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I graduate next month as a chemical engineer. I've specialized in bioengineering and I've done two years of undergraduate research on biological applications of chemical engineering. When I graduate I start my job as a research engineer for a Fortune 50 company, and then I may go back to graduate school for either medical school or a master's degree in business depending on the route I want to take my career (either more technical, or more management-focused).
I studied it because I like a challenge and I like to help people and I like to learn about the world around me. In chemical engineering you learn the physics and chemistry behind how the world works, and then how to use that knowledge to make things people need.
In high school, I did a lot of graphic design. I loved it. I even briefly studied at an art school for a summer program. But, I ultimately decided not to major in it because art school is excruciatingly expensive and simply doesn't make sense from a financial standpoint unless your parents are paying your $35,000-50,000 tuition so you can graduate and get a job that nets you MAYBE $30-45k/year in a saturated field. So, I decided to keep it as a hobby and cultivate it in my spare time.
My advice to you is to do what you love and what you're good at, i.e. what will get you out of bed in the morning other than money. However, do NOT get into major debt for a degree and career that won't pay for itself in the future. Like a fancy art school or private liberal arts college, for example, that is too expensive for you or your parents to afford. Take loans with caution. I am in a lot of debt, but I can handle it because my field's starting salary is very high.
I studied it because I like a challenge and I like to help people and I like to learn about the world around me. In chemical engineering you learn the physics and chemistry behind how the world works, and then how to use that knowledge to make things people need.
In high school, I did a lot of graphic design. I loved it. I even briefly studied at an art school for a summer program. But, I ultimately decided not to major in it because art school is excruciatingly expensive and simply doesn't make sense from a financial standpoint unless your parents are paying your $35,000-50,000 tuition so you can graduate and get a job that nets you MAYBE $30-45k/year in a saturated field. So, I decided to keep it as a hobby and cultivate it in my spare time.
My advice to you is to do what you love and what you're good at, i.e. what will get you out of bed in the morning other than money. However, do NOT get into major debt for a degree and career that won't pay for itself in the future. Like a fancy art school or private liberal arts college, for example, that is too expensive for you or your parents to afford. Take loans with caution. I am in a lot of debt, but I can handle it because my field's starting salary is very high.