Need Advice

Victor Galis · May 27, 2003, 16:47

I'm currently in the process of completing my Bachlelors' in Computer Science. If I really want to, I can finish in one more year, but I've discovered that I don't really like Computer Science, and that I can't really envision myself wanting a career in that field. I'm thinking I need either a second undergraduate degree (on paper I'm actually both an International Affairs major and a Comp Sci major. As such, I can probably get one then transfer). I've decided I need to leave Georgia Tech. I've been complaining about this God-forsaken hellhole since I got there, and I really should do something about it now. So my question to you is this:

Where do I go from here? Do I try to get some sort of graduate degree or first get a second undergraduate degree (I can get that fairly cheaply at Emory)? The other major question is what universities are good in international relations or similar fields? This time around I'm not limiting my search to the US (maybe it's time I left not just the South, but the whole country. Which universities in the UK are good?).

Oerdin · May 27, 2003, 17:18

Finish your undergrade where you are then go to graduate school and get a degree in a field you will enjoy. If you switch now you'll realistically won't graduate for 2-3 years.

Japher · May 27, 2003, 17:25

Yeah, one thing at a time... What happens if in 2 years you decide you no longer like IR? I would take the degree in CS and either a) go right back into school or b) get a job as near to IR as possible, and see if you like it (give it a year or 2), then make your job pay for your education...

I have a friend who has an IR degree and he is a third party investor... more finance stuff than IR. He found what he likes to do and is good at it, yet he doesn't exactly have the degree for it.

Victor Galis · May 27, 2003, 17:27

The plan was finish one major then based on the fact that I can continue to be an undergraduate student finishing up a second major transfer as an International Affairs major to switch to something else. Either way, the one year to finish up the Comp Sci degree is a must, because it's too late to switch now.

Imran Siddiqui · May 27, 2003, 17:28

Quote:

The other major question is what universities are good in international relations or similar fields?

Well there is one fairly close to you

. Emory is considered very big in international relations... especially if you want to work for the Carter Center. Other good schools are Georgetown, Stanford, and Yale, IIRC.

Quote:

Finish your undergrade where you are then go to graduate school and get a degree in a field you will enjoy. If you switch now you'll realistically won't graduate for 2-3 years.

That is good advice.

Victor Galis · May 27, 2003, 17:30

Yeah, the advantage of Emory is that its cheap if I want to do an undergrad degree. It loses this edge if I move on to grad school.

Drogue · May 27, 2003, 17:31

In the UK, for international relations, the first ones that come to mind are LSE (London School of Economics - loads of foreign students) and Oxford. I think many others like Bristol, Warwick, Nottingham and York do very good International Relations and Politics degrees (as EIF about York politics).

Imran Siddiqui · May 27, 2003, 21:26

Quote:

Yeah, the advantage of Emory is that its cheap if I want to do an undergrad degree. It loses this edge if I move on to grad school.

Tell me about it ($41k in loans every year).

orange · May 27, 2003, 21:36

Victor Galis! Good to see you (albeit not in the Diplomacy context

)

Can't help you much, i suppose, though I'm working towards History Ed. Poly Sci. Good luck in it, and come play a game with your old Diplomacy buddies sometime

(Some of us are at Redscape

)

Victor Galis · May 28, 2003, 00:29

Quote:

Tell me about it ($41k in loans every year).

Yeah, if I could go there as an undergraduate student, I could go there free. Hmm... and it would be a chance to earn more than a 3.5 GPA (which my parents are trying to convince me is complete crap).

I've been hesitant to play Diplomacy later. I don't only have time to be online nowadays. I'd hate to play some games in a half-ass manner.

Ramo · May 28, 2003, 00:32

Grad school in IR? What do you plan on doing with a degree like that?

Victor Galis · May 28, 2003, 00:36

I suppose that would be the other big question, eh?

Urban Ranger · May 28, 2003, 00:44

Quote:

Originally posted by Victor Galis
I'm currently in the process of completing my Bachlelors' in Computer Science. If I really want to, I can finish in one more year, but I've discovered that I don't really like Computer Science, and that I can't really envision myself wanting a career in that field.

That's a lot more to Computer Science than just programming. In fact, what you learn in school in an ungrad CS degree should be some mathematics, underlying principles of CS, and a set of general problem solving skills.

Now, the big question is, what do you like? What is that you really like to do?

Victor Galis · May 28, 2003, 00:54

Quote:

In fact, what you learn in school in an ungrad CS degree should be some mathematics, underlying principles of CS, and a set of general problem solving skills.

-The key word in your sentence is should. Unfortunately, only 3-4 of our Comp Sci classes are really based on this sort of thing, and the last 1-2 are not mandatory (vs. 7-8 mandatory programming ones).

As far as doing, I'm not really sure, hence my current crisis. And the real question is what do I like to do that people will pay me to do. I can like playing Civ all I want, no one will pay me to do that. I'm thinking there's some carrer involving travelling a lot related in some way to the study of international relations that would appeal to me. I also wouldn't really mind being a college professor, but I'm not sure I'd like it enough to put in the ammount of work required to get there.

Jon Miller · May 28, 2003, 00:58

hmm

you have a much different style of CS than my school did (about half the classes you didn't even need to touch a computer for)

Jon Miller

Victor Galis · May 28, 2003, 01:04

Ah then you see why I need to leave. My complaints against our College of Computing could probably fill a book

.

Urban Ranger · May 28, 2003, 01:04

Quote:

Originally posted by Victor Galis
-The key word in your sentence is should. Unfortunately, only 3-4 of our Comp Sci classes are really based on this sort of thing, and the last 1-2 are not mandatory (vs. 7-8 mandatory programming ones).

Ah, that's a poor way of teaching Computer Science. Granted, many courses will still involve programming, but that shouldn't be the main thrust.

Quote:

Originally posted by Victor Galis
As far as doing, I'm not really sure, hence my current crisis. And the real question is what do I like to do that people will pay me to do. I can like playing Civ all I want, no one will pay me to do that. I'm thinking there's some carrer involving travelling a lot related in some way to the study of international relations that would appeal to me. I also wouldn't really mind being a college professor, but I'm not sure I'd like it enough to put in the ammount of work required to get there.

Okay, can't help you until you figured out the answer to this question. Other than playing computer games, what other hobbies or interests do you have? Do you like stargazing, for example, or collecting interesting rocks?

Victor Galis · May 28, 2003, 01:11

Quote:

Okay, can't help you until you figured out the answer to this question. Other than playing computer games, what other hobbies or interests do you have? Do you like stargazing, for example, or collecting interesting rocks?

I like to travel and ski, but those are more seasonal hobbies. I also apparently like to argue on online message boards. Were I not so cynical, I might be inclined to think I could seek a career in politics in some way in this country.

Urban Ranger · May 28, 2003, 01:24

Keep thinking. Other than politics, none of these are good choices. And you aren't cut out to be a politician.