I think the university teaches you most what NOT to do, most of the time. If you can approach religion or philosophy subjects from a more historical perspective, you will have a good foundation for further self-development. What I find about philosophy is that you'll be learning more about Western philosophy...Kant, Rousseau, Nietzsche etc. More of them offer no escape, only blames and burdens. They ideas are more like double cheeseburgers on a hot summer day...

Medicine? Please! Every doctor friend I have regretted having gone to med school. Nurses on the other hand, is a more "helpful" profession.

Regardless of what it is, I think you will find buddha-nature in everything that you do and everything that comes to you, especially if you have a compassionate nature. You can incorporate Buddhism in every aspect of every subject. I believe deep down you already know what you are going to pursue.

Al

Quote: "I joined the army national guard to help pay for school, I guess I wouldn't do that today, I'd go air guard. Today, the environment, the cost of gas, everything is getting tighter than when I was in my early 20's. But I had to find my own directions. I've always been a pretty hands on person. Nursing is definitely a hands on profession. Each day in nursing is a little different, but there's good karma in it, and I believe that being a good nurse means suspending my own needs. My aging has dramatically changed my interest in self satisfaction, and I deal with a pretty large degree of emotional angst, and in life, this life, for me the biggest lesson is to release suffering, mine as any others. I can even feel the frustration of Alan over wayward postings, and identify with his frustration. I am guilty no doubt.. I feel the genre it self, being a written format is fairly sterile, again, I'm hands on... to see if I can heal, even here. "
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With One Own Direction Set Many Appreciates Nursing 

With Metta

First off, thank you all for staying on the topic.

Secondly, I want to share my experience. I was quite gung-ho to tackle Bioscience & Biotechnology right out of high school so I ended up at a school that promised so much of what I was looking for and more. I wanted to be a doctor. I wanted to help people.

After the first year, I felt completely unprepared for medical school as I did not feel that I learned anything more than my last year at high school. I asked to be "accelerated", but only to deaf ears.

After the second year with Bio, I developed my interest in computers. Having done lots of "website stuff" in the dorms, I decided to switch major to Comp Sci. After 3 days, I decided that it wasn't "right". The "Logics" class was the main reason. I couldn't comprehend the logic in "Logic" so I switched to Management Information System.

After 1 school year (2 quarters) of MIS, which comprised of all business classes, I got a co-op internship at a consulting company. I had A LOT of freedom to build and create internet applications and became passionate about it. Then it hits me, I don't need a stinking major to get a job in MIS, so I switched back to Bio to finish it out.

I ended up with 217 credits when only 185 were required to graduate (185 is about the equivalent of semester-based schools' 120+ credits), but I never made it medical school even though I completed all my requirements for pre-med (I finished college with a 4.0 GPA) *toot horn*. My opinion of the medical profession changed a great deal through college: the lack of patient-doctor relationship, the impersonal 15-minute appointments, the role of HMO, the high cost of malpractice driving the cost of healthcare to an inhumane level, etc.

In anyc ase, even with a Bio degree, I got hired by a large consulting firm immediately after school and have been there since 2000 without an ounce of regret and love my job.

So where is the "helping people" part? None, nil, nowhere. I haven't helped anyone. I helped myself and my families being a good financial provider doing the job that I love. I help companies to achieve business objectives, in turn, their bottom line. I MAY have helped some people, in some very indirect ways, but I am devoid of all true "cares" with my line of work.

My points? College may or may not get you the job you set out to get. If you want to really help people, get into a profession that provide direct care. Nursing or teaching come immediately to mind. Civil services like social work, police service, may worth some thoughts. You can excercise and maintain compassion in these lines of work, "incorporating Buddhist philosophy" if you want to think of it that way. Compassion is not only in Buddhism. You can also volunteer outside of work, if your work is not impacting people.

Best of luck with whatever you choose to do. Don't forget to have fun though, that's what college is REALLY all about. :)

Al