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I'm 25 years old and ready to get working asap. I currently work part-time in retail. I am completing my junior year this spring semester, which leaves me with 1.5 years left to complete my BA in liberal studies.
Should I just go ahead and start an associates program at a local cc this fall instead of finishing my BA in liberal arts? I have seen the job market for liberal arts grads and feel like I made a big mistake. I have zero interest in grad school and I have no real skills.
Would it be silly to start a cc 2 year program(something medical, higher paying) this fall with just one year left in my BA program?
Thanks a million. I have a feeling a lot will tell me to stick out the bachelors program but alas I just see the market and look at my resume and feel like I won't have accomplished much relative to actually getting a job.
I think if you've made it this far you would be making a mistake not to finish it up. Look into cheaper programs, if necessary (although the costs of a transfer late in the game might not make it worthwhile), but it will be tough to go back later on, and you may end up regretting not having that BA. A lot of jobs require one just to get in the door, even for entry level office jobs. You still might want to consider going back to get additional vocational training after you finish your degree, but you'll have more job options (and may be able to go farther in whatever specialized field you enter) if you have that BA in hand. To not finish it up seems like throwing away a lot of time and money. Maybe finish it up, try to find a job, and then take some vocational courses at night. I think in the long-term you'll regret not doing it after you've come this far, and you'll find that it will be much, much harder to go back to it down the road.
I think it depends on how much the school is costing you. I took a LOOOOOONG time to get out of school, because I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. I wish I had taken time off, figured otu what I wanted to do, and then finished school.
Once I figured out what I wanted to do, I went full force into studying, taking classes and graduating with decent grades. If I had taken time off, not only would I have saved money, but I would have had a much higher GPA!
I'm 25 years old and ready to get working asap. I currently work part-time in retail. I am completing my junior year this spring semester, which leaves me with 1.5 years left to complete my BA in liberal studies.
Should I just go ahead and start an associates program at a local cc this fall instead of finishing my BA in liberal arts? I have seen the job market for liberal arts grads and feel like I made a big mistake. I have zero interest in grad school and I have no real skills.
Would it be silly to start a cc 2 year program(something medical, higher paying) this fall with just one year left in my BA program?
Thanks a million. I have a feeling a lot will tell me to stick out the bachelors program but alas I just see the market and look at my resume and feel like I won't have accomplished much relative to actually getting a job.
You could accomplish both by seeking a bachelors in Nursing or such. As I recall it is simply "changing your major" and most of your credits should transfer. Perhaps it is not too late to pick up some Nursing classes for the Spring semester?
If you are borrowing a ton of money to attend school then you're doomed unless you drop out. It only gets more expensive as you continue on. And a liberal arts degree won't get you any farther than where you're working right now.
I have a liberal arts degree. MISTAKE! I am now considering going back to school to learn a trade. I would have been way better off had I just pursued a trade instead of wasting my time and money on a liberal arts degree.
This depends very much on your major and your intentions with the degree, which basically is another way of getting at your general life priorities. For simplicity, I'll assume that you're motivated by the prospect of earning a higher salary, within reason of weekly work hours, etc.
Your major will actually play a significant role in your career earnings potential. It sounds like you're majoring strictly in liberal studies, which sets you up for anything but a lucrative job opportunity. You've also stated that you have no desire to continue up the academic ladder and go to grad school, so you are unlikely to build upon the foundation you are currently setting into place. What were your intentions with the job in the first place? Are there any career paths you've been considering with your degree?
If your answer basically is: "I have no idea; but I want to earn a decent living wage", then perhaps you would do better to go into a needed trade.
I can give you one example of how it turned out for someone who went to a liberal arts school... my own. I went to a private liberal arts school and graduated with a B.A. in Economics. This was close enough to mesh with the business world, enabling me to start as a financial analyst at a pharmaceutical manufacturer back in 2001 (also was helped by good school rep, two internships, and a cumulative 3.75 GPA). I didn't know whether or not I wanted to do this for a living, but I thought I'd be better off giving it a try and making changes from there. I went on later to earn an MBA and work in the high tech industry, still in finance/accounting with more of an emphasis on project management.
I had other friends who went to law school or med school. One went to earn a masters in non-profit administration. Others went into teaching, sales, and consulting. One guy went into drama and theater production. But here's the key: all of them had to take steps beyond just the degree itself (internships, additional schooling, carefully chosen major) in order to get to where they wanted. In the long run, most of them were in a position to earn more than they would have with a trade diploma - but it took a while for some.
There is obviously no one-size-fits-all answer here. But hopefully I've at least given you a few things to consider as far as how some people do successfully translate the liberal arts degree into a decent career. It was a good move for me. You could make it work for yourself as well by adding a few more things to your arsenal in addition to just the degree, but you have to have a good understanding of what you're trying for, and you have to want it enough, obviously...
I would finish the BA or transfer into a different program at the University. Ideally, you would have some idea what you want to do. I know you claim you're set on no grad school now, but you may be surprised when you find THAT ONE THING you really find interesting that this changes. Having a BA or BS, you may need to take some additional coursework, but you'll likely get into grad school at least somewhere for the thing you really want to learn about. With a vocational degree, you're not getting into grad school bud. Also, you better hope your trade never sinks in pay or you'll be going back to school again. In my opinion, trade school is not in your best interest at this point.
Liberal arts as an actual degree sounds like something you'd take to go into the profession of academics, but that's okay. I suspect it gives you a survey of a lot of different topics. One of these may end up sparking your interest. Some jobs simply require you have a BS/BA period. If nothing else, you'll at least meet the min requirements to be hired. If you find an area you really want to specialize in, you can use self-study, going back for specific classes/license/certification as needed later on, too.
most need a trade, available debt free at most jr colleges, my favorite, RN.
shortest path, LVN 42 units then cross over program 30 units to RN.
total 72 units. by doing it this way you dodge a boatload of prerequisites.
Last edited by Huckleberry3911948; 12-30-2009 at 08:17 PM..
Get the degree. If not for now, then for down the road several years, when lack of it may hold you back in a promotion or job interview. Remember that retailing is one of the very few fields in which people make it to buyer or store manger without any higher education; however, you may not stay in that field.
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