College Major!!!

R

RyanTrapstar

New member
I'm a senior in high school and i'm going to college next year. I really have a passion for music production but I dont want to pursue it as a career because it's not in demand. Everything that's high paying like Engineering, Science, Math, Economics ect, but I'm not interested in something like those things.. What are some good career path to take for someone who likes audio, and computers but doesnt want to do those type of things?
 
You're very limited with your options as soon as you void Math and Science. I'm the same however, I never liked those either. I'm in business now, business management. Eventually I want to do an mba maybe a year or 2 after i graduate, but thats where the moneys at, which is by doing graduate studies. You'll need to do a couple math courses for this here and there but its pretty chill.

But most of all, dude you're really young still. And dont get convinced by what society thinks about choosing a major and a life quickly, dont let them force it upon you. Make your own decisions and do what you want to do....and dont trip out about money, its not the most important thing in the world as people would normally have you believe. No artist would have ever made it if they gave up before they started, it takes grinding! This is what not a lot of people understand....unfortunately. To me the only thing it shows is that you've given up what you really want to do, and thats always a sad thing.

haha but its all good, chill out and think it through for yourself. What do you really want to do? Of course money is important, even artists need a part time job to support their lifestyle, but what I'm saying is to not sell yourself out simply because of money, its not the most important thing in the world. Why not take a year off now and not go to college? And think things through? Live out your dreams, explore, have adventures, talk to other people, live elsewhere than where you;ve been living your whole life in, live in different countries, not cities or states but actual countries, it changes your perspective on life so much. Everyone goes through the phase of not knowing what they want to do, trust me bro I'm bot interested in school either haha I'm just doing it to support my rap lifestyle. Hope this helps bro! Good luck ;)
 
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That's a good response, tuneitdown. I think I've seen/known/heard as many people say their degree is NOT related to their current career as those who get jobs in their field right out of college. And both sets of people can be either successful or not. I believe having a college degree is still worth something. Getting educated and being around new people and thinkers is def worth something.

There have been some other threads recently about what majors to consider for audio and music jobs. Search "majors" or "audio degree" or similar.

You get pulled in so many directions these days, a lot of people don't know what to do. What I do know is regardless of what major or career or life path you take, you get out what you put in.
 
Man i always wanted to go for sound engineering and music production, always wanted it to be my career. But hey i never had money for college or university so i can't even go for that. I don't really care about a piece of paper that would say hey you're qualified to do this and that i just want the knowledge which nowadays u can find a way around and learn exactly the same thing without going to college. As for you, you should first know exactly what career you want. If you have to, take a year off after highschool, i know a lot of people do. Because whatever you're gonna be learning it has to be worth it and benefit you somehow after you're done.
 
a computer person who cannot do math and basic science is destined to be a limited career path

most programming relies on the mathematical manipulation of data to create an outcome.

Even something as simple as graphing rainfall per month over a year requires the ability to calculate heights and widths to draw the various boxes if you use column graphs (assuming you are writing a program/app to do this); add in things like minimum and maximum rainfall in the month as well and the year on year average and it becomes a little more complex still - this is a very simply program btw

career paths for musicians/producers/audio engineers who do not want to worry about maths/science, are really limited to retail and marketing/management and even then you still need some math skills to be able to do the (ac)counting required to function successfully

@ipm - ryan is the one who keeps starting these threads so he is obviously not paying attention to previous responses
 
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bandcoach said:
a computer person who cannot do math and basic science is destined to be a limited career path

most programming relies on the mathematical manipulation of data to create an outcome.

Even something as simple as graphing rainfall per month over a year requires the ability to calculate heights and widths to draw the various boxes if you use column graphs (assuming you are writing a program/app to do this); add in things like minimum and maximum rainfall in the month as well and the year on year average and it becomes a little more complex still - this is a very simply program btw

career paths for musicians/producers/audio engineers who do not want to worry about maths/science, are really limited to retail and marketing/management and even then you still need some math skills to be able to do the (ac)counting required to function successfully

@ipm - ryan is the one who keeps starting these threads so he is obviously not paying attention to previous responses
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What hes no paying attention? Ey Ryan theres people here that genuinely want to help you man we take time off to write these things for you. You better start paying attention son.
 
I don't think there is an easy one here.
You'll have to compromise on either doing what you want or earning lots of money- I would suggest compromise on earning lots of money because if you're obviously not interested in what you're doing you will really struggle to get a job.
There are no high paying jobs that people really enjoy and are easy to get into. They just don't exist.
 
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I disagree with this....look man...your in the age where most of the mistakes you will make in your lifetime will happen, your also in the bang every female age. Ill say take this youth to your advantage man go straight to college even if it is part time but go because you never know what what wall you will crash too in the future. You might get a girl prego, or you decide to start working and think you can mantain yourself and go out on your own and now all your money is gping to go on bills which leaves little $ for your dream. At least with college you could take out a loan or you might be lucky and give you a grant. This is my advice...after you graduate still stay with your parents and go to college part time. Only a stupid parent that doesnt want their ass cleaned when they become old will kick his child on their own while they are furthering their education so take advantage of that. Get a part time job to support your dream, help with a bill like water bill something small, put 10 dollars a week in your 401k. Put in the work now. It only gets worse as you get older.

Also you can find companies that offer tuition reimbursement like fedex, home depot, disney....there are plenty. It can be done man dont give up.

And if you want to learn the craft along the way subscribe to those learning sites like groove3, lynda, macprovideo...etc...sorry for replying 3 times im at work and have to write this quick lol
 
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RyanTrapstar said:
I'm a senior in high school and i'm going to college next year. I really have a passion for music production but I dont want to pursue it as a career because it's not in demand. Everything that's high paying like Engineering, Science, Math, Economics ect, but I'm not interested in something like those things.. What are some good career path to take for someone who likes audio, and computers but doesnt want to do those type of things?
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If maths isn't a definite no-no then you should consider something like Computer Science or programming...you could end up programming VST's for some banging beats in 5 years. And, if not, you'll still be making bank while you do something else.
 
This is all great replies! thank you all. I just get stressed when people keep saying oh "The only thing thing to go to college for is Engineering or Sciences" which I have no interest in either of them ... They dont see the value of doing your passion..
 
RyanTrapstar said:
This is all great replies! thank you all. I just get stressed when people keep saying oh "The only thing thing to go to college for is Engineering or Sciences" which I have no interest in either of them ... They dont see the value of doing your passion..
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I typed a long as hell response to this and clicked the wrong button, losing it all...annoying. I'll summarise what I said...


Basically, think bigger than just the course you'll be doing.


Sure, a music production course or a sound engineering course would be a lot of fun and you'd be passionate about it and have a lot of fun for 4 years, but when you graduate, what are your job prospects? It is becoming easier and easier for bedroom producers to replicate physical studios with limitless budgets, so in another 10 years, it may be nearly impossible to get a job in a physical music studio.


That's not to say it would be the wrong decision to pursue that...it's just something to consider. If you fancy your chances of graduating into a job in a studio (if your local area has an abundance of studios, for example), then absolutely go for it. We would all envy you if you did it, because so many of us share that dream.


But equally, try to consider that you may be better off thinking bigger than the course and think of your ultimate goal. You can work in the music industry with a Business degree, or Computer Science degree, or any other number of degrees. Sure, for 3-4 years you'll be focused on a broad range of subjects trying to prepare you for the real world, but when you graduate, the world is your oyster. Can't get a job in the music industry? No problem, earn $80,000+ working in another field and build your own studio with the money. But you'll be equally well equipped to work behind the scenes as the music industry evolves.


You could be building VSTs or software suites, or working in the marketing world promoting the music you love, or so many other options. A broader 4 year course could open up so many avenues for you and lead to working in the industry you love, rather than working in retail wishing the game was different.


I'm not going to tell you what to do; in the UK we do high school (finish at 16), college (finish at 18 usually) then university (finish whenever). I decided not to do a music course at college or university due to the uncertainty in the industry and it would hurt me too badly to drop all that money on a course then have to work a deadend job somewhere to pay it off because it didn't lead anywhere.


I went to college and got qualifications in Business, Retail & Distribution and Law. I decided not to go to university because there was nothing I was passionate about enough to get in debt for.


I'm 28 now and work a job in an industry which I do not care for, but work with a great team and actually do look forward to coming to work each day. I used my qualifications to set up a few music related businesses (including TagYourBeats in my sig), to help music producers. I literally make pennies from each sale, but I have forged strong relationships with hundreds of producers over the years and get a buzz from helping them evolve. That is enough for me, while my 9-5 keeps a roof over my head.


Life is funny. You just have to follow your heart and do what you want. Let the mistakes you make be your own. But do think through whatever decision you make.
 
tuneitdown said:
You're very limited with your options as soon as you void Math and Science. I'm the same however, I never liked those either. I'm in business now, business management. Eventually I want to do an mba maybe a year or 2 after i graduate, but thats where the moneys at, which is by doing graduate studies. You'll need to do a couple math courses for this here and there but its pretty chill.

But most of all, dude you're really young still. And dont get convinced by what society thinks about choosing a major and a life quickly, dont let them force it upon you. Make your own decisions and do what you want to do....and dont trip out about money, its not the most important thing in the world as people would normally have you believe. No artist would have ever made it if they gave up before they started, it takes grinding! This is what not a lot of people understand....unfortunately. To me the only thing it shows is that you've given up what you really want to do, and thats always a sad thing.

haha but its all good, chill out and think it through for yourself. What do you really want to do? Of course money is important, even artists need a part time job to support their lifestyle, but what I'm saying is to not sell yourself out simply because of money, its not the most important thing in the world. Why not take a year off now and not go to college? And think things through? Live out your dreams, explore, have adventures, talk to other people, live elsewhere than where you;ve been living your whole life in, live in different countries, not cities or states but actual countries, it changes your perspective on life so much. Everyone goes through the phase of not knowing what they want to do, trust me bro I'm bot interested in school either haha I'm just doing it to support my rap lifestyle. Hope this helps bro! Good luck ;)
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I loooked into what you said about that business management degree. It seems pretty interesting, I'd like to run and manage a business... Do you like it? what do you learn?
 
It's mostly just basic business, you learn about managing people and how a business works, and basically everything in the business world. Its pretty chill and you get to take some easy communication courses. The only issue with doing it is that management isnt a specific enough concentration for interviewers to be like "oh i know exactly what he does and i can use hik for this soecific purpose". A management degree is considered to be not specific enough to get that high paying job right out of college. But it does do the trick since you dont like math and science just as i dont. The only other option that i've found is marketting but it does require some complex math.
 
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RyanTrapstar said:
I'm a senior in high school and i'm going to college next year. I really have a passion for music production but I dont want to pursue it as a career because it's not in demand. Everything that's high paying like Engineering, Science, Math, Economics ect, but I'm not interested in something like those things.. What are some good career path to take for someone who likes audio, and computers but doesnt want to do those type of things?
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At the end of the day a multitude of factor's will determine your success and entry into any field. There will be people doing the same job at the TOP of the field and people at the BOTTOM. The constant is you are looking to get PAID, nothing else. Let's stop with the "passion" talk. The best thing to master is YOUR mindset, idea's, plan's and use of YOUR MONEY. Take the next year off and get a simple minimum wage gig...anywhere(construction, kitchens, waiting tables,city, county, library, security guard, day labor ect.ect..)..get an income and save 70% of it! The whole time, invest in and READ a robust personal finance/business library. You're about to enter the real world matrix...most lawyer's and doctor's are broke....the guy cutting grass and/or selling hotdog's has $50,000+ cash in the bank. Career paths are illusions, get on a money stacking path. Passive Income, residual income, royalties, lease payments to you, compound interest should be the end game.

It is not about how much you make, it is about how much you keep. Boost your financial I.Q!! Some critical reads to start with:

Why didn't they teach me this in school by Carl Siegel
Millionaire Next Door by Thomas Stanley
Financial Peace by Dave Ramsey
The automatic Millionaire by David Bach
Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey
The Richest Man in Babylon by George Clason
The Money Class by Suze Orman
Money: Master The Game by Tony Robbins
Richdad Poordad by Robert Kiyosaki
Cashflow Quadrant by Robert Kiyosaki
Richdads Guide to investing by Robert Kiyosaki
Think and Grow rich by Napoleon Hill
How to make a dollar out of fifteen cents by Daniel Freeman
The little book of value investing by Christopher Browe
The Millionaire Fastlane by MJ DeMarco
The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham
Security Analysis by Benjamin Graham
Any book about Warren Buffet
Accounting Demystified
Investing Demystified
Financial Planning Demystified

***Yeah, some of those books were created in opposition of others on the list but they are all critical reads and offer pragmatic advice. Also, don't get fancy and think those books will prep you for a college business or accounting program..THEY WILL NOT. If you want to go that path, get your 5 paragraph essay, algebra II and pre calculus game up! Also crack open a few books on microeconomics and financial accounting...totally different shyt in college than practiced in the real world personal finance industry...TOTALLY DIFFERENT!!

It is not about how much you make, it is about how much you keep.
 
Major in engineering and take a few classes about business and accounting. Get a part time job too. Spend your breaks traveling to different music cities with the money you saved. Get into studios where you can play your beats to people. A lot of DJs at clubs are usually producers for local rappers as well. Give them a tape of your beats. And so on.
 
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