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My major was history. I took some computer classes too, and ended up working in that. Unfortunately, as I didn't have enough 'updated' knowledge of the latest (not my fault the place I worked used stuff from the cyberdinasour age) I ended up not working in it long. I wish I had persued my dream to teach history. But I've long gotten compliments on stuff I've written, how it had depth and especially when its unconventional, how it is intreging. That came from history, of seeing how the way we are today got that way, and how our expectations have changed every so many new ages.
Even if it never became 'useful' at all, I consider it a vital part of my life since I wouldn't see things in the greater perspective without it. History teaches you how to look beyond the 'now' and how events can remake tomorrow in ways never imagined. It shows you how important an idea can be and how much it can change tomorrow.
Learning to understand the flow of history teaches you things like critical thinking and the importance of the effect of an idea not only now, but in a decade or much longer, skills which can help you look at other things with reasoned and educated expectatons, for good or not.
Not sure what you can do with a history major -- perhaps pump gas.
One can attain a level of enlightenment with a History degree. This is what Universities should be about. Instead, here in USA, they are end result trade schools for the most part. If one wishes to study nursing, business or computers, they should attend schools designed for just that. Universities should be for studying arts and letters, humanities and social sciences.
Like Penn State? My brother has a history degree from there. He had a career in Human Resources.
I haven't been able to break in Human Resources yet, how did he do that?
Quote:
Originally Posted by L210
Since the unemployment rate is low, people are probably going back to studying what they love rather than majoring in accounting and nursing. Everyone rushing toward nursing was kind of a failure.
True, I think its artificially made. I had someone who had a 3.8 gpa that was rejected for nursing school. They do that to keep the salaries high and I think it needs to stop.
It IS possible to get a history-related job with a degree in history, though you'd better have master's if that's your plan. Just don't expect to make much money unless you're extraordinarily skilled and ambitious. I've worked with people who've gone on to careers as, for instance, the heads of state historical societies, administrators at presidential museums, and, in one case, a high-level position at the Smithsonian. A number of us don't have that drive or ability to relocate, however. I enjoy my job but I won't be able to afford to retire until I'm in my late 60s.
One can attain a level of enlightenment with a History degree. This is what Universities should be about. Instead, here in USA, they are end result trade schools for the most part. If one wishes to study nursing, business or computers, they should attend schools designed for just that. Universities should be for studying arts and letters, humanities and social sciences.
Er, um, huh? It's the 21st century, not the 18th. What about medicine, law? Should we go back to the days when people just apprenticed medicine and "read" law"?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Galvatron210
I haven't been able to break in Human Resources yet, how did he do that?
True, I think its artificially made. I had someone who had a 3.8 gpa that was rejected for nursing school. They do that to keep the salaries high and I think it needs to stop.
Well, note I did say "had" a career in HR; he's retired. It may be different now, but I do know a young woman who got a degree in "communications" who is working in HR, so it's not impossible to break into the field with a non HR-related degree. I think in the case of my bro it was a combination of luck and hard work. He started out interviewing people for factory jobs as a stop-gap job, a job while searching for a job, IOW. They apparently saw some potential in him. (I remember one time someone told him they wanted a job that was "interesting, challenging and not too hard".)
As a retired nurse, what I read in my professional literature is that a shortage of instructors is a big problem in nursing programs right now. Generally, one needs at least a master's to teach nursing, even in the CCs. Salaries in nursing high? I don't think so!
I'm a real fan of history majors. That shift in my thinking came years ago when I read an article by James Michener. Students with enough latitude and enough adaptability do very well with their history degrees. Others - those who are prone to think vertically - are better off with engineering types of degrees.
I worked for several history majors during my career in sales and marketing. Actually, the very worst people in my field were those with marketing degrees....
Er, um, huh? It's the 21st century, not the 18th. What about medicine, law? Should we go back to the days when people just apprenticed medicine and "read" law"?
Well, note I did say "had" a career in HR; he's retired. It may be different now, but I do know a young woman who got a degree in "communications" who is working in HR, so it's not impossible to break into the field with a non HR-related degree. I think in the case of my bro it was a combination of luck and hard work. He started out interviewing people for factory jobs as a stop-gap job, a job while searching for a job, IOW. They apparently saw some potential in him. (I remember one time someone told him they wanted a job that was "interesting, challenging and not too hard".)
As a retired nurse, what I read in my professional literature is that a shortage of instructors is a big problem in nursing programs right now. Generally, one needs at least a master's to teach nursing, even in the CCs. Salaries in nursing high? I don't think so!
Most nurses are making around $100-120k here with not OT. It's the Bay Area so wages are higher than pretty much anywhere else in the country but it's still good money. There's a few fields that do make more than that but not all that many. There isn't the huge variability in nursing but law averages around $170k/yr here. But then most lawyers are salary and work over 40 hours a week. Most nurses tend to as well but are hourly so the pay is closer to the same. Figure the average attorney probably works around 50 hours a week. A nurse with OT working those hours on the low end would be around $140,000.
Law or "tech" have a lot more variability in pay. Google entry-level is around $150k, big box corporate law around $160k starting. Thing is obviously not everyone gets hired by Google or big box law. Nursing you only see that variability in a few subfields. CRNAs for example are up around $200k which is about as high as it gets, WOCNs around $150k.
I am aware that nursing salaries in the Bay Area are much higher than the national average. They're unionized, and it's a high COL area. It also depends on whether the "average" given incorporates nurses such as nurse anesthetists and other advanced practice nurses such as Certified Nurse Midwives, and other "nurse practitioners".
[quote=Katarina Witt;49361858]Er, um, huh? It's the 21st century, not the 18th. What about medicine, law? Should we go back to the days when people just apprenticed medicine and "read" law"?
If you would have read my post with more attention, you may have noticed that I suggested medicine and law should be studied in institutions designed for those. Why do US Universities require students to take gym, math, science, etc., especially if one is a History, or Literature major for example. Similarly, why must a Business major take English Lit or History courses? In European Universities, if one is a History major, then they study history. Business majors attend a business school and study marketing, economics, etc. In many European countries, graduating "high school" means a student is already on such a level, that these "requirements" are not necessary in College anymore. Perhaps our US high school system is not sufficient enough, as much of it is geared towards sports, shop, and other non-academic pursuits, that Freshman year of college is really the 13th grade. It's also a way for Universities to charge more tuition fees.
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