Which course to do in college?

finality

So I'm in sixth year and I'm having some serious trouble deciding on what to do in college. I've applied to neuroscience in the UK and I have medicine, neuroscience and electronic & computer engineering on my CAO.

So it's basically between three courses, but I'm driving myself crazy because I keep changing my mind.
I think I would find the engineering course the most enjoyable, I love maths and electronics and it just seems like a very fun course. It would also mean great career prospects.
I'm extremely interested in medicine. I regularly read about illnesses and disorders and drugs online. I would absolutely love to be a psychiatrist, but it would take me something like, what, 15+ years to become one? I'm worried about the workload and the number of hours per week too, I have problems motivating myself.
The same goes for neuroscience, it's fascinating. We know so little about how the brain works and I'd love to be involved in developing our understanding of it. The idea of discovering treatments for neurological and psychiatric disorders is amazing.

For all 3 courses, I'm worried that I won't be as interested as I'd like to be in the courses, it's so hard to know what exactly they'll entail on a daily basis. If I end up doing a course I don't like it'll be so frustrating and I really don't want to waste a year and then end up changing to a different course.

Can anyone shed any light on this at all for me? Any help would be much appreciated. :P

Dwellingdweller

What about doing a general science degree? That way you'll have time to figure out exactly what you want to do and won't be so rushed That's my plan, I've undenominated science down in NUIG and I'm hoping to do Pharmacology as my degree and hopefully get a postgrad in Neuropharmacology/Psychopharmacology. I'm mainly interested in it 'cos I'm fascinated by how drugs work on people's brains :P And, points for undenominated science courses are usually low enough, compared to medicine, so it takes some of the pressure off ya for the Leaving

Chuchoter

I personally don't see the purpose in doing a neuroscience degree as at the end of it you don't have a neuroscience degree, you have a general science one and if I was trying to research something, I'd probably hire a doctor who specialized in neurology. I could be completely wrong but that's just how it seems to me

Medicine, its hard but the people who do it seem to like it. Make sure you like learning things off by heart, as according to my biology teacher thats the main difference between med and science. Science you get to do experiments and think for yourself, med you go learn things.

Engineering is something I have on my own CAO and it does seem really interesting! Apparently the maths is tough but sure thats what you'd expect. Also, energy is going to be a big deal in the future so there's your jobs. Only thing is, don't believe what they say about there being loads of brilliant well paid computer engineering jobs in Ireland, they're really aren't.

Anita Blow

Chuchoter wrote: »

I personally don't see the purpose in doing a neuroscience degree as at the end of it you don't have a neuroscience degree, you have a general science one and if I was trying to research something, I'd probably hire a doctor who specialized in neurology. I could be completely wrong but that's just how it seems to me

Not sure how NUIG do it but if you do General Science then Neuroscience in 3rd+4th year in Trinity, you graduate with a Neuroscience degree. Same for any other specialization.
A person with a degree in Neuroscience would know far more in that area than a neurologist