What should my college major be?

[JeremyLangford]

I'm starting college this fall at a community college and then transferring to the University of Tennessee in Knoxville after 1 year.

Here is the list of majors offered at the University of Tennessee.

http://www.utk.edu/academics/programs/09/index.html

I love film photography to the point where that is where all my money is going and has gone for a long time. I recently bought a Nikon Coolscan 9000 to replace my Epson V500 and eventually I hope to buy a good Leica rangefinder kit. My goal for many years has been to have a photography website but because I'm such a huge perfectionist, I haven't been happy enough with my images or my Epson V500's scan quality to make one. All I've done is make this sample website a few years ago (JeremyLangford.sitesled.com) but I'm planning to rescan all my current negatives with the CS 9000 before buying an actual website.

Right now my major is set as graphic design but it isn't final yet. This major seemed like the best choice because it closely relates to the things I am already learning about in order to have a photography website. But I really don't see myself sitting in front of a computer designing things in Photoshop as my future job. Seems boring and hard.

I have always expected to not have a career in photography because it seems so hard to make it especially with the recent rise of digital photography. I take my hobbies extremely seriously and I'm not satisfied until I learn everything I can about them. My only other serious hobby is music (I play electric guitar in a band) but I don't give it near as much of my free time as I give photography. Any insight or tips will be greatly appreciated.

 

[JoeV]

Get a degree in chemical engineering, then get a good, high paying job, which will help pay for your film photography hobby.

I have a friend who recently started an internet marketing business; the graphic artists they use for the actual web design work are in the Philippines and India. Creativity is universal; so is the global economy. With digital image files able to be emailed across the globe, you're choosing a career field which easily could be entirely out-sourced to 2nd and 3rd world economies.

Follow your heart to be an artist if you want, but do something practical as a day job to pay the bills.

~Joe

 

[thomasw_]

Some superb advice. BTW, for merely posting to your website, the v500 should have been good enough. For a down-sampled scan is just that: a down-sampled scan 🙂 I think it is in the printing from the v500 files versus the cs9000 files that you will notice a difference. But if printing is your aim, then consider putting your money into a quality darkroom and enlarger, for that is where you will see the biggest difference in the final print. Best, Thomas

 

[JeremyLangford]

These are the responses I was afraid of.

 

[JeremyLangford]

I really don't have anything else to do except for sticking to graphic design because I don't know enough about any of the other majors to know how much they interest me.

 

[noci]

you should do architecture. if taken seriously, it will demand everything from you in an artistic and scientific way.. later you can decide not to practice it and know more about artistic process than studying one medium will ever be able to teach you.

Max

 

[3 Olives]

Put in a year or two at the community college and you may know what you want to major in. You may have to attend a specific university that is viewed as the best for that program, as that is a huge factor.

 

[Larky]

I agree with noci, Architecture or Civil Engineering. Or Physics, if you focus on the fun explosive stuff.

 

[JeremyLangford]

Now I'm thinking about a major in graphic design, minor in cinema studies, and a concentration in photography.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Consider law. It's a degree in Bullsh*t, which stands you in good stead in most things.

Tashi delek,

R. (LL.B.)

 

[D.O'K.]

"Consider law. It's a degree in Bullsh*t..."

True, but aren't all non-science degrees...?

Regards,
D. (M.A. Jurisprudence)

 

[Roger Hicks]

"Consider law. It's a degree in Bullsh*t..."

True, but aren't all non-science degrees...?

Regards,
D. (M.A. Jurisprudence)

Elegant!

Cheers,

R.

 

[JohnTF]

Elegant!

Cheers,

R.

Nothing says you cannot do several, plus a bit of reading while traveling ;-) .

As to critique of early work, if you really love all your early work, perhaps you are not getting better ;-)

That said, I did put a cheap reflex in to an old friend's hands 30 years ago, and his first roll was very good. Later ones not bad either, I am not sure what number book is coming out next.

Some hope that college does not get in the way of your education.


Regards, John

 

[JeremyLangford]

I still have no idea what my major should be and it drives me crazy. I change my mind everyday. I want to enjoy my job and I also want to make decent money. I think it would be really hard to make it past a low paid entry level graphic designer if I continued to live in Tennessee. And I really don't think I would enjoy being a graphic designer every day. I love photography and photoshop, but how much fun can making vectors be?

But with that being said, there doesn't seem to be another major that pops out at me. I literally spend all my time thinking about photography. And graphic design is the closest thing to photography that is offered at UTK. I have always loved the Art and Architecture Building at UTK and I think art classes would be good for me. But I'm worried that an art degree will end up being useless to me if I don't want to be a Graphic Designer.

 

[flip]

Plastics. ;-)

They say most folks change careers at least 3 times these days. (except maybe engineers). Take your time and find your bliss.

 

[JeremyLangford]

I figured out today that I really want to minor in Studio Art. I love art but my love of art is basically currently constricted to film photography and the occasional oil painting. Cinematography is something I've always imagined myself becoming interested in after I learned a lot more about photography.

The reason why I formerly picked Graphic Design is because it is an art major and I could spentd a lot of time in art classes. But the reality is that Graphic Design is not the type of art I'm truly interested in and I don't really see myself enjoying a Graphic Design career.

UTK has a very good variety of film photography courses that include a Large Format class. There is also 2 Cinematography courses available. If I take all the Photography/Cinematography courses, I would have more than enough credits needed to minor in Studio Art.

This lets me take all the Art classes that I am interested in and have them go towards a minor in Studio Art and it leaves my major open for something that could hopefully make me more money than if I majored in Graphic Design or Studio Art.

Now all I have to do is pick my major. I am currently thinking about Economics. There are two programs offered that lead to either a Bachelor of Arts degree or a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree. I like how the Bachelor of Arts program looks mainly because it doesn't require intermediate foreign language while the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration does.

Is this a major that would be well rounded and get me into a good career?

 

[Turtle]

Choose a subject you are passionate about. You will do well, feel more interested in the world because of what you learn and never feel bitter about years lost to boredom and monotony.

I chose a degree subject I was passionate about and did not go into the subject consequently. It did however change the way I saw the world and has a surprising influence on my photography.

Don't listen to the crap about doing something sensible/steady. You only live once. Some never live at all despite having great 'careers' and condos all over the place.

If I had made the stock decision at every juncture almost all of the things I love most in the world would have been denied to me or missed.

PS since when have people been slave to a subject they are passionate about any more than people are routinely slaves to things that they hated from the outset?

 

[Roger Hicks]

Dear Jeremy,

If there's no alternative, stick with photography.

When I say 'no alternative', I mean 'there is nothing else you can imagine doing'.

If that's photography, it's photography. For me, it's photography and writing.

'Take what you want, and pay for it, saieth the Lord.' Everything Turtle says is spot on, though I reckon I did better with law (which I found mostly rather dull) than I'd have done with medicine (didn't get into medical school) or history (which is probably the subject I have always found most fascinating).

Tashi delek,

R.

 

[JeremyLangford]

Choose a subject you are passionate about. You will do well, feel more interested in the world because of what you learn and never feel bitter about years lost to boredom and monotony.

I am choosing the subjects I am passionate about to go towards my Studio Art minor. I would love a career in what I'm passionate about but when it comes to film photography, I'm already prepared for that to not happen due to not being able to find a job or finding a job but not getting enough money. This is one reason why I imagine cinematography or any type of video as a good subject because it relates to photography in many ways but would hopefully allow more career opportunities.

It seems to me like getting a career in what I am passionate about wouldn't require me to major in art. It seems like all that would matter is my portfolio and my knowledge. And I am able to work on these two things myself using forums like this one.

I will always have photography as a hobby. But trying to find a good career should be easier if I constrict Studio Art to my minor and leave my major open for something more practical right?

 

[Roger Hicks]

I am choosing the subjects I am passionate about to go towards my Studio Art minor. I would love a career in what I'm passionate about but when it comes to film photography, I'm already prepared for that to not happen due to not being able to find a job or finding a job but not getting enough money. This is one reason why I imagine cinematography or any type of video as a good subject because it relates to photography in many ways but would hopefully allow more career opportunities.

It seems to me like getting a career in what I am passionate about wouldn't require me to major in art. It seems like all that would matter is my portfolio and my knowledge. And I am able to work on these two things myself using forums like this one.

I will always have photography as a hobby. But trying to find a good career should be easier if I constrict Studio Art to my minor and leave my major open for something more practical right?

Dear Jeremy,

Yes.

The only warning: working in something related can sap your creativity in what you really want to do, e.g. for me, writing non-fiction instead of fiction.

(But it's still better than working for a living).

Cheers,

R.