college

hey all

Up until lately i never considered what I would like to do as a job... I was thinking something in religious studies, related to Sikhism, but i don't know where that would get me a job in today's society..
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/general-discussion/16667-college.html

So please advise what I should do, I need some help.

thanks.
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Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=16667

You have not said what stage/level you are currently educated or where you are from.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=16667

In the UK GCSE and A-level tend to concentrate on mainly on Christianity and Islam. However you will need to check with college of your choice and the syllabus the follow.

Many degree courses are not work related but degrees do teach certain skills eg writing essays, application of knowledge and being analytical. These skills can be applied in many jobs.

Ultimately you need to have some sort of decision what you want to achieve career-wise.

Mkaur-ji,

I am in the third year of highschool, or going to be.

I would be happy to do anything related to india, Punjabi/gurmukhi, and Sikhism.

Sherab ji

You are on the cusp of adulthood and will change your mind about your future more than once. We all do. So keep my recommendations in the context of an older person who is also a college professor. Your question is very important. You also need to understand yourself and do some research before making a final choice. How is that for corny?

Your first step is to do some research related to colleges that offer religion majors -- and some do not offer religious studies at the undergraduate level. Go to the web-sites of these universities and really try to understand how their programs work, whether they have financial aid if you need it, and their entrance requirements.

The few that I located all have departments of Sikh Studies -- and are in the US -- which is where you now live. University of California - Santa Barbara; University of California - Riverside (big Sikh community nearby); Columbia University; Sweet Briar College, and Hofstra University. Columbia is in New York City. Hofstra is in upper New York State.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=16667

Here are some questions you want to ask yourself. Are you the kind of student who thrives in a small intimate and student-friendly environment where professors take a personal interest in students? If you say yes to this, then avoid the larger universities and think seriously about Sweet Briar or Hofstra. Both have reputations for academic excellence, and both have very positive climates for young people. If you think a larger university will work for you then look into the other three.

You should also consider majoring in something other than religious studies for your first degree - the bachelor's degree. Think about your need to earn a living. Unless you plan to enter the ministry, employment opportunities will be very limited with a degree in religious studies. And Sikhs don't have a ministry -- so that path is kind of a dead end.

You can major in a field that prepares you for a profession and take a minor at the same time in religion. For example, major in media studies, communication, almost anything where you will be able to find employment at the end of 4 years. But with the minor in religion, you will still feel prepared to apply to graduate school and get an advanced degree in religious studies -- probably focusing on Sikhism because that is what you seem to be interested in.

This is getting long -- but in the end every person needs to answer some key questions before picking a career and selecting a course of study. What do I really find interesting? What talents do I have and what talents are needed? What are my limitations? If you think science is interesting but are really bad at mathematics, then it is obvious - a major in physics will make you miserable. If you are interested in science, have a lot of personal discipline and are good at math, then a major in physics makes sense. Apply this same reasoning to yourself. You are really interested in religion. Do you have the skills needed to survive a course of study in religion? Do you know what those required skills and abilities are? Can you make the personal sacrifices you will need to make?
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=16667

Sorry for the lecture.

Aad-ji,

thank you very much for the awesome post!

My isue is, i don;t even know what I want to do as a career.. and that too is bothering me. If I knew that, I knew what degrees i could aim for to best suit my job choice. :p

Sherab ji

Make a chart - 2 columns - Positive at the top of one column and Negative at the top of the other.

Then answer these questions. Brainstorm and include everything you can think of. In the positive column: What do you really enjoy doing? What holds your interest for a long period of time? What kinds of people do you enjoy being with (you are with your co-workers for 8 hours a day)? What are you good at? What kinds of books do you like to read? What courses led to better grades in high school? What kinds of problems do you like to solve? What kinds of communication do you prefer (face to face, individual, small groups. large groups, combination of personal and technology driven communication, etc.)?
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=16667

Repeat the process for the Negative column. What do you dislike? What kinds of people do you really want to run away from? What are you challenged by? What bores you, you lose interest quickly? What kinds of books do you avoid. What courses led to grades that were not so good? What kinds of problems do you hate to be involved in? What kinds of communication drive you crazy?
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=16667

Put the list away. Go back 2 weeks later. Consider what you have said and make any changes as needed. Then see what kinds of patterns come through -- do any types of jobs seem to fit your self-analysis? Write these ideas down. Research what the jobs involve -- a librarian in a public or school library can steer you to the right reference materials. Talk to people in those positions. Make a short list and see what happens. You have time.

i'm working on the list right now, i'll tell you what i decided on on the 2nd

That is great Sherab. And if this works for you in the end, then you need to share what you have learned with the next person who has this question. I cannot wait to see what you come up with at step 2 --- kinda exciting.

Well, it isn;t quite been a week yet, but i decided to aim for being an accoutnant, or some type of finance-business job, I ahd to pick classes for my school besides the 4 major classes (English, science, math, and social studies) and i selected 604 entrepreneurship, but i'm gonna skip the Adv. class and aim for Accounting 1 instead.