Civil engineer or physicist are most relavent. Manufacturing engineer and mechanical being close trailers, however everything from chemical engineering, to oceanography, to biology can all be applied. It's as multidisciplined as any other frontier of science.

The reality is: Get your first 2-3 years of mathematics and english in community college, and then use the money you would have spent on those 2-3 years in a 4 year school to study as many disciplines of advanced studies as you can afford. Avoid graduation for as long as possible and get your masters if possible, but avoid a PhD as it pretty much dooms you to acedemia.

Law can even be applied IE: patents.

They want you to believe you have to choose fresh out of high school, but after several years of working and studying manufacturing engineering it has become obvious how symbolic declared majors really are.(For example: I changed mine to economics as a joke)

People who study engineering rarely know what they're signing up for. Compare median salary's with in your chosen specialty to know if the job justifies the debt. Machinists and mechanical engineers can make comparable amounts of money.

Do what you love and the money will follow, but math and writting are universally useful for whatever it is you love. Focus on general studies. The first two years of most majors are virtually the same across the board. Go to community college.

     I think both careers you have in mind are applicable. Since you lean towards genetic engineering i think you shouldn't hold yourself back (but honestly engineering faculties are harsh if you are interested in nightlife ;) we had 1-2 girls in our classes here in comp. engineering so i changed to IT then to economics) That said, genetic engineering has various uses in seasteading as well, like engineering aquacultural plant and animal species. Genetic engineering is being hold back by publics' traditions and religions in most if not all countries. I do believe seasteading communities will be the best enviroment for genetic engineering studies.

     Good luck in your studies and as tusavision said focus on your general studies for starters make sure your math is enough before starting college it might become a pain in the ass if you approach it like 'i'll learn what i need in college anyways'....

Really, university is just a distraction.

There might be lots of "hype" that it's worthwhile,

and perhaps for getting a few extra dollars ontop of a slave wage it is.

University is just lots of theoretical stuff,

engineering with large math components,

the vast majority of which is garbage no one uses,

just like grade school.

They only teach how to be a boring academic person.

Universities limit themselves to knowledge produced through the difficult and expensive process of "peer reviewed journals",

the internet has a lot more information available, in much more practical and usable fashions.

If you're actually interested in mechanical engineering,

then do some, build some mechanical things.

Like robots.

here's a simple robot tutorial:

http://www.societyofrobots.com/robot_tutorial.shtml

If you're interesting in genetic engineering,

then do some genetic engineering.

here's a simple dna extraction (video) tutorial:

http://www.eyeondna.com/2007/08/18/dna-video-diy-dna-extraction/

might as well get practically involved.

tranquil aware desire choice love express intuit channel

 Lowki

P.S.

You can go to university for free,

just get a lecture schedule and attend some classes,

you'll see what I mean,

it's just some guy or fem drawling on,

since they have a few hours to fill with noise from their oral cavity.

There are labs, where people do "experiments",

but really everyone does the same experiment,

and has to get the same or very similar answers to the teacher.

It's conformist and doesn't teach you to be a creative individual that can make your own creations.

As for "tools" the university might have,

if you'd like to be a genetic or mechanical engineer,

you might as well get the tools,

there is openmanufacturing.org mailing list,

the open hardware movement basically allows one to have a lab at home.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-n39RK4inzg

might have to build some of your own tools,

but that's part of the fun. :-)

Also cheaper to repair if you know how you built it,

also a contribution to the open source community.

I would say one of the main benefits is access to equipment for extracuricular activities.

I wouldn't discourage you from going for the lampskin not because it's a garunteed job, because it isn't(employers would rather pay for experience than paper) but because the alternative is where I'm at in life. More educated than a highschool graduate, having to pay for an education I've already gotten the hard way so I can get academic credit for it towards a degree.

Might as well get that education the easy way the first time and get credit for it. I'm pro-college. Especially while all the old people who gambled and lost on the 401K/IRA thing are taking your jobs flipping burgers for the next 10 years. Eventually: this glut of cheap labor is going to be on Social Security and the cost of living will have to adjust.(via higher taxes resulting in less disposable income)

Focus on your foreign languages, mathmatics, and your extracuricular activities. Those are the things that get you jobs. Not grades alone. Always make friends with the professors. It makes school easier when your teachers like you. They know the ins and outs of the system, and you get special privledges regarding equipment/opportunities as a consequence.

Hi Zach, 

Speaking as an employer, both your options are equally valid, but keep in mind that genetic engineering might not give you as many options as mechanical. Other options you might want to consider are: 

Marine Biology(aquaculture)
Maritime Engineering
Naval Architecture
Chemistry(Food and nutrition)
Civil Engineering

Though I should point out that those are with regards to my own company. And I have to agree with Tusavision; Extra-curricular activities and languages will help you far more than your major. I've interviewed far too many academically qualified frogs who've just recently climbed out of their wells. Travel as much as possible, visit other cultures, study other religions, live different lifestyles. That's what'll make you hirable, the degree just gets your foot in the door. 

 King Shannon of the Constitutional Monarchy of Logos.

Go for pimpin'. 10 hookers on a seastead will make you tons of cash dude.

http://articles.sfgate.com/2006-10-10/news/17314668_1_massage-parlor-sou...

Practically a how-to article if that's your bag.

No need to promote the idea. There will never be any shortage of lazy people willing to get shot over the pipe dreams of easy money and glamour.

I assuming we're talking criminal?

Of course: the relevent degree would be an associates in business management.

:P

MBA in Human Resources is another fun one. That one's good for industrial espionage if that's your cup of tea.

Just give the young man some sound, solid advice. After 4 years of college, and thousands of $ in debt, the year is 2015 or so. 90% of the US job market will be outsourced thanks to US Gov Inc., a big time whore, pimped by US Corporate Inc. How many unemployed engineers with 10-20 years experience will be looking for a job then? Thousands,...Who will get one? Not Zach, for sure,...but some foreigner brought here on a G1 visa who will work for a third of the wage of an american one, no healthcare, no workers comp, no benefits whatsoever.

Sounds like a good reason to learn Chinese. Someone has to get on the phone to the American sweatshops and communicate design revisions for the newest 3d karaoke machine.

Hyperinflation=weak american dollar ->return of manufacturing to the USA...

America will auction off it's sovereignty before it's citizens will give up the crack rock of treasury sales/cheap plastic imported garbage.

Anything to keep the government jobs(bribes)/services(bribes) flowing.

Thanks for the advice everyone, i will look in to all of the suggestions.

@elspru-  thanks for the links. im looking at both of them as im posting this.

@OCEANOPOLIS-   i will start pimpin on land now, that way when the seasteads are built i can be the first pimp to get there. 

@xnsdvd-   thanks for the other job suggestions. its good to hear things from an employers point of view. i already travel as much as i can around the world, so hopefully that will end up being helpful.