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Is changing my college major a good move?
Long story short, the town I reside in is very small and suburban, there are two mediocre colleges (one private and one community), minimal job prospects and just very little opportunity for growth or career success. I've been attending the private college for 8 months for an Associates in Nursing because when I started I couldn't relocate due to a relationship which I am out of now.
I'm an honors student and I've done very well with my nursing classes, but I feel like I was manipulated as the school seemed to glamorize the nursing field, showing nurses (in their info session) with big smiles on their faces casually chatting with happy, social and clean patients as they adjusted their pillows or gave the medication. They promised a high paying and guaranteed job right out of graduation all in just two years. Of course being only 19 at the time, I took the bait and put what I really wanted to do behind me as everybody told me how amazing it was that I chose to be a nurse.
Now I've realized that as much as I find learning about the body interesting that I just don't want to be a nurse. I don't want to work 12-15 hour shifts doing very physically and mentally straining work for pay that isn't that great. I can't see myself changing the dressing on wounds, giving sponge baths, draining sores or cleaning up bodily fluids. I enjoy the company of people, but not people who are distressed, dying, sick or injured. Not to mention the high risk of contracting diseases or being injured. It's just not for me. Then I found out that there's such a huge influx of nursing students that the salary will go way down in the coming years and that job opportunities will be much slimmer.
Anyways, now I've applied to several much more prestigious schools in other locations and got into my university of choice which I'll start attending (and dorming) in January.
I decided that for one, I want to go for a higher degree; a bachelors at the very least, but probably a Masters and maybe even double major. I want to challenge myself and be the best I can be.
I've also decided that I want to follow my heart and major in Government and World Affairs. I want to work in a political, research or analytics position for an international or world wide government agency. Something that requires extensive travel and that will gain me lots of new experiences.
It's something that means a lot to me and is definitely more interesting to me than working in a hospital every day for the rest of my life.
The problem is, I don't know how ideal this field is or if it a degree in it will even realistically land me a job. I also plan to minor in something else that will complement my desired career choice, but I'm not sure what yet.
When I look at it that way though it seems like there really aren't any college degrees anymore that can guarantee you a job because the job market is so bad and none of the baby boomers look like they're retiring any time soon to make room for new hires. So I might as well be going with what I really want to do then right?
The college I'm going to says it's a good career field if I stick with it and that they can get me a paid internship if I put in the work. They have past students working in the white house and other government sites. This is what I really want to do, but am I making a mistake?
Should I be playing it safe with nursing?
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Want to answer more questions in the Work & School category?
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Both fields you are looking at offer a wide variety of good paying jobs.
Not all nursing jobs are in hospitals or doctors offices. The nursing shortage is so severe in some parts of the country you will be retired before there are sufficient nurses to cover all the positions needed. Where I live, in the metro DC market which runs from Philadelphia to DC, Nurses can earn as much as from $35. to $60. an hour depending on what positions they work and shift differential. There is a great shortage of ER nurses and OR Nurses which are the highest paying positions.
There are many positions within nursing that are management positions or analytical positions that are available based on your level of education. Once you have your RN, which I believe is the equivalent of a Master's Degree, you can go for a PHD which opens many more doors and higher paying positions.
Not all Government and World Affairs in work in a political, research or analytics position will be in a government agency. In fact governmental jobs are notoriously underpaid compared to the private sector jobs. As for travel that is highly restrict in Government, generally restricted to top management.
Living close to DC I have friends and neighbors who work in government position and even a member of my family works for one of the alphabet agencies. Government positions offer many benefits but no longer offer any guarantees. In fact the government is downsizing and many positions are no longer available although they may be vacant.
I don't wish to paint a gloomy picture for you. All of the career fields you mention are great career fields that have much to offer. Colleges are a business and they have classes to sell. They are going to paint the best picture possible to attract the brightest of students to fill those seats. It is a buyer beware world today with no guarantees.
I would suggest you investigate all the possibilities before you commit to one course of study. You major course of study happens in the last two years of undergraduate school with the first two years concentrating on the prerequisite courses. Those course will transfer to both majors though for nursing you may need to make up a science course or two.
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Ok, i understand what you mean, my inlaws are all either in the military, or they are nurses, or CNA's in old folks homes and when i didnt have a job they encouraging me (strongly because my husband has a high paying job) to ALSO join into the same field because of the good pay.
Heres the thing, not everyone can deal with the work it takes, the smells, the sounds, the wounds and people in pain and thats OK. We're not all built for that.
BUT HERES THE THING (and hear me out on this) the world will ALWAYS need nurses. Even if its not in your town and its across country, and not in your town. SO ON THAT THOUGHT how would you feel about continuing the nursing JUST until you got the degree and could register as a nurse so that in future, you could have a "plan B" sort of job to fall back on?? give that some thought.....
Also you dont HAVE to work in a hospital ER either, you can work in pediatrics and/or at clinics where you dont really see anything all that serious....nursing really IS or can be, versatile if you have the certif.
But im always all for going go to school to continue to search for your dream job.
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