what did you study?

[Leon]

so i'm responding to this thread...
http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/showthread.php?t=2839
...when i realized that lots of us are either in college or have already graduated. i know what a few of you studied, but not many.

so what did you all study in school?

i started at the Uni of Cincinnati in the engineering department. after being kicked out, i went to physics for the astronomy. after 5 years at UC i graduated with a BS in physics, and am currently going for my MS here in Bowling Green, OH (BGSU).

for those that didn't go to college or are out of school, what's it like out there in the real world?

did any of you choose the military after high school?

 

[The Dark Wolf]

I started out a music/english major, did that for awhile, but then my dad developed some serious health problems, as well as losing his job due to the aforementioned illness (Smoking related. All you smokers out there, I wish you could have seen my dad 4 years ago. Yikes.) I took 3 years off school, to help out around here, and try to get our lives straight.

Dad's much better now (no smoking, thank God), and although we don't have alot, we live OK, and get by. Decided to go back to school last year, but this time to get an associate's degree in accounting, to basically get a decent job in the short term. As in the other post, I plan to get my BA in geography and planning, and then hopefully a master's in public administration.

I worked in the real world before I went to college. It sucked

 

[eleven59]

I'm in a program called Music Industry Arts at Fanshawe College here in London, Ontario. I went into General Arts and Sciences for a year straight out of high school and then into MIA (as we call it, for various reasons ). I don't think I'll ever see the "real world" though, as I'm hoping to get into producing/engineering if the band doesn't take off I love the program I'm in, though, it's amazing. The students, the teachers, the studios, the experiences, it's all awesome.

 

[Leon]

I don't think I'll ever see the "real world" though...

if my plans go my way (PhD in Astrophys working as a professor), i won't ever have to enter that real world place either

 

[Jeff]

Well I've been in the real world pretty much the whole time I've been in school; working IT in the day, going to school at night. And as I said in the other thread, I just got done with orientation for my master's, which starts soon.

I want to teach and work, so I'll be having a busy schedule.

 

[telecaster90]

Not in college yet, but I plan on studying Jazz Guitar and Political Sciences. Maybe go to Law school afterwords, unless the Guitar thing takes over.

 

[Drache713]

i already have one year of mechanical engineering under my belt, but i just switched over to get my BS in business with an emphasis in accounting.

 

[The Dark Wolf]

i already have one year of mechanical engineering under my belt, but i just switched over to get my BS in business with an emphasis in accounting.

Another acountant! We must gravitate to 7-strings naturally. 7 is 1 more than 6. See, no wonder we like'em.

 

[oRg]

Right now I'm currently a Junior at SVSU in the Electrical Engineering major and a Music minor. I plan on specializing in Computer and Audio Engineering. I've been recently thinking about my Senior Design project and what I should do. After I graduate with my BSEE, I plan on going to either MTU or MIT, whichever is within my budget, and staying there until I get my PhD in Audio Engineering.

 

[Drew]

Graduated from Middlebury College with a BA in American Literature focused in creative writing, and an "unofficial" music minor - I completed the program, but didn't get the paperwork in in time.

I've since spent 4 months at a Banana Republic as a fashion industry whore and a year and a half at State Street as an accountant. The real world does, in fact, suck, but it's not without it's perks (when I graduated, my main guitar was a 7620, and currently I'm splitting time between a PWH and a CST - I'm single, so I spend a lot on guitars that would otherwise go to a girlfriend. ). I'm pretty burned out with my job, though, and am trying to get out of a hard finance field... Keep your fingers crossed for me.

 

[FoxMustang]

I graduated from the University of Missouri - Rolla in '02 with a BS in Computer Engineering. Great education, but it wasn't any fun. Most students there take five years to complete the BS degree, I did it in four so you can imagine how busy I was. Makes working a real job seem easy by comparison (you only want me to do four projects at once? No sweat. Only work 40 hours a week? Nice. And you'll pay me? Cool ).

It's kinda hard to explain what I actually do to people outside the industry. My job title is Firmware Engineer, which is a type of computer programming. Not the computers that sit on your desk, but small computers that are "embedded" in things (like, say, the controllers in a G-Major or ISP Decimator or Midi control board). The stuff I actually work on is mostly for corporate datacenters.

 

[smueske]

I have a MFA in Writing and a BA in English and Philosophy. I'm currently taking classes for a second masters degree and various undergraduate music theory courses.

Steve

 

[Regor]

I went to Wayne State University for 5 years, was pre-med, changed my mind, got my BS in Bio Sci. Graduated, got a job at GC, lost that job, went back to work there again, got a job doing research at WSU, didn't like it, got a job as a chemist at a HazMat facility (current job).

Real world sux.

 

[Drache713]

Another acountant! We must gravitate to 7-strings naturally. 7 is 1 more than 6. See, no wonder we like'em.

Yeah, we can count all of the strings, not just 6! I figured I'd become an accountant because the school i go to (UCCS) has the best business school in the state, and i'm PRETTY damn good with numbers, do a lot of paperwork, and figured subconsciously i'd follow in my dad's footsteps

 

[BCrowell]

I started out a Music Major, with MIDI as my instrument. The professor was a real narrow-minded individual, and wouldn't accept me doing work with my MIDI guitar. Sure I could play piano fine, but I wasn't a prodigy, and back then...if you weren't a prodigy, they treated ya like crap.

SOOO, just like oRg plans, I switched to Electrical Engineering. (Also minored in Computer Science). Though I tried to get in the door to Digitech, Mesa Boogie, Fender, etc... I just didn't have the contacts or experience. While the dream continues, I have yet been able to get a job in the audio electronics industry as planned.

Leon, keep up the career as a college student bro...the working world sucks. It would seem any job today is at least 50% political, and 50% what your trained to be!

So I spent my first 3 years working for Kearfott, working as an embedded systems engineer on weopon actuator systems (tomahawk cruise missles, smart bombs, M1A1, ISSA, etc...).

Then I went to Black & Decker/DeWALT for 6 years. Which I loved...Chances are, if you purchased a CORDED DeWALT tool in the last 4 years, I designed the electronic control that gives you variable speed, etc.. Things turned sour, 1500 laid off, etc.. you know the stories..

Now, after 9 years in the biz, I'm still a cubicle dweller, for another company that really doesn't matter, in yet another biz that considers you an expendible resource. God I miss school.

 

[eleven59]

I started out a Music Major, with MIDI as my instrument. The professor was a real narrow-minded individual, and wouldn't accept me doing work with my MIDI guitar. Sure I could play piano fine, but I wasn't a prodigy, and back then...if you weren't a prodigy, they treated ya like crap.

SOOO, just like oRg plans, I switched to Electrical Engineering. (Also minored in Computer Science). Though I tried to get in the door to Digitech, Mesa Boogie, Fender, etc... I just didn't have the contacts or experience. While the dream continues, I have yet been able to get a job in the audio electronics industry as planned.

Leon, keep up the career as a college student bro...the working world sucks. It would seem any job today is at least 50% political, and 50% what your trained to be!

So I spent my first 3 years working for Kearfott, working as an embedded systems engineer on weopon actuator systems (tomahawk cruise missles, smart bombs, M1A1, ISSA, etc...).

Then I went to Black & Decker/DeWALT for 6 years. Which I loved...Chances are, if you purchased a CORDED DeWALT tool in the last 4 years, I designed the electronic control that gives you variable speed, etc.. Things turned sour, 1500 laid off, etc.. you know the stories..

Now, after 9 years in the biz, I'm still a cubicle dweller, for another company that really doesn't matter, in yet another biz that considers you an expendible resource. God I miss school.

Sounds like you need to start your own business building/modding effects pedals, amps, etc. Heck, I may be in need of someone like you in a few years when I have some money and want to start working out some of the ideas in my head (one of which is a special cable/switcher box that lets you run magnetic, piezo, and synth signals through one cable from your guitar, and then split it up to it's different destinations at your pedalboard, while also letting you switch them on/off from the pedalboard).

 

[BCrowell]

Sounds like you need to start your own business building/modding effects pedals, amps, etc. Heck, I may be in need of someone like you in a few years when I have some money and want to start working out some of the ideas in my head (one of which is a special cable/switcher box that lets you run magnetic, piezo, and synth signals through one cable from your guitar, and then split it up to it's different destinations at your pedalboard, while also letting you switch them on/off from the pedalboard).

Heh heh, I have a whole drawer full of effects pedals schematics. There have been quite a few that I've built up and modified. It's really interesting how Keeley makes good money, just for taking a simple DS-1, changing the type of Diodes in it (usually 2c and takes a few minutes), and getting 100$ for the work! Again, it's not only what you know, but who knows YOU!

The main thing going on today is algorithms. Mimicing everything analog, in the digital domain, as VSTs, RTAS, DX plugins. I'm suprised someone hasn't modeled old effect pedals yet...hmmm, that's an idea.

As for your idea, it's a good one, and actually Gibson is working on something similar. Inside the guitar they actually digitize all the signals(24bit 96kHz), and then via a network cable, send it down stream to an amp that breaks out the individual data(signals) before going into the preamp. What is awesome is EACH STRING has it's own converter and signal path, which can give you HUGE versatility in sound. Imagine taking the B & E strings from the neck PU, the mid strings from another, and the high strings from the bridge...WOW! Quite inventive. I'd kill to be working with them on that... (what Line6 is doing is totally different, using modeling algorithms in the guitar, modifying the signals, and IMHO SUCKS!)

 

[Leon]

Tony, i almost went to Rolla! i was scoping out engineering schools, and it was down to either the Uni of Cincy, or UM Rolla. i went to UC namely because it was instate and closer to my immediate family. i do have family just south of Rolla, but they're old

Brian, thanks for the encouragement! i sometimes forget how much it really sucks out there when i'm buried in homework. though, at the same time, i'm a bit stuck at BGSU right now, and PAYING for it too! most graduate students don't have to pay, but i do, because i don't look that great on paper. doh!

 

[Chris]

I started as an English major, switched to CE my Sophmore year, finished up 4 years in the 6-year plan after taking off for an industry job and going nights. I have my masters in CE now, and will pay student loans until the day I die. I also moonlight as a porn star in movies about porn stars with massive wangs.

Ok, I made that last part up.

 

[Vegetta]

Went to a small Private school and majored in English communications minored in Visual Communications

Went back to a 2 year Tech school to study Web Programming

Now work for an advertising agency and do Web Programming and design (php/mysql) Graphic Design/ Audio/video editing (TV and Radio Commercials and a couple of infomercials) Dvd authoring