Post: #1

I'm 23 and going back to school in August but I'm still trying to decide what I want to go for. I basically want some decent money and be able to travel the world without working in a cubicle. Talked to a few people and I'm thinking about something with Business or Energy/oil. 4 yr degrees, I don't want to go school longer. What did everyone major in and how do y'all feel about the degrees you received?

Post: #2

Oil/Energy is DEFINITELY the way to go. You've got literally billions of people getting ready to move into the middle class over the coming decades, and they all want to live like Americans - consume to their hearts' desire. They're going to drive up all sorts of commodity prices.

It's going to be like the late 19th century all over again - increased trade and wealth, massive uprooting of the classes. I wouldn't even be surprised if we had a repeat of World War I - integrated trade & globalization doesn't do shit when hawks want blood.

Me:

finish my undergrad, get started on Master's in Financing (it's econometrics heavy), use the flexibility of studying to study abroad and get my spanish and portuguese fluent. Join the marine corps for 4-8 years, specialize in Latin America, move down there and stay where the demographics are good, values are soild, weather is nice, women are hot, society is basically Christian/secular, out of the way of the major up and coming confrontations (Middle East/Muslims vs Europe and the China vs the US).

Post: #3

Post: #4

Trade school. HVAC is really good work and pays well. I had a friend I worked with in the kitchen who was going to school at night for HVAC, after two years of classes he jumped ship now he makes almost twice what he did and he's stilll technically in training.

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Post: #5

Computer Science, Engineering, and anything involved in discovering or refining raw materials is good (oil/mining/textiles). Trade school is great too. Oh, and be sure not to skip the foreign languages. Try picking up Chinese, Japanese, or Russian.

Post: #6

This one should be obvious. Become a teacher. Make decent money for nine months and spend your summers traveling.

Post: #7

u have to be frugal if you are a teacher to save up enough coin to travel good! this is my fall back plan if real estate fails.

Post: #8

(06-12-2011 10:19 PM)hoops330 Wrote:  This one should be obvious. Become a teacher. Make decent money for nine months and spend your summers traveling.

No. Not enough money and I have no desire to teach people

Post: #9

it gonna be really hard to find a job with more than 25 plus vaca days a year. on top of that u wont be able to take in full. soo a handful of mini quick trips. not my idea of solid travel.

Post: #10

I know but what jobs are there that allow you to travel quite a bit and still make decent money?

Post: #11

(06-12-2011 06:43 PM)CupCake Wrote:  Computer Science, Engineering, and anything involved in discovering or refining raw materials is good (oil/mining/textiles). Trade school is great too. Oh, and be sure not to skip the foreign languages. Try picking up Chinese, Japanese, or Russian.

Yes, this.

I don't understand why people want to learn Japanese anymore, though.

Other good languages to learn that will help you drive a niche:

-Bahasa Indonesia
-Vietnamese
-Portuguese
-Arabic

If I were starting college all over again I would do international business and/or two languages - one of which would be Chinese.

Post: #12

If you are smart, hard working and/or connected enough to eventually land a job at one of the big 5 (or however many there are now) global accounting firms a CPA would not be a bad route to follow. The big firms have branches in most of the countries you'd probably care to live in, and have exchange programs where staff can move around the world. Also, an intercompany transferee can usually get visa's easier than other classes.

I studied Accounting, though I don't really use it directly anymore. Has a reputation for being boring, but this deters the pretty boy trustafarians, who may otherwise have the connections to get jobs at the big firms. So a bit less competition.

Energy is also a great field for people who want to travel the world BUT do you really want to be based in Nowhereville, Saudi Arabia or Freezeyourassoff, Alberta for months at a time? The Accounting firms are based in the big cities.

Post: #13

Houston if i think is all about finding a job that pays good and also something that you really like..what are some things that you really like to do?

If you choose a technical course such as engineering mechanic, you would have a guaranteed job and a good job at the same time, plus you will only work 6 months per year and thats if you choose to work offshore. Alibahba had a post that was explaining all this shit, i think that is a great job for the lifestyle that we want to live..fuck working 12 months a year.

But yeah remember that you want to do something that you also like..if manual labour aint your shit then that may not be a good idea for you...


You could also try medicine. I have few friends who moved from the states to DR because is a lot cheaper to study there..plus you could in the oil industry and still do the 6 months work per year.

