The Economist made a survey on the choice and return of American universities. Big data shows that from the perspective of future income level, "what major to study" is more important than "where to study".
Abscissa of the chart: school admission rate. The farther to the right, the higher the admission rate, in short, the worse the school. Further to the left, schools with fewer admissions are, in short, relatively excellent schools.
Vertical axis of the chart: return on investment. The higher you go, the higher the return on investment.
Blue dot: major in art/humanities and other related fields.
Red dot: engineering/computer/mathematics and other related majors.
Sample: 240 universities in the United States
Each point: represents students from different schools and their different educational investment returns.
Engineering/computer/mathematics and other related majors: the average return on investment of good school students and relatively poor school students is basically parallel to a line.
Liberal arts major: there is a certain gap between the average return on investment of good schools and poor schools.
So from the perspective of salary, what matters is not what you went to a famous university, but what you studied. Going to a good university is certainly worth investing, but this value will expire. What you learn is more important than where you study.
Today, I will give you some suggestions on professional choice.
The hottest major
As can be seen from the data in the table, business/management, engineering and mathematics/computer science and technology (other majors are social science, life science, art, English, health, humanities, education and agriculture in turn) are the three majors most chosen by international students in the United States, and more than half of them will choose one of these three majors.
In the past four years, the popularity of English is the largest among all majors, with an increase of 67%. More and more international students apply for ESL program as a bridge course to familiarize themselves with American culture and language before formal enrollment. Students who have completed ESL courses will be more confident when applying for other majors. Art majors have also greatly improved, with an increase of 43% over the previous year. Mathematics/computer science and engineering increased by 50% and 34% respectively.
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) major is still in a blowout state. The US government has also promulgated many policies to attract these students, such as relaxing visas. Students in the STEM field can extend OPT for 29 months, and if you are good enough, this time limit will be longer. The emergence of high-tech industries in the United States has also driven the demand of the labor market to a certain extent, which can be described as killing two birds with one stone!
When it comes to the influence of region on the choice of major for studying abroad, let's compare the two countries with the largest number of international students in the United States: China and India.
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) is the most popular field in China. Engineering (20%), mathematics/computer science (1 1%) and life science (9%) account for 40% of all international students in China. Business/management is also the career peak in China, accounting for 28%, which has been growing continuously in recent years. Among business majors, finance, accounting and MBA are often selected as sub-majors.
For India, there is no doubt that the most chosen major is the STEM field, which is as high as 75%. Behind this data, engineering accounts for 38%, but the proportion of business has dropped to 12%.
A major that has been vomited by international students.
1. Electrical and Automation-I really can't repair electrical appliances!
First of all, introduce this major. Electrical engineering is a science that uses electrical energy, electrical equipment and electrical technology to create, maintain and improve limited space and environment, covering three aspects: conversion, utilization and research of electrical energy. However, my professional name is "electrical" and automation, not "electrical appliances" and automation. We didn't learn this to fix electrical appliances!
Every spring festival, a bunch of relatives come to us to repair electrical appliances. And it's okay to be misunderstood like this. For the future, every day is like a final exam! That sentence is really good at all! As long as you choose your major, every day is like the college entrance examination. Exactly, engineering mathematics, probability theory, circuits, small electric mops, counting electricity, large electric mops … these things are enough to make people dizzy!
2. Psychology-I won't be a fortune teller!
Since childhood, he has been played by various criminal investigation experts and negotiators in TV dramas and movies. I think people who understand psychology are really handsome! When I grow up, I must also become a master of psychology. So, when I was full of enthusiasm to join the psychological tide, my mother took the letter of appointment and said, psychology, is it fortune telling?
Do you want to learn fortune telling? I will help you find a better teacher to teach you. Well, why go abroad! I explained to my mother that layout psychology actually has many disciplines, and there will be many different employment directions in the future. Criminal psychology, consumer psychology and so on all belong to the category of psychology. But learning is really boring. In addition to the concept, it is still a concept. There are too many backs day and night!
3. Civil Engineering-I'm not a contractor!
When it comes to civil engineering, everyone's reaction is, are you going to be a contractor in the future? Actually, civil engineering is not engineering! Become an engineer! Although I have to deal with various forces every day, I still enjoy it!
Except that it is a little troublesome to draw structural schematic diagram or stress analysis diagram sometimes, it is still possible. Oh, by the way, every day is sunny, and it may not be a few colors darker than other professional partners in a few years!
4. Computer-I feel bad about my hairline! To be added
As we all know, there are many friends who study computers in both the United States and China! In the future, I want to be the CEO of Apple, marry Bai and reach the peak of my life. These are so exciting! But is your hair okay?
According to a survey conducted by a scientific research institution in the United States, the hairline of computer graduates who have worked in related majors for five years has increased by an average of 50px compared with when they just graduated. What is this concept? You could be the Mediterranean! And day and night design procedures, eyes, heart, and various organs are under great pressure. From learning computer to working, although the salary is really good, the pressure is really great!
5. Food science and engineering-who says this is a paradise for eating goods!
When we heard that we were going to study food science and engineering, everyone thought it was a very enviable major, because we were dealing with delicious food all day. However, in fact, the world may not be as beautiful as we thought, because first of all, we are not exposed to delicious food, but to various bottles and cans filled with chemical reagents. We must thoroughly study all kinds of test procedures and test principles, and we must do all kinds of mathematics, physics and chemistry. The pressure is really great!
And more importantly, after learning, it is really a dream to eat! No matter what you see, the first reaction is what spices are in it and how many additives are there. When I think about it, the whole person is not good!
6. Accounting-thought it was heaven, but actually it was hell!
As we all know, accounting is really hot now and the employment prospects are really good. But does anyone know how many certificates are needed to enter this threshold? British CPA, commonly known as ACCA, subject 16. However, in some institutes of certified public accountants in other countries, such as CGA in Canada, AICPA in the United States, and the Australian Institute of Accountants in Australia, these accountant qualification certificates have to pass the examination of 10.
And although the employment prospects are good, excellent accountants are really under great pressure, especially the Big Four, who have to work overtime for at least three hours every day. Therefore, there are not a few people who died young. Choose accounting, heaven and hell may often be just a thin line.
7. Architecture-I don't move bricks!
As soon as we hear about the building, everyone thinks that running the construction site, moving cement and moving steel bars are compulsory courses. However, in fact, it is definitely not this kind of thing that makes architecture friends have a headache. It is definitely a happy thing to be able to run to the construction site to move bricks and exercise. More often, I sit in my room, staring at drawings, all kinds of mechanical principles, all kinds of circuit structures, and those who engage in architecture are all here to learn! All kinds of tall things come together, I can't bear it alone! Just as the building is as deep as the sea, friends should choose carefully!
8. Finance-don't choose a math idiot!
When I heard about finance, I must feel very tall at first, but after a long time, I found that I can only count money. I count money for others. The money I can get is probably not as much as others want you to manage. And every winter and summer vacation, when I go home, my seven aunts and eight aunts at home will always ask you what good financial products you have, whether to buy gold or bonds. If I really knew, I wouldn't sell insurance in someone else's company now!
Moreover, this major has really high requirements for mathematics, and all kinds of complicated mathematical formulas and troublesome calculation principles are simply too much for ordinary people! Dear friends below math 135 in the college entrance examination, I'd like to get over it, don't choose finance!
9. Power major-climbing a telephone pole is nothing but making money!
When people hear about electric power specialty, they think of the scene of an electrician or a worker climbing a telephone pole. This is the same at home and abroad! It is true that we have done this kind of work in practice or operation, but this does not mean that this major is very low and it is important to earn money.
Although the power industry is a traditional industry, its ability to absorb gold is no less than that of other emerging industries. When studying in electric power major, I'm afraid the most common sentence you hear is "Go to work in XX power grid after graduation." What a good prospect! Buying insurance and mastering common sense of safe operation are all a lot of money!
10, physics-unless you are a schoolmaster, it really doesn't make sense.
I heard that this is the requirement of physics students:
1. Master the basic theories and methods of mathematics, and have high mathematical literacy;
2. Master solid and systematic basic physics theory, extensive basic physics knowledge and basic experimental methods, and have certain basic scientific research ability and application development ability;
3. Understand the general principles and knowledge of similar majors;
4. Understand the frontier of physics development and the general trend of scientific development;
5. Understand the national policies and regulations on science and technology and intellectual property rights.
In fact, however, none of these requirements seem to be of any use. These requirements are actually false. Because you have really done these things, you can only engage in academic research. If you can't do this and research, then wash and sleep!
1 1. E-commerce major-studied for 4 years just to open a Taobao shop?
In recent years, e-commerce is really hot, which has also promoted the development of this major. But now it seems that the most intuitive understanding of this major may be to join Ma Yun's father's account and open Taobao! What? Four years in college for this?
However, this may really be the status quo of this major, either opening a Taobao shop to make money or helping others manage Taobao shops to make money for others. This major may really be as beautiful as its name suggests. The content to be learned includes all kinds of economics, advertising, corresponding software and a series of troublesome things, and many achievements may not be used in the future! How painful!
12. medicine-you think I have to study for eight years!
Medicine seems to be becoming a very dangerous profession in China. Medicine has really become a hot potato because of all kinds of disharmonious news about doctors.
But in the United States, the medical profession has a bright future, that is, there are really too many things to learn and the important time period is really too long. Some students have finished their undergraduate courses in four years, and we may still be studying. Some students have finished their undergraduate studies for six years, and we are still studying. This time span is really unbearable!
And it is an indisputable fact that medical partners are hard to find. In that year, a school sister stabbed all 48 knives in retaliation for her derailed boyfriend. Everyone may have heard the story that her boyfriend was only slightly injured. It's terrible. Who dares to let medical students be their own objects! How can you die every minute?
13. bioengineering-our clothes are not just white coats.
In the eyes of friends, bioengineering = veterinarian = familiar with all living things = transforming human beings = all strange things. Later, when I went to work in a pharmaceutical factory, many people actually asked me: Why do you want to be a student in a pharmaceutical factory? In fact, medicine is a combination of biological agents, and the major of bioengineering means taking many theoretical classes, getting up early and doing experiments in the dark, and more importantly, risking your life to deal with various toxic reagents. The exam is to recite, then write it down and move it to the test paper. It's a major that can't go to heaven or go to the ground. It sounds very tall, but it's actually hehehe.
14. Mechanical major-I can't drive an excavator!
Which excavator technology is better? Find Lan Xiang in Shandong, China. After studying mechanical major, I really can't drive excavators and operate various machines. We must make machines! The most important thing is that the ratio of male to female in this major is really unbalanced! There are 25 people in the class, about 24.5 men and half women. Why did you say there was half a man? Because it is very likely that the only girl will be more masculine than many boys in the class, and it may also be a dinosaur. No wonder mechanical "machine friends" are all over the world, isn't it reasonable?
15. blindly choose a major from the crowd-it's really a big death!
At least, everyone will have a certain degree of independent judgment when choosing the above majors. But if you blindly follow the crowd and choose which major is good, it is really a very serious death-seeking behavior, not to mention whether you can adapt to the learning environment in the United States. Even if there is, learning or not is the biggest problem. If you are not interested, you can't keep up with the course. Self-destruction in minutes! Therefore, when choosing a major, you must do your own background analysis, combine your hobbies, and improve your enthusiasm for learning, otherwise you will dig your own grave!