Help me choose my major pls (1 Viewer)

[ExitOnly]

Hey guys

So I'm doing a comm/arts degree (just finished first year) and from what I know, I can do 1 comm major, 1 arts major and 1 arts minor with this degree

In arts I want to major/minor in languages (korean/jap)

But in comm initially I planned to major in finance but I really disliked FINS1613 after I did it this year

The only subject I sorta found interesting was MGMT1001... I want to major in something I find interesting or else I know I'll have no motivation to study

So I was thinking about an international business major but I don't really know much about it. Is it a decent major seeing as though it's my only major? (I know that accounting and finance are the more popular and safer options but I don't see myself doing them)

Thx in advance!

 

[Shadowdude]

In times like these, you always go to the Handbook and read about it:http://www.handbook.unsw.edu.au/undergraduate/specialisations/2013/InternationalBusiness.html

 

[4025808]

IMO, ask other people about international business. I know tonnes of ppl have said that International business is like MGMT but a lot worse, and that its very theoretical, nothing being applied into the real world.

*sigh* I wanted to do international business too but seeing that what we'd be learning ain't gonna be practical, I guess I don't really see much of a point of it.

 

[4025808]

Oh and btw, you CAN do more than one commerce major, you'll just have to spend an extra year of uni. I asked this query before. The 4 years 1 comm major thingo is just the minimum requirement; there's no harm in doing more majors (in fact they'd like you to because the ASB loves your money).

So two commerce majors, one arts major and one arts minor + free electives will give you 5 years of uni. You can even do two arts majors and graduate within the same time frame.

 

[Riachain]

Ooh, somebody who is exactly like me! I'm also planning to major and minor in the same languages (Korean & Japanese), though I haven't decided which one will be the major and which one will be the minor. And FINS1613 also really put me off my plans to possibly pursue a Finance major! x'D

Even though I'm undecided about my Commerce major as well, I would suggest for you to follow 4025808's advice. For some reason, he knows nearly everything about UNSW. And he just finished his first year as well. *sweatdrop* (I entered halfway through the year, so I'm still a first year.)

Since you don't see yourself in Accounting or Finance, why not consider Marketing or Economics? If those two don't seem very appealing for you, I say go ahead with either International Business or just plain Management. (I don't really recommend Human Resource Management because it's too specific.)

Or you can even go ahead and major in something popular and safe like Accounting, but work in a different field. I'm thinking of taking this option, but I'm not sure if it's worth it.

 

[moll.]

Don't judge the Finance major by the one course. A lot of the later courses are quite good. It's also a very useful and wide-ranging major. It's not just about fx trading and derivatives. The wealth mgmt (financial advice) courses are great, and many courses like the superannuation one are useful on a personal level.

 

[Riachain]

Don't judge the Finance major by the one course. A lot of the later courses are quite good. It's also a very useful and wide-ranging major. It's not just about fx trading and derivatives. The wealth mgmt (financial advice) courses are great, and many courses like the superannuation one are useful on a personal level.

Mm, I don't know about the person who made this thread, but the way that I see it, if I couldn't even score a decent mark in FINS1613, it's highly unlikely that I'll do well in upper level Finance courses, so I might as well go for a major that I can actually do better in. I actually found the stuff that they taught in FINS1613 somewhat interesting and would have considered pursuing a Finance major if I did well in FINS1613. Unfortunately, I didn't. So that major's off my list.

 

[VIPPER]

Since you don't see yourself in Accounting or Finance, why not consider Marketing or Economics? If those two don't seem very appealing for you, I say go ahead with either International Business or just plain Management. (I don't really recommend Human Resource Management because it's too specific.)

Or you can even go ahead and major in something popular and safe like Accounting, but work in a different field. I'm thinking of taking this option, but I'm not sure if it's worth it.

I'd say that Int. Business and Management are too broad to major in. From what I've seen, these majors are too theoretical to be really applied to practice, especially management.

I agree with Riachain's advice re: accounting though. Once you get over the 'accounting is fucking boring' phase, you start to really like it.

OP, rather than reading the uni's propaganda, ask around for more perspectives re: international business and management, because I could be wrong. Perhaps you could augment your commerce majors with your proposed arts major+minor.

 

[moll.]

Mm, I don't know about the person who made this thread, but the way that I see it, if I couldn't even score a decent mark in FINS1613, it's highly unlikely that I'll do well in upper level Finance courses, so I might as well go for a major that I can actually do better in. I actually found the stuff that they taught in FINS1613 somewhat interesting and would have considered pursuing a Finance major if I did well in FINS1613. Unfortunately, I didn't. So that major's off my list.

How ridiculous. Just because you don't go well in one subject doesn't void the entire major as an option. I didn't do so crash-hot in 1613 either (in fact I think it was my lowest ever mark), but that's no reason to give up. Just work harder. The first year courses are always shit. It's only the later year courses that are ever genuinely interesting.

 

[Trans4M]

How ridiculous. Just because you don't go well in one subject doesn't void the entire major as an option. I didn't do so crash-hot in 1613 either (in fact I think it was my lowest ever mark), but that's no reason to give up. Just work harder. The first year courses are always shit. It's only the later year courses that are ever genuinely interesting.

Yeap agree with this. I did well in 1613 but not so well in 1612. That didn't stop me from doing a Finance major as I really enjoyed it.

Do remember that there is more to a finance major than just Investment Banking. A lot of people assume that "If I do a Finance major I have to be an investment banker."

My friend who didn't do well in any of his Finance course except FINS1612, is still doing a Finance major. He is currently interning at CBA and is enjoying it. He is so glad he decided to pursue a finance major despite his poor marks in FINS1613.

 

[moll.]

Yeap agree with this. I did well in 1613 but not so well in 1612. That didn't stop me from doing a Finance major as I really enjoyed it.

Do remember that there is more to a finance major than just Investment Banking. A lot of people assume that "If I do a Finance major I have to be an investment banker."

My friend who didn't do well in any of his Finance course except FINS1612, is still doing a Finance major. He is currently interning at CBA and is enjoying it. He is so glad he decided to pursue a finance major despite his poor marks in FINS1613.

Yeah, my back-up if a career in economics doesn't work out is financial planning. Help people who are bad with money achieve more of their goals. Done through the finance major.
In fact, all the cunts in my finance classes who want to be traders or investment bankers give me the shits. They're all just self-absorbed, money-obsessed alphas. So glad I don't have to have any more classes with them now.

 

[Riachain]

How ridiculous. Just because you don't go well in one subject doesn't void the entire major as an option. I didn't do so crash-hot in 1613 either (in fact I think it was my lowest ever mark), but that's no reason to give up. Just work harder. The first year courses are always shit. It's only the later year courses that are ever genuinely interesting.

Perhaps I should've worded my reply better. FINS1613 certainly never made me completely cross Finance off my list of possible majors. It's still a possible major. FINS1613 just nudged it more into the "unlikely to major in" category, that's all. You can never completely cross out a major until you take most of the core subjects, weigh them against one another, and then consider what exactly you want to do/study in the future. *shrugs*

Yeap agree with this. I did well in 1613 but not so well in 1612. That didn't stop me from doing a Finance major as I really enjoyed it.

Do remember that there is more to a finance major than just Investment Banking. A lot of people assume that "If I do a Finance major I have to be an investment banker."

My friend who didn't do well in any of his Finance course except FINS1612, is still doing a Finance major. He is currently interning at CBA and is enjoying it. He is so glad he decided to pursue a finance major despite his poor marks in FINS1613.

Don't worry, I know that there's more to a Finance major than just investment banking. I can't see myself doing investment banking for more than a year or two anyway.

And I'm honestly glad that your friend decided to pursue a Finance major despite his poor marks in FINS1613 and that he's enjoying it. I might end up like him if Accounting doesn't work out for me. Who knows?

 

[Trans4M]

^good to hear

 

[Riachain]

^good to hear

By the way, 4025808 just made me change my mind about Management. Don't do Management, it's too theoretical. You might as well go for Human Resource Management. More practical and all that. Ask him for the fine details, haha.

 

[4025808]

Then again, speaking of all those doing badly in FINS1613, I'm guessing most of them did it in their first year, am I right?

Coz if that's so, then their first year is likely to have been their worst year.

 

[Trans4M]

By the way, 4025808 just made me change my mind about Management. Don't do Management, it's too theoretical. You might as well go for Human Resource Management. More practical and all that. Ask him for the fine details, haha.

lol I don't mind management.

Then again, speaking of all those doing badly in FINS1613, I'm guessing most of them did it in their first year, am I right?

Coz if that's so, then their first year is likely to have been their worst year.

Yea most would do it in 1st year cause it's prerequisite for all other Finance courses except FINS1612.

My second year is worse than my first year haha

 

[ExitOnly]

Thanks for all the replies guys!! I'll have a think about it more but I'm still leaning towards international business because I really wanna do something that i enjoy and hopefully it will complement my language studies and maybe allow me to travel and work overseas

 

[Riachain]

Thanks for all the replies guys!! I'll have a think about it more but I'm still leaning towards international business because I really wanna do something that i enjoy and hopefully it will complement my language studies and maybe allow me to travel and work overseas

Like me! I also want to work overseas, preferably in Japan or South Korea in the future, but I'm doing it in a more roundabout way. Going to try to get into a business that has branches in Japan and South Korea, work up the ranks/build up some trust and experience, then hopefully get a transfer to one of those branches. It's a really long-term goal/dream though, haha.

Good luck with whatever you choose! I'll have to make my decision after next semester ends...

 

[ExitOnly]

Like me! I also want to work overseas, preferably in Japan or South Korea in the future, but I'm doing it in a more roundabout way. Going to try to get into a business that has branches in Japan and South Korea, work up the ranks/build up some trust and experience, then hopefully get a transfer to one of those branches. It's a really long-term goal/dream though, haha.

Good luck with whatever you choose! I'll have to make my decision after next semester ends...

Wow sounds like we have really similar goals haha! Good luck to you too ^^