Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
A History/Geography double-major is extremely impressive btw. That means you can reconcile two very different world views.
Where do people get these ideas?? It means he took a bunch of courses in two popular subjects, along with thousands of other young adults. A college degree means virtually nothing as far as what you can or can't do or even what you know. Today, it's little more than a right of passage and a handful of electives that have been shown to add up to almost no actual knowledge at all.
There are basically three current dominant traditions in Geography, geosciences, spatial analysis, and human-environment, a transition from the era where human-environment interaction and field-and-region dominated. History, meanwhile, has diverged into a series of field and period studies, basically a refinement of field and region with a stronger element of progressive development rather than spatial autocorrelation.
The analytic styles are different, the writing styles are different, and the research styles are radically different. Getting a degree in both signifies a great deal about a person's ability to adapt research methods and writings styles, but more importantly their ability to essentially empathize on a cultural level. It is like the equivalent of being a biochemist and an astrophysicist at once.
I don't think people are belittling you so much as they are concerned and warning you that putting your time and tuition money (which is not dischargeable at bankrupcy and will follow you the rest of your life) is very very risky. It is your life and you can feel free to ignore their sincere advice.
I agree it is very risky to major in something that does not teach you directly applicable skills for a job (and don't give me the soft skills argument business don't hire that way anymore).
You simply need to be aware you may be put into a position of taking jobs that don't require college at all (retail, fast food etc) with crushing student loan and that is a very tough place to be.
Right on the $.
I'll be honest. I have a degree that I consider pretty useless and it's more professional based and practical than either Geography or History. Even though it didn't cost me anything and the educational experience was great, I could have spent that time pursuing a degree that would have helped me more in my career.
So, it's pretty scary. You're kind of racing against time and $ to decide which degrees will help you be where you want to be in the future.
I don't think people are belittling you so much as they are concerned and warning you that putting your time and tuition money (which is not dischargeable at bankrupcy and will follow you the rest of your life) is very very risky. It is your life and you can feel free to ignore their sincere advice.
I agree it is very risky to major in something that does not teach you directly applicable skills for a job (and don't give me the soft skills argument business don't hire that way anymore).
You simply need to be aware you may be put into a position of taking jobs that don't require college at all (retail, fast food etc) with crushing student loan and that is a very tough place to be.
I am actually not taking out loans for my undergrad degree, due to the generosity of my parents, extended family, and fin aid/ scholarships. I obviously want to make it up to them, but I am not expected to pay it back, or anything else. If I went to get a graduate degree I would probably have to take out some loans (Though I can't say the amount now, depends on when I go and stuff like that).
If I continue with my plan, I would be focussing on learning GIS and basic programming for my geography major, and on African History for my History degree (I know it doesn't matter so much for undergrad, but my school expects you to declare a concentration).
If I continue with my plan, I would be focussing on learning GIS and basic programming for my geography major, and on African History for my History degree (I know it doesn't matter so much for undergrad, but my school expects you to declare a concentration).
Anyways, Fee's hangouts routinely focus on emerging areas in the industry, and the latest one with Dave Bouwman really gives some insight into where GIS might be going.
Think about what attracts you about those majors. Which parts of it are you good at? Think about developing the skills you enjoy most. I perhaps talk it over with a career counselor. You can also look through your schools alumni database if they have one and see what alums in your majors are doing now. Try to get an idea of what jobs you'd like to try first. Think in terms of picking things that would allow you to use those skills you are good at and love every day.
Once you have some ideas on where you'd like to start post graduation, get to work landing internships and/or volunteer experiences that position you for a job in those fields. Join professional organizations if applicable. Not having to worry about money is a gift! Use it to its maxim advantage. You can work unpaid. That's like gold.
I am a freshman in college (coming up on the end of my second semester).
I am currently a History/Geography double major, and while I love what I am studying (and doing well in it), everytime I tell someone what I am majoring in they tell me I will never get a job, I am wasting my education, etc...
Thing is that I do not want to study something I absolutely hate simply because that is how to get a job. I am lucky enough that my parents are helping me pay and I have a generous amount of scholarships/financial aid and I do not have to take out any college loans. My parents are 100% behind me persueing my interests in college BTW, my father especially (he got a degree in a subject he despised just to get a job, and by the time he graduated he could not stand to work in said field).
I am interested in moving on to graduate school eventually, possibly in University administration/ Public administration/ International Affairs/ History/ geography. I wouldn't be opposed to going on to get a PHd eventually as well. I am very interested in Government, education and politics (I am from DC and in High School I had an internship at a government agency), and could definitely see myself working in the government to some degree.
Anyway, I am not asking whether or not this is a good choice of majors, I know neither History or geography is a very markettable degree, I just wanted to know whether you believe I should just scrap my plans and major is something else the is more marketable, but is boring and much more challenging to me.
I think that is a fascinating major! I also think that there is so much that you can do with this combination of areas in the fields that interest you. People are "marketable" when they peruse their interests with passion, not when they try to fit themselves into a mold that was not designed for their gifts.
You will do best in love if you study the areas for which you have a passion! I applaud you, and your parents, for their support of your academic interests.
It is up to you to prove them wrong, prove it to them that you can succed with a "weak" major. No doubt if your major was nursing, accounting, finance or some sort of science etc... you would get no gruff.
Get those internships, part time work over the summer-and yes that means starting freshmen year summer.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
(That is just poking fun at Fee, who deserves it.)
