"Major" decision: Nursing vs. Music Technology/Engineering

J. Crawford · #1 10-02-2010, 10:12 PM

Alright, Ive had a few threads over the months about school, but this is the most important yet, as I am finally applying to schools, looking at scholarships, etc.

First things first, Im stuck between majors. I know you can go your freshman year without a major, but I have been taking Kent State courses my entire HS career and may start college as a sophomore, so I need to have my major planned and picked.

Im stuck between 2; Here are the pros and cons:

NURSING:
Pros:
Very open field- Nursing is lacking right now, and places are hiring like a wildfire.
Stable; My moms a nurse and has never had a problem finding a job.
Good money; I plan on getting my degree and living as a "traveling nurse." This is where somewhere hires you, say Denver, Colorado, and you work there on a 3-6 month term, where usual pay is high, along with all benefits and possible housing.
-Me and my dad spoke of this, and if I stayed a bachelor for a while (By choice

) I could work for so many months, then relax and live for a few, then repeat. Live a little.
I would minor in spanish, as its my favorite subject in high school, and would be a huge plus for hiring companies.

Cons:
Not my "passion."
New field to me; Ive A'ced all my science and math classes over the years, and am socially in shape, but nursing itself is new to me.
It wouldnt end up like I want it, and Id regret the decision.

Music Technology/Engineering:
Pros:
Tis my passion; Working with music, other artists, playing my bass whenever I please and living my dream.
Being a bassist, I already have a decent ear for recording and mixing.
I have experience in both pro and home studios, and have worked my way with the equipment.
No regrets... Id be doing what I love!
- I would minor in performance, so I could take some theory and composition classes and finally NEED to learn the material!

Cons:
Unsteady; Though its steadier than trying to just make it as a musician, its still a hit-miss scenario.
Pay could be small, if any.
And again, my not plan out like I want.
Could turn my passion into a chore; That would suck.

Sorry for the mega post guys, but most of you have gone through the college scene/"life" scene, and are of great help.

My mom is leaning for nursing, dad for music tech.. of course!

Any help is appreciated.. sorry for the mega post, too.

Deluge Of Sound · #2 10-02-2010, 10:23 PM

Usually you don't have to officially declare a major until junior year.

Another thing to point out--as a nursing major, you're going to be surrounded by women. This is generally considered a good thing by most red-blooded dudes. Speaking from my own experience, nursing students tend to be attractive and, uh, "attentive."

Really, it boils down to your skill set. If, at the end of the day, you're far too stunted in any area to make it besides music & music technology, I'd go with that. Otherwise, in my view, its best to keep creative pursuits as pure as possible. That may regulate you to a "mere hobbyist," but having to pay bills with art creates a terribly uncomfortable/stressful situation.

elgecko · #3 10-02-2010, 10:35 PM

Nursing...you'll be able to have a killer home studio and play all you want (some nurses work three 12-hour shifts a week).

J. Crawford · #4 10-02-2010, 10:36 PM

That's exactly what I'm afraid of DoS. Nursing seems really interesting to me. Its been my main idea for a while now, I'm really intrigued. Plus, like you said, the chicks would be a-plenty.

But I like how you put it in your post, "its best to keep pursuits as pure as possible."

I'm a one chick kinda guy either way though.

Munjibunga · #5 10-03-2010, 12:26 AM

There's a huge demand for nurses in the U.S. Having spent more time in the hospital than I'd like, I've met a lot of travelling nurses, and they all seem to love it. They also seemed to be the most knowledgeable and patient-friendly.

seismic · #6 10-03-2010, 12:38 AM

You could always do a double major or a minor in the music end.

I worked in a career that I liked initially and hated later, but it paid very well and it allowed me to pursue my interests.

Were I you, I would likely pursue nursing and keep my ear to the ground about music careers. When the economy improves or the opportunity arises, you can always quit and go do something else if nursing turns out to be drudgery.

IconBasser · #7 10-03-2010, 12:48 AM

Nursing. /thread

waleross · #8 10-03-2010, 01:09 AM

My late father was an electrical engineer and he warned me to get some kind of trade to fall back on. Wish I had listened,,,,just a thought.....................best of luck with whatever decision you make......................

jrthebassguy · #9 10-03-2010, 01:09 AM

I've had about 5 or 6 friends go to school an audio engineering degree, and only one found a good job out of it (runs A/V for conventions at a hotel and makes VERY good scratch at it), the rest ended up doing other things (like waiting tables, or going back to school for a more practical degree). On the other hand, my 5 or so friends that went to school for nursing all found decent paying jobs relatively quickly after graduating.

Anecdotal evidence is anecdotal. Your experience could easily differ, after all.

J. Crawford · #10 10-03-2010, 06:34 AM

Thanks for the posts guys, you've been a big hrlp thus far. I'm using all your posts as straight reassurance that I'm making the right move.

i_got_a_mohawk · #11 10-03-2010, 06:42 AM

Nursing

Ziltoid · #12 10-03-2010, 08:08 AM

You'll know if nursing's for you once you hit the internships planned in your program. I've had a few friends change major after them, while it confirmed the desire to pursue for the others.

spade2you · #13 10-03-2010, 10:21 AM

Nursing. It's a solid job that will allow you to do anything you want in your free time. Another added bonus is that you often have opportunities to pick up overtime in the event of sick calls or being short staffed. You can make a killing if you're willing to pick up overtime.

blendermassacre · #14 10-03-2010, 10:30 AM

Look at it this way. Do you want to spend four years of college studying to be able to better your working / money situation, or do you want to spend four years of studying to better your musicianship? For me, I'm going to school to be a Mechanical Engineer, and I can play the bass all I want to from 5 pm till 8 am monday through friday and all weekend if I want. Whether you like it or not, making money is a necessity in this life. Obviously, making money being a main goal has it's obvious moral shortcomings (see every Die Hard movie), but being comfortable monetarily speaking is necessary to attempt to lead a satisfactory life

spade2you · #15 10-03-2010, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blendermassacre

Look at it this way. Do you want to spend four years of college studying to be able to better your working / money situation, or do you want to spend four years of studying to better your musicianship? For me, I'm going to school to be a Mechanical Engineer, and I can play the bass all I want to from 5 pm till 8 am monday through friday and all weekend if I want. Whether you like it or not, making money is a necessity in this life. Obviously, making money being a main goal has it's obvious moral shortcomings (see every Die Hard movie), but being comfortable monetarily speaking is necessary to attempt to lead a satisfactory life

Pretty much. It's rather unfortunate that being a musician isn't paying much these days and isn't always a stable source of income. I've had some musician friends worrying if/when/where their next paycheck is coming. I feel fortunate not having that hang over me.

I always tell people the bright side of doing a job that you don't like is that it makes coming home that much better and easier. Perhaps it's along the lines of Fred Flintstone, but clocking out tends to improve my mood ten fold.

steveksux · #16 10-03-2010, 10:48 AM

Nursing.

Nursing will allow you to buy great musical gear to play around with on the weekends. Join a weekend warrior band to scratch that itch.

If you want, by all means double major or minor in music, but university credits are pretty expensive. Finding a good teacher and taking private lessons, bass or theory, or both, would be a much more cost effective way to pursue nursing AND music simultaneously.

Randy

Phalex · #17 10-03-2010, 12:38 PM

I had a similar dilema a long long time ago. The advice my father gave me was to go with security. So, I abandoned any plans to go into entertainment and went to tech school instead.

23 years later, I'm working a job I really don't like with great security all week, and I'm playing in a band every weekend as a stress reliever as much as for the supplemental income.

The smart money is on nursing, but you're the one who has to live with this decision for the rest of your life. Do you like the nursing field? How much of a security junky are you? (My downfall right there) Do you feel you really have exceptional talent where the music stuff comes into play? It seems like you can take a ton of classes and get good grades and a degree, but some people are just better than others when it comes down to it.

IconBasser · #18 10-03-2010, 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phalex

I had a similar dilema a long long time ago. The advice my father gave me was to go with security. So, I abandoned any plans to go into entertainment and went to tech school instead.

23 years later, I'm working a job I really don't like with great security all week, and I'm playing in a band every weekend as a stress reliever as much as for the supplemental income.

The smart money is on nursing, but you're the one who has to live with this decision for the rest of your life. Do you like the nursing field? How much of a security junky are you? (My downfall right there) Do you feel you really have exceptional talent where the music stuff comes into play? It seems like you can take a ton of classes and get good grades and a degree, but some people are just better than others when it comes down to it.

the man makes a good point. Are you going to be happy sticking IV's into people and doing physicals for a living? If you're in it for security, there's plenty of degrees that can ensure a comfortable living. Business degrees for example: good income and relatively easy to acquire.

**cheezewiz** · #19 10-03-2010, 01:26 PM

If you'd like to get a job after college, it's a no brainer. Nursing.

spade2you · #20 10-03-2010, 01:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IconBasser

Business degrees for example: good income and relatively easy to acquire.

Unfortunately, if you ask recent grads, jobs in this area are hard to come by at the moment. I'm not bashing business degrees, but it's hard to beat the stability of healthcare.