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This must be at least the 74,000 thread about liberal arts degree.
I have one. I worked for 5 years doing a job I didn't like. I finally found a job in the same industry (insurance) that I really like. It requires a degree or related experience which is damn hard to get for what I'm doing.
If I could go back and switch majors, I probably would've but definitely not Engineering, Accounting, or Computer Science.
I know Engineering is crazy hard and you definitely need a passion for it. Accounting is the reason why I dropped as a Business major (just as useless as a liberal arts major IMO). I worked at a CPA office in college, I know how boring and tedious accