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- Jun 8, 2006
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The question is asked several times each "season" as new applicants and their parents begin to pop up here. Lots of great answers have been given in the past, but I've been thinking about this lately as we have been interviewing some folks for some open positions we have.
I may not be able to help much with the application process anymore, but I can bloody well help with what you can expect later, so here goes...
To begin, let the word go forth that your selection of major at USxA will have little if any impact upon your service selection. My roommate was a History major and went on to fly helicopters, so that puts the lie to they myth that only Aerospace Engineers get chosen for Flight School. I know some Aerospace Engineers that ended up being Marine ground-pounders. The point is that you should NOT, under ANY circumstances, select a major because you think it will help you get into a certain career track. It simply doesn't work that way. Now that THAT'S out of the way...
What you SHOULD be considering when deciding what major to pursue are TWO things and TWO things ONLY:
1) What do you LIKE?
2) Assuming you weren't to stay for a career in the military, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO DO AFTERWARDS?
Item 1) should be obvious. Don't study something you hate. If you suck at math, then I suggest a bull major. If you couldn't care less about Shakespeare, then English is probably not a great choice. If you love the oceans, then Ocean Engineering or Oceanography will be far better choices than Chemistry or Systems Engineering. If you like Engineering but can't nail down which one to do, then do General Engineering and take the electives you like later. In short, and especially in light of what I said in Paragraph 3 above, study something you LIKE, not what you think will give you a leg up in Service Selection, because it WON'T give you a leg up.
Item 2) is a bit more sticky. Unless things have really gone into the ****ter, the majority of kids that waltz through the gates of USxA on that fine morning of I-Day are thinking of making the Service a career. Unfortunately, it more often than not doesn't end that way. Injuries, family requirements, boredom, or hitting the promotional ceiling are all very real causes for folks to return to civilian life, and if you think it can't happen to you, then I've got a bridge on Mars I'd like to sell you. I was an ardent careerist right up to the point where I got the "We regret to inform you..." letter from the Bureau of Naval Reactors. **** happens.
So...... What WOULD you want to do if you suddenly found yourself in a suit and tie rather than in SDB's? This is where your choice of a major can be CRITICAL.
For instance..... If you would be interested in working on Wall Street, a degree in Economics will go over far better than a degree in Mechanical Engineering. If you want to work in industry, then Economics or Engineering will work great, depending on which side of the business you want to go. Want to work for NASA? Aerospace is going to be better than Poli Sci, but if you want to be a lawyer, then Poli Sci is better.
Get it?
Now before you think that this is all a matter of preference, let me clue you in on some realities in Corporate America. My group is currently hiring for an Engineer. The job description for that position specifically REQUIRES a DEGREE in ENGINEERING. In other words, unless there are some very extenuating circumstances, you would NOT be considered for the position if you had a degree in History. PERIOD. It doesn't matter that you are from USNA and drove nuclear subs. If the job description REQUIRES a BS in Engineering and you don't have it, chances are very high that you will be looked over unless there is no one else to consider.
If you think that last part is no big worry, let me share an anecdote with you. Way back in the heady days of the mid-1990's, life was wild, rich, and largely taxed to death. It was also the time that I was looking to make the transition from USN to CIVLANTFLT. As part of my preps, I attended a seminar held by a recruiter (Don't worry. Recruiters are the subject of my next thread.) where a whole bunch of other Navy and Marine Corps wanna-be civilians had collected to find out how to get a job in the real world. After the presentation, several of us mobbed the speaker with questions. One guy (an ROTC type, as you'll see in a moment) was there in uniform. He was asking what opportunities he would have through the recruiter.
"What's your degree in?", asked the recruiter.
"Music." said the officer.
A pause.
"Sorry. Can't help you."
Now mind you, a recruiter's job is to find YOU a job, and they don't get paid until they do, so you can imagine that turning someone away isn't done lightly. Still, it makes the point that while the degree you get may not matter when you're standing in Smoke Hall, it bloody well matters when you're logging on to Monster.com. Think about that when selecting.
One other thing to consider is the difficulty of the degree. While it sounds like taking the low road (and it is), one has to remember that graduating from USxA is a marathon, not a sprint, and that those who make it are the ones who manage to keep the lightbulb on the whole way through, not the ones who flare brightly for a while then burn out. If you have real difficulties in Mathematics, then you will most likely not do well in a Track I major such as Mechanical or Electrical Engineering. In such cases, you may want to consider General Science, General Engineering, or even a bull major. I say this because if choosing an easier major allows you to get better grades, then your chances at Service Selection Night DO get better. The flip side is that if you choose History and do lousy, you're still going to end up a SWO, assuming you even graduate.
Choose what you like, choose what you can do, and choose what you think will be best for you long-term. Be honest with yourself and you should be fine.
Before anyone asks, I went in to USNA wanting to study Aerospace Engineering. After a peek at the Oceanography labs, an introduction to SCUBA diving, and a patrol aboard a submarine, I made my decision going into 3/C and chode Ocean Engineering instead. That worked great until the end of first semester my 2/C year when I was forced to switch to General Engineering after my GPA dropped lower than Congress' approval ratings. Looking back, however, I can't help but think it was a good thing because "General Engineering" (which I describe as "Mechanical Engineering Lite") fits exceedingly well into my line of work (Quality Assurance in the Medical Device field). I later got an MBA and a Masters in Industrial Engineering which really rounded out the academic package.
Oh, and one last thing. LEARN TO WRITE. It's absolutely horrifying to see what some "professionals" try to pass off as "work" these days. The fact that I'm a perfectionist at work makes me a great QA-type, but plays hell on the blood pressure.
That's all for now. Answers will follow if questions emerge. Just remember that I tend to shoot from the hip. As a recovering moderator, I can be a lot more blunt than I used to be.
I may not be able to help much with the application process anymore, but I can bloody well help with what you can expect later, so here goes...
To begin, let the word go forth that your selection of major at USxA will have little if any impact upon your service selection. My roommate was a History major and went on to fly helicopters, so that puts the lie to they myth that only Aerospace Engineers get chosen for Flight School. I know some Aerospace Engineers that ended up being Marine ground-pounders. The point is that you should NOT, under ANY circumstances, select a major because you think it will help you get into a certain career track. It simply doesn't work that way. Now that THAT'S out of the way...
What you SHOULD be considering when deciding what major to pursue are TWO things and TWO things ONLY:
1) What do you LIKE?
2) Assuming you weren't to stay for a career in the military, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO DO AFTERWARDS?
Item 1) should be obvious. Don't study something you hate. If you suck at math, then I suggest a bull major. If you couldn't care less about Shakespeare, then English is probably not a great choice. If you love the oceans, then Ocean Engineering or Oceanography will be far better choices than Chemistry or Systems Engineering. If you like Engineering but can't nail down which one to do, then do General Engineering and take the electives you like later. In short, and especially in light of what I said in Paragraph 3 above, study something you LIKE, not what you think will give you a leg up in Service Selection, because it WON'T give you a leg up.
Item 2) is a bit more sticky. Unless things have really gone into the ****ter, the majority of kids that waltz through the gates of USxA on that fine morning of I-Day are thinking of making the Service a career. Unfortunately, it more often than not doesn't end that way. Injuries, family requirements, boredom, or hitting the promotional ceiling are all very real causes for folks to return to civilian life, and if you think it can't happen to you, then I've got a bridge on Mars I'd like to sell you. I was an ardent careerist right up to the point where I got the "We regret to inform you..." letter from the Bureau of Naval Reactors. **** happens.
So...... What WOULD you want to do if you suddenly found yourself in a suit and tie rather than in SDB's? This is where your choice of a major can be CRITICAL.
