 99% (literally, i calculated it) of that comes from my work. also set the company record for single largest order.

thursday at 8am, i'm going to inform my boss what he is going to pay me in 2012.

things are looking good.

[shwanger]

Occupy This Thread

[koala]

Q1 numbers are up 450% from last year. 99% (literally, i calculated it) of that comes from my work. also set the company record for single largest order.

thursday at 8am, i'm going to inform my boss what he is going to pay me in 2012.

things are looking good.

holy shit.

[jackg]

I am in the process of applying for my Master of Advanced Marketing. Finish my undergrad double degree (Arts/Marketing) at the start of next year and if all goes according to plan i will start my masters that year. Got a rude shock when i found out i would be finishing my undergrad course at the start of next year, (thought i had another 12 months) but i am really happy to go into my masters. The masters course also has the potential for a research component, which i am now thinking about doing in relation to fashion marketing/advertising.

super excited.

[pieiskewl]

i am now fully decided on stopping college before i rack up debt and instead deciding on moving somewhere cheap and just getting a job full time somewhere and saving money and not going back to school until i have that money saved up for myself and i actually feel ready for it and it's something i want to do. i know i could get a 4.0 if i put the effort into it but i can't get myself motivated to do that at this point in my life. i just want to move somewhere where i could be working fulltime at a job even making like $12 or so an hour and have money to pay bills eat well have weed and the time to do all the shit i want to do. go to the library read books not own much to be able to move easy. that is just way more appealing to me right now and im not ready to do school right now. it makes way more sense to me to not get the debt now and instead take time to chill and i know i will be secure and putting some money aside. i feel like i will be way more motivated to do shit. im really excited to just move somewhere and things are looking really doable. i am looking at seattle right now and it seems really affordable. thinking about going out with a friend and splitting a place maybe. i am glad to be feeling like i am in control of my life and can put it in a direction i want to go. where is a good cheap city to move to and find some job working in a kitchen w.e. something like that. i was thinking portland maybe

[Phyziks]

Front-end web developer for a company in Toronto that focuses mainly on investor relations websites. We do Nike, Loblaw, Ryder, Aeroplan, and tons of mining and oil sites. It's really an awesome job.

Edit: just noticed my capitalized letters are being forced to lowercase. I fucking hate that shit.

html, body {

color: #444444;

text-transform: lowercase;

}

Edited December 5, 2011 by Phyziks

[eggshell]

phyziks have you always been in toronto? cool