Do I listen to my advisor? Forum

[thomas.dowling96]

Hi this is my first post, so please forgive any agregious breach of protcol that I am unaware of!

So I am a Freshman at UIUC in my first semester. With my midterm grades I currently have a 4.0. I realize that its just the first semester and its unlikely that that trend continues, but so far I feel very unchallanged as far as classes go, and everything has been incredibly easy.

I am currently a double major in political science and histroy, and when speaking to my advisor he told me I should take some math/infomatic classes in the next four years. I am horrible at math, and I am afraid that if I take the classes my GPA will tank. But at the same time, it would make sense to have a minor in some math related feild, and it would make me more marketable. Do I take the math courses, or do I just focus on what I am strong in to ensure my GPA stays above a 3.8?

[phillywc]

For just law school admissions purposes, keep your GPA as high as possible.
For getting a job, taking Stats/CompSci classes could help. I don't know that pure math classes are gonna help you get a job.

You are a freshman. You don't know for sure yet law school is what you want to do. Take a class or two that will help with job skills in case you don't want to be a lawyer.

[smile0751]

I would suggest either Computer Programming or Economic classes over Math classes. I can't recall a single time I've ever used my "math class" information beyond the basic stuff, but I certainly use computer programming and the applied math learned in economics weekly, if not daily. Additionally, both Computer Programming and Economics teaches you a very useful way to think. For the record, I work as a business consultant.

[LET'S GET IT]

If you are dead set on going to law school, I would stay with the L.A stuff and keep your GPA up. That being said, I feel my business degree has made me slightly more marketable than people with political science or some other less useful degree.

[pancakes3]

With a political science/history major, you can go:
- grad school (PhD)
- law school
- get a job

and only grad school requires math/stat/econometrics so I say screw the math and try your best to keep that 4.0.

However if you truly feel bored, an intro stat class or econ shouldn't kill your GPA and will be pretty useful overall.

[Pneumonia]

With a political science/history major, you can go:
- grad school (PhD)
- law school
- get a job

and only grad school requires math/stat/econometrics so I say screw the math and try your best to keep that 4.0.

However if you truly feel bored, an intro stat class or econ shouldn't kill your GPA and will be pretty useful overall.

This is terrible analysis. Lol at the teaching market for Lib arts, and lol at getting a good job with a BA. Yes law school is an option with a 4.0 though (and the right LSAT).

OP a math minor isn't going to help you with anything job related, neither will any minor really. A CS or econ major will though, but that doesn't mean you should do that, especially if you hate it. If your pre-law advisor told you anything matters other than GPA/LSAT for admissions purposes, they were mistaken. Keep your GPA high and you'll have good law options if you choose to pursue that.

[pancakes3]

This is terrible analysis. Lol at the teaching market for Lib arts, and lol at getting a good job with a BA.

- People don't do well in political science PhD programs BECAUSE they can't hack the math. The ones who can definitely has options.
- I know literally hundreds of people with non-STEM BA degrees that are holding down decent jobs. Mostly in sales but there's HR, government jobs (paralegals, staffers), journalism, consulting, middle management, marketing, TFA, public relations, TV/Radio production

Graduating from UIUC with something close to a 4.0 GPA is absolutely employable at a 40-50k+ job.

[hopefulsplitter93]

With a political science/history major, you can go:
- grad school (PhD)
- law school
- get a job

and only grad school requires math/stat/econometrics so I say screw the math and try your best to keep that 4.0.

However if you truly feel bored, an intro stat class or econ shouldn't kill your GPA and will be pretty useful overall.

huh?