Hello,
I'm planning to start university this year and I would like to get some input on picking the right course for me. Only thing I know for sure is that I'll be going into the STEM field because that's what interests me the most and I'm very good at. So far my favorite choice is Physics because I feel like it's a broad field allowing me to go a lot of different directions later on, it's very theoretical so it'll hopefully shape my thought process and problem solving skills but with some practical applications unlike studying mathematics and I'm fascinated by many of those phyiscs/astronomy related documentaries (though I realize studying Physics is very different to that, but at least I'm interested in the subject).
However, I've been backpacking for a couple years and I really enjoy that freedom of moving around the globe at my own will without any boundaries. Also, this year I have started to pick up online freelancing work as a translator (English is not my native language) and article writer which has turned out very well and I'm up to a fairly decent hourly wage by now. It's not something I want to do forever, but it has sparked that idea of learning something that would allow me that freedom of working my own choice of hours from anywhere in the world.
For that reason I'm starting to doubt Physics now, because I think it wouldn't help me an awful lot to get me a job that gives me that freedom. In fact, I'm starting to doubt whether university in general is the right choice because any serious job that requires a degree also seems to require a serious commitment. I have thought about going more into the Computer science direction, learn programming and then make my money freelancing online but Computer science seems so mainstream and not very impressive to master if you know what I mean. Anyways, enough of my rambling. What do you guys think?
>>8184584
How about you get your GEs out of the way first and figure out what you don't hate?
Since you've already got translation jobs you could just be a communications major and be multilingual for a living. I'm sure that will get you traveling whenever you want
>>8184584
Geology lets you go to cool and interesting places.
Civil Engineering can be very complementary if you focus on economic geology.
You have some control about what you're researching, pick something interesting. Go to fantastic places with that kind of interesting stuff. Curse yourself every morning as you wake up and drink a cup of shitty coffee and walk around the mountains with no cell services for a few week.It's fun.
>>8184587
Never. I don't want to do that crap my whole life. I consider all that language, humanity, arts stuff irrelevant to life's bigger questions. It's a hobby nothing more. It's not based on facts, it's nothing worth studiying.
>>8184594
Again, that's a full time job and I get told when to work and where to work.
>>8184584
Go fuck yourself you huge faggot this is /sci/ not your fucking personal adviser
>>8184645
You're a bit out of line there but I get your point. I just thought /sci/ is the audience I would like to ask for advice on this matter.
>>8184584
I have about the same problems. To be honest, I'm just postponing the relevant decisions now, instead of starting to study physics in some other part of the country I have signed up for maths at my local university to distract me for the next year.
I originally planned to go abroad to better my english language skills, but I seriously don't know what to do right now. Graduating high school has practically left me stranded in the real world.
>>8184584
It's doubtful that you can find a STEM-field that would guarantee you any degree of the freedom that you desire. Best you could do is to find a field that would let you travel around (such as marine biology) or geology as was already said.
>>8184662
How about Computer science then focusing heavily on an area of programming that can be utilized well for freelancing work?
>>8184794
It would get you around, but don't count on much more than basics monetary wise, unless you are really, really good and have a great CV.
Freelancing as a programmer is a wild card since you usually have to commit yourself to a project for a certain time.
My advice would be to do either traveling, with different jobs here and there or study and find a good job that you'd enjoy.
>>8184895
So you're saying getting a degree is probably not gonna do anything for me until I'm willing to settle for a more stable lifestyle?
>Study eastern philosophy
> Become traveling life coach
> Get billionaire clients
> Travel around with and to them
>??????
> Profit
>>8186069
I wouldn't recommend it since getting a degree already requires some settling down. You should just work and travel around or get a degree and a job and travel later.
>>8184584
I would like to give advice about your situation, however I'm unable to since I'm in a similar one. What I will say is be careful when posting asking for advice for your possible career path since it explicitly says not to in the forum rules. Personally I don't care but you're likely to attract a lot of negative responses ad a result. Best of luck OP
>>8186784
Well the way I thought about it was that even when studying I have the opportunity to do so in a city of my choice and apply for one or more years of studying abroad so I could still get around if I wish to do so.
I mean, it's not my goal to be constantly on the move and live like a backpacker forever, it's just that I would like to have the choice of where I want to stay at any particular time of the year and when I take time off of work and freelancing would probably be the way to go for that.
I'd think I could do that if I picked up programming/web design or something along those lines and then just build myself a reputation starting from zero. I would have plenty of time to develop my skillset while I'm studying and then I'll just see where I am after that.
I should also mention that I live in a country where studying literally doesn't cost me a cent so it's much less of a dramatic commitment as for americans.
>>8184594
>Geology lets you go to cool and interesting places.
If you can get a job, that is.
Thanks to the oil price collapse there are many experienced geologists out there looking for a job. Without a PhD you will have trouble getting a job,
>>8184650
Don't worry about him, probably a failed plumber, bitter he didn't study /sci/ence.
>>8184794
>How about Computer science then focusing heavily on an area of programming that can be utilized well for freelancing work?
Another brutal job market still feeling the tectonic shift to India.
Sure, there is some re-sourcing going on but you will always be threatened with the fact that the salary in India is a small fraction of yours. My former boss did that. Then came the redundancies.
>>>/adv/
Please don't post before reading the sticky
>>8184584
There is no point in being a mediocre physicist. Unless you are at the very top of the field chances are you will end up doing boring experiments all day long or have some basic programming job. For your purposes some engineering degree sounds way more useful. With a masters in mech. eng. or electrical eng. you will be able to find work pretty much anywhere so travelling a lot would be possible