For instance..... If you would be interested in working on Wall Street, a degree in Economics will go over far better than a degree in Mechanical Engineering. If you want to work in industry, then Economics or Engineering will work great, depending on which side of the business you want to go. Want to work for NASA? Aerospace is going to be better than Poli Sci, but if you want to be a lawyer, then Poli Sci is better.
Get it?
Now before you think that this is all a matter of preference, let me clue you in on some realities in Corporate America. My group is currently hiring for an Engineer. The job description for that position specifically REQUIRES a DEGREE in ENGINEERING. In other words, unless there are some very extenuating circumstances, you would NOT be considered for the position if you had a degree in History. PERIOD. It doesn't matter that you are from USNA and drove nuclear subs. If the job description REQUIRES a BS in Engineering and you don't have it, chances are very high that you will be looked over unless there is no one else to consider.
If you think that last part is no big worry, let me share an anecdote with you. Way back in the heady days of the mid-1990's, life was wild, rich, and largely taxed to death. It was also the time that I was looking to make the transition from USN to CIVLANTFLT. As part of my preps, I attended a seminar held by a recruiter (Don't worry. Recruiters are the subject of my next thread.) where a whole bunch of other Navy and Marine Corps wanna-be civilians had collected to find out how to get a job in the real world. After the presentation, several of us mobbed the speaker with questions. One guy (an ROTC type, as you'll see in a moment) was there in uniform. He was asking what opportunities he would have through the recruiter.
"What's your degree in?", asked the recruiter.
"Music." said the officer.
A pause.
"Sorry. Can't help you."
Now mind you, a recruiter's job is to find YOU a job, and they don't get paid until they do, so you can imagine that turning someone away isn't done lightly. Still, it makes the point that while the degree you get may not matter when you're standing in Smoke Hall, it bloody well matters when you're logging on to Monster.com. Think about that when selecting.
One other thing to consider is the difficulty of the degree. While it sounds like taking the low road (and it is), one has to remember that graduating from USxA is a marathon, not a sprint, and that those who make it are the ones who manage to keep the lightbulb on the whole way through, not the ones who flare brightly for a while then burn out. If you have real difficulties in Mathematics, then you will most likely not do well in a Track I major such as Mechanical or Electrical Engineering. In such cases, you may want to consider General Science, General Engineering, or even a bull major. I say this because if choosing an easier major allows you to get better grades, then your chances at Service Selection Night DO get better. The flip side is that if you choose History and do lousy, you're still going to end up a SWO, assuming you even graduate.
Choose what you like, choose what you can do, and choose what you think will be best for you long-term. Be honest with yourself and you should be fine.
Before anyone asks, I went in to USNA wanting to study Aerospace Engineering. After a peek at the Oceanography labs, an introduction to SCUBA diving, and a patrol aboard a submarine, I made my decision going into 3/C and chode Ocean Engineering instead. That worked great until the end of first semester my 2/C year when I was forced to switch to General Engineering after my GPA dropped lower than Congress' approval ratings. Looking back, however, I can't help but think it was a good thing because "General Engineering" (which I describe as "Mechanical Engineering Lite") fits exceedingly well into my line of work (Quality Assurance in the Medical Device field). I later got an MBA and a Masters in Industrial Engineering which really rounded out the academic package.
Oh, and one last thing. LEARN TO WRITE. It's absolutely horrifying to see what some "professionals" try to pass off as "work" these days. The fact that I'm a perfectionist at work makes me a great QA-type, but plays hell on the blood pressure.
That's all for now. Answers will follow if questions emerge. Just remember that I tend to shoot from the hip. As a recovering moderator, I can be a lot more blunt than I used to be.
USN wants technical majors -- this comes directly from the CNO. The reason is that the USN's systems (ships, planes, nuke reactors, etc.) are very technical and, while the enlisted are primarily responsible for maintaining them, the officers should understand how they work. 