Post: #14

(06-13-2011 12:54 AM)houston Wrote:  I know but what jobs are there that allow you to travel quite a bit and still make decent money?

Only one way to go:

Own your own biz.

And they you can change that to: "allow you to travel as much as you can handle and still make great money"

Start working in a field that you can break off on your own after you learn it inside and out.

Post: #15

Thank you everyone. I'm trying to compile a list so I can narrow it down. Wish I would of finished school earlier but fuck it.

Post: #16

I like this thread; I am having qualms about my decision to double major in psychology and philosophy with a minor in economics. It's what I like to do but I've had some pretty big internal changes that steer me away from that direction, but I'm entering junior year, already. I wish I had cultivated my Chinese skill-set more, and I may have done business on the second go around. I'll have to work on connections.

Psychology at my school is a joke. My school is actually a laughing stock in and of itself.

Post: #17

lordship those degrees are worthless. Change now and thank me later! lol

Post: #18

If you work as a chemical engineer or as a mining engineer, you can get jobs that require you to work remotely, but it will only be two-weeks on, two-weeks off type of arrangement. AND you get paid like crazy (I heard a few years back that the oil companies had a shortage of engineers so they would take people from any technical field and train them).

Also, consider marine engineering. It's more of a trade job, but it pays very well (starting salaries around $80000) and you get to travel.

Post: #19

(06-13-2011 12:54 AM)houston Wrote:  I know but what jobs are there that allow you to travel quite a bit and still make decent money?

International Business with a concentration in arabic, chinese or russian.

Post: #20

I have a major (Master's degree) in Economics, with specialization in Information Management. While initially I had expected it to be a mediocre choice and full of boring cubicle work, so far the jobs I got from it are done from my laptop, highly creative and online. I am pleasantly surprised.

If I gather enough of those projects around, I might even manage to pull off a perma-travelling lifestyle, something of which I had never dared to dream.

Post: #21

I agree with what many have said. Succinctly,

1) You need a foreign language. Even Spanish. Between Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, Portuguese, and Russian I don't see you going wrong. But remember as my college adviser, told me: learning a language is like being pregnant, it has to be all or nothing. So put your heart into it. Also, many languages have proficiency tests you can pass and put on your resume like the HSK (Mandarin Chinese), DELE (Spanish), CELPE (Brazilian Portuguese).

I would say learn one well rather than two half assed. Languages take time. Learning one involves doing coursework, getting a language partner at school (do this), watching TV shows and reading newspapers from the country.

And if you do Chinese or Arabic please learn to read/write. Otherwise you don't really 'know' it.

2) I would say you need to involve business in your major. If you have a pet interest you can double major or minor. I did business major and physics double major and the business assured I had a job. What you need to do is see what is PRACTICAL out there.

3) If you decide on a field, join the industry association and begin subscribing to trade magazines, writing professionals for advice etc. This is how you get to the know in a field rather than just saying 'I want to be X'.

4) Trade school and college ARE NOT mutually exclusive. I took a machine shop class in college which was one of the best decisions I ever made. If there is a local community college you can perhaps take one night class a semester. Especially if you are looking at industry, understanding machining or manufacturing planning will be essential.

5) gmanifesto is right: long term owning your own thing is the way to go but there is nothing wrong with getting experience before you make the leap. You may get some good ideas too.

Post: #22

Oh yeah, industry certifications (if available) give you a leg up in the market too as long as they don't require work experience.

Post: #23

(06-16-2011 05:52 AM)roderickluise Wrote:  earn practical knowledge is more beneficial than certifications.

In practise, yes! I'm with you there, but unfortunately recruiters (especially in the US) tend to look for those certs and degrees.

If you work your own business however all that matters is merits, references and network. Titles don't mean nearly as much as a contractor.

Post: #24

(06-15-2011 01:42 AM)Handsome Creepy Eel Wrote:  I have a major (Master's degree) in Economics, with specialization in Information Management. While initially I had expected it to be a mediocre choice and full of boring cubicle work, so far the jobs I got from it are done from my laptop, highly creative and online. I am pleasantly surprised.

If I gather enough of those projects around, I might even manage to pull off a perma-travelling lifestyle, something of which I had never dared to dream.

Impressive. How did you manage to get the online work?

Post: #25

Wow awesome thread!

What does everyone think about majoring in chemistry?

also is it possible to major in mech engineering and chem minor?