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We met with the Academic Adviser of one of my sons at the private college he is going to and the Adviser pushed a liberal arts major like crazy. He insisted that the career planning and placement office strongly believe due to research and discussions with employers that there is no link between a students major and their success at getting a good job after college. When we pushed him in disbelief he stood firm.
He INSISTED that a Political Science Major has just as good a chance to get a great job shortly after graduation than someone who majored in Electrical Engineering. He is pushing a liberal arts major to all the students and parents who are assigned to him and most follow his advance.
This adviser is probably like many college professors. They have never been outside of academia and have no clue what the real world is like.
We met with the Academic Adviser of one of my sons at the private college he is going to and the Adviser pushed a liberal arts major like crazy. He insisted that the career planning and placement office strongly believe due to research and discussions with employers that there is no link between a students major and their success at getting a good job after college. When we pushed him in disbelief he stood firm.
He INSISTED that a Political Science Major has just as good a chance to get a great job shortly after graduation than someone who majored in Electrical Engineering. He is pushing a liberal arts major to all the students and parents who are assigned to him and most follow his advance.
Not really a suprise, the advisors, the professors, will defend up and down and up again the value of the degree. Remeber if people don't major in their field, funding gets cut, department gets cut, people get fired etc... They have a reason to sell the degree.
Really though poly sci vs engineering, unless you plan on going to law school or really have no passion for engineering-tis not even a contest. How can he say with a straight face that a poltical science major has an equal shot as a Electrical eng grad?
If you plan on going the liberal arts route, really, really think before going in. And good lord please don't let the advisors voice by the only source of reason you are listening to
So, did this 'adviser' provide any verifiable data to back up his opinion?
Here's a payscale report for undergrad degrees which shows that Poli Sci majors make $40,300 (rank #53) while EEs make $63,400 (rank #6) as a starting salary:
That's fine. Not everyone has the Math/Physics aptitude for EE, or CE, or ME, or medicine or whatever. That's what a lot of you "experts" in education can't seem to grasp. Have you ever thought that people play to their strengths in education (or should unless they're on a mission to flunk out) and that particular student may not have the requisite skill set to major in EE, or whatever? Add to the equation that Engineering programs at most, if not all schools, are competitive for placement and you have yourself a conundrum.
I can also go back to a previous decade (the 1970's) and show that engineering was a field to avoid.
That's fine. Not everyone has the Math/Physics aptitude for EE, or CE, or ME, or medicine or whatever. That's what a lot of you "experts" in education can't seem to grasp. Have you ever thought that people play to their strengths in education (or should unless they're on a mission to flunk out) and that particular student may not have the requisite skill set to major in EE, or whatever? Add to the equation that Engineering programs at most, if not all schools, are competitive for placement and you have yourself a conundrum.
I can also go back to a previous decade (the 1970's) and show that engineering was a field to avoid.
The point is that if you're going to spend the money to go to college you need to get a degree where you can actually get a job when you graduate. Of course there are many more degrees than engineering and a person should play to their strengths. If the strength does not mean a college degree there are trade schools and vocational schools that play to people's strengths and allow them to have decent jobs once they get out. Going to college and getting a degree that has extremely limited prospects is a HUGE waste of money and time.
The point is that if you're going to spend the money to go to college you need to get a degree where you can actually get a job when you graduate. Of course there are many more degrees than engineering and a person should play to their strengths. If the strength does not mean a college degree there are trade schools and vocational schools that play to people's strengths and allow them to have decent jobs once they get out. Going to college and getting a degree that has extremely limited prospects is a HUGE waste of money and time.
I'll ask the same question I asked earlier which still hasn't been answered: Do you know what trades/skills/crafts will be in demand in 5 years? 10? 20?
Are you by any chance related to my mother? Until the day she died she couldn't believe I had a job with my degree. That was 27 years of disbelief. Of course she also told me that I was too stupid to go to college until I was 18. Then she evicted me.
I'll ask the same question I asked earlier which still hasn't been answered: Do you know what trades/skills/crafts will be in demand in 5 years? 10? 20?
Are you by any chance related to my mother? Until the day she died she couldn't believe I had a job with my degree. That was 27 years of disbelief. Of course she also told me that I was too stupid to go to college until I was 18. Then she evicted me.
Of course I don't know what skills will be around 5, 10, or 20 years from now. The point is, there are certain jobs that are likely going to be around and are probably going to be safe bets for a major. Businesses will probably be around at that time. Schools will be around at that time. Buildings will still need to be built. You can't always predict what will be around but there are certain programs that are a safer bet than others.
No, I am not related to your mother. If someone gets a job and it is in a degree that is usually not considered a good one, I'm not going to argue with the fact that they have a job. What do you mean that your mom said you were too stupid to go to college until you were 18? That's when most people go to college.
I'll ask the same question I asked earlier which still hasn't been answered: Do you know what trades/skills/crafts will be in demand in 5 years? 10? 20?
Like the previous poster said, some fields are safer bets than others. It's unwise to pretend that there isn't ample information available about what these safer bets are.
Majors that have a high demand in the marketplace and a low supply of skilled people are the ones which will generally pay the most. This is how you make a costly college education worth the price.
Last edited by BigCityDreamer; 10-20-2012 at 11:07 PM..
Of course I don't know what skills will be around 5, 10, or 20 years from now. The point is, there are certain jobs that are likely going to be around and are probably going to be safe bets for a major. Businesses will probably be around at that time. Schools will be around at that time. Buildings will still need to be built. You can't always predict what will be around but there are certain programs that are a safer bet than others.
No, I am not related to your mother. If someone gets a job and it is in a degree that is usually not considered a good one, I'm not going to argue with the fact that they have a job. What do you mean that your mom said you were too stupid to go to college until you were 18? That's when most people go to college.
Hard to write what I meant which was that she said that on a daily basis until I turned 18 and she changed the locks on the house, put my stuff on the carport and wouldn't renew my lease with her, which I'd had since I was 15.
Quote:
Originally Posted by BigCityDreamer
Like the previous poster said, some fields are safer bets than others. It's unwise to pretend that there isn't ample information available about what these safer bets are.
Majors that have a high demand in the marketplace and a low supply of skilled people are the ones which will generally pay the most. This is how you make a costly college education worth the price.
I don't pretend that at all. What you aren't recognizing is that there are reasons for the shortage of people in those fields, one of which is the fact that not everyone (in fact damn few people) have the necessary skills to do them.
I don't think anyone can predict with perfect accuracy what field will be in demand in the next 5, 10 years etc... but one can make "safe" guesses, bets etc... At the end of the day they are still guesses no matter how safe or statsically sound they maybe. That being said I would still approach college with a mindset of majoring in something that is still practical 5 years from now. Now if I was just entering college my mindset would be-There is a good chance the world will still need Engineers and Accountants in 5 years so perhaps Eng andn accounting is something I will consider majoring in.
Of course there are other factors like, apptiude, do I enjoy the work, am I skilled in it-and those should def be take into consideration when chosing what to study in additon to what i mentioned above
Of course I don't know what skills will be around 5, 10, or 20 years from now. The point is, there are certain jobs that are likely going to be around and are probably going to be safe bets for a major. Businesses will probably be around at that time. Schools will be around at that time. Buildings will still need to be built. You can't always predict what will be around but there are certain programs that are a safer bet than others.
And it's fairly evident that there will always be a shortage of people who are able to write correctly, cogently, and professionally. It's a shrinking skill set.
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