hey guys im not sure if this is the correct spot to be posting this but im in need of some advice and pretty fast if anyone could help. i just signed up for college and want to get my feet wet in the right major but im not sure where i should go. either bus finance or accounting or go for computer programming or what. i have to make my schedule tomorrow and tell them what i want to major in. im looking to hopefully become some kind of broker and train for my series 7. if anyone could help lean me towards the right direction plz let me know. thanks alot guys sry for the noob question too. i just need help fast and i know u guys know your stuff. thanks again
Ultimately you are the one who must choose. Make sure you understand that a broker is not a trader but a salesman. If trading is your ultimate goal the best majors are probably math/statistics and of course nothing in college will even compare to market screen time experience as far as trading goes. Anek
i understand that. but im not like going to go to major in art if thats what i choose. im asking for someone to help me choose one that would help fit into what i want to do. so would u say possibly liberal arts with emphasis on finance and economics. possibly marketing? thanks for the fast reply. still need some more advice tho if anyone minds lending a hand
I don't have a clue how finance/economics or arts can help a trader. All I can think of is math/stats or perhaps psychology and computer programming. Choose whatever you dig the most, don't base it on trading, few succeed at trading, secure your future first. Anek
" im asking for someone to help me choose one that would help fit into what i want to do" What is it, exactly, that you want? 1) Learn how to write and use punctuation, people with money will not take you seriously until you do. 2) Series 7 is not that hard to pass and in real life doesn't mean much. A stock broker can make good money but you are just a salesman nothing more, nothing less. You should know already if you want to be a salesman. 3) A lot of freshmen do not know their major, and others think they know and end up switching. 4) Accounting, and later a CPA can be useful in business especially in the corporate sector. 5) Computer programming has little to do with business and accounting and does not attract similar people. You should already know if you want to be a programmer by this age. 6) There are only a handful of successful people on this website, so it is not the best place to ask important questions. I am sure there are much more professional venues to seek advice. 7) If you think you want to trade, then that is something that can be done on the side. You can swing trade and examine charts whenever you have time. So get an education in what it is you really want and when you have a good job, then you can trade part time to see if it is for you (which it most likely is not).
I majored in Accounting and it turned out to be a great decision. I did accounting work for a couple of major corporations and then went into consulting on ERP software implementations. Made/make very good money and got exposed to many different industries. There are several positive aspects in an accounting major. First, there are always jobs available. Public, private, non-profit, and government agencies all require accountants. It is also a great springboard for a career in Law, Financial Planning, or your own business if you want to go in that direction. There are several areas of accounting including tax, auditing (internal & independent), general accounting, cost accounting (manufacturing accounting). One thing that you need to understand: accounting in NOT a 'math' profession; it is a profession of 'words'. Closer to Law than anything else. Finally, accounting in probably the EASIEST career that you can choose. Pay attention in Accounting 101 and the rest is a breeze. When I went to college (70's) no attendance was taken, I would go to the first class, get the sylabus (sic) and just show up for the tests. They teach the same thing in class as they do in the book. It is the one major that you 'do' exactly what you were 'taught' when you start working. Good luck in whatever you choose.
Accounting is probably the most pratical business degree. There are far too many finance degree holders out there.
Just to balance that perspective out, I earned my undergrad double major in Engineering and Accounting. From a monetary perspective, it was the worst decision I could make, as I found little joy in looking for missing numbers in stacks of spreadsheets. That's all I was qualified to do, without experience. My grad degree is in IT (Database Administration) which, between accounting and IT, is the direction I would recommend you go, with a minor in Accounting. That way, you can get out of school, certifications in hand, and make 100k your first year in IT. Accounting will always be there to fall back on, as long as there are beans to be counted. There are tons of baby boomer CPAs out there getting ready to retire around 2020. But whichever way you go, don't go half-way and quit for some quick cash. With your IT degree and certs, firms will want to work you 60-80 hours per week, and there will be no room for full-time studies once you work that kind of schedule, and get paid that kind of overtime. Final words, do not take any position that does not pay overtime for hours over 40, and expect in either career path to always be going to school part-time. Those two fields are constantly changing. Engineering prepared me for trading far better than Accounting, even though when I entered college at 16 I had no clue what trading was. A liberal arts education is supposed to teach you how to think critically, but right now colleges are decidedly left, which means you will miss one half of your education unless you balance it out on your own. But go for it, push through, work hard and don't even slow down for the women.
I majored in economics...........I believe this helps me understand correlations and the effects the am news will have on market but nothing can prepare you to trade except trading. A liberal arts degree is not a bad idea. If I could go back I would major in english, easy and many go on to trade for banks if they have the right temperament.
Well.. I have 2 econ degrees, and an MBA. None help with trading one iota. Econ possibly would if I was a position trader, but I am not. I thought obtaining the degrees was good fun however. I was a retail broker right after college #1. I absolutely despised it. You should understand that you will be cold calling people in their homes to build up a book. For about two years or so you will do this every day. It sucks! I lasted about 5 months, and became a trader immediately afterwards.