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I work at a tech company for the financial services industry and it absolutely does matter where you go. In finance, the prestige of the institution is very important, especially starting out.
I suppose it depends on your field. A lawyer? Yes, having a degree from Harvard will look a lot better to an employer than a degree from Rural NC State University. However, with some fields, experience matters more than school.
Because we're hip and smart like that, yo. Get with the times.
If the need is there, I ain't seeing it right now.
Um, I've been an EH&S guy (briefly looked into doing grad school online at ECU for EH&S, btw, mixed it up and went to Florida instead) and things are pretty slow right now. You can hit up USJOBS.gov and apply for OSHA openings anywhere. Plant turnarounds aren't quite happening en masse right this moment, so even my bachelors isn't getting used right now. Heck, the strike at Lyondell refinery has a few of my friends hanging at home right now.
Out of curiosity, what did you get your BS. In? And are you saying the job market is so bad I won't be able to find work? Because I really like this and would hate to get a degree in a major with no jobs
Contact the Pitt County Environmental Health offices and ask to take a tour. I did my internship with the county as an undergrad and they have a great crew over there. There's a good mix of ECU/NCSU alumni who are excellent sources of advice. They were extremely welcoming and encouraging when I inquired about their day-to-day lives as ENVHLTH professionals.
School is what you make of it. There's a niche for everyone at a school with 27,000. Just keep looking.
Wow that's great are you an EH grad? If so are you working in EH?
Wow that's great are you an EH grad? If so are you working in EH?
I'm not but it's a great field. I was an environmental geography major with a focus on GIS. I was an intern in a different department but met some of the EH people. I'm about to finish my MS in a different field (one that I intended to major in as an.undergrad but took a different direction).
I did take a graduate class with Dr. Kelly. He might be someone good to talk to as well.
You sure UNC has a bigger party rep than ECU?
I'm from North Carolina and went to UNC.
ECU has always been labeled as a "party school". UNC, not as much.
At least not like NC State, App State or ECU.
Absolutely correct. While every college will have a high amount of partying, ECU has had the "party school" reputation for decades, probably more than anywhere in NC (whether it's true or not is another matter, but that's how the reputation goes)
How many different threads are you going to start basically asking for school/career advice?
Your counseling center/career office is the best place for these questions, truly. What makes someone get a job or not is related to a lot of factors, including major, previous internships/work experience, networking (who you know in the field to help you get jobs), etc. The "party" reputation of your school is far down the list.
Talk to a career counselor in your field who knows the market much better than folks on the Internet do.
How many different threads are you going to start basically asking for school/career advice?
Your counseling center/career office is the best place for these questions, truly. What makes someone get a job or not is related to a lot of factors, including major, previous internships/work experience, networking (who you know in the field to help you get jobs), etc. The "party" reputation of your school is far down the list.
Talk to a career counselor in your field who knows the market much better than folks on the Internet do.
So here's the deal. I'm currently a sophomore at ECU. While I enjoyed it for the first semester, I am now not so sure that this is the right school for me. I am not a fan of the rural environment and feel kinda trapped here. I also am not a huge fan of the student body. And although I completely disagree, ECU has gained a bad wrap in the eyes of the public as the "party school". Although I am not happy here, I LOVe my major, Environmental Health (basically like a health inspector). I want to transfer to NC state and I regret not applying in the first place. The only problem is that NC state has no environmental health program (along with all the other schools that appeal to me.) However, they do have an environmental science program, and this could technically qualify me for environmental health jobs, it just won't be as perfect for me as the EH major here at ECU. So basically, what's better? A great major from a so-so school, or a so-so major from a great school?
I was you 7 years ago. Spent my freshman year at ECU and hated it because of all of the things you have mentioned here and had that same "trapped" feeling. In my time there a student got stabbed in the lobby of White Hall by some random guy who wandered in from 5th street, and the school made national headlines because a snowball fight that broke out on college hill resulted in the police being called....and students throwing frozen oranges at the police.
Transferring to UNC was by far and away the best decision I have ever made. UNC has the school of Global Public Health with a concentration in Health and Policy Management that may be similar to what you are studying now. The atmosphere on campus in general is night and day and for me that was very refreshing coming from ECU. Below is the link to the department you would be in. UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health
Again, I know exactly where you are coming from and people will likely get very offended at the way you characterize ECU's student body and Greenville but it is what it is. The graduate level programs there are solid and there are some undergrads there who take their education seriously. Those who take their education seriously appeared to be in the minority when I was there though and it can be very frustrating if you are one of them and feel surrounded by peers who just don't care and who take pride in the fact that girls gone wild decided to film at the Rehab Lounge.
The school doesn't matter. What you major in and how good you did, does. So leave ECU if you want and transfer to Charlotte or State and don't think twice about it. Find someone in the field and see if some other program can get you where you want to be.
What about distance education? Does ECU do that for an undergraduate degree?
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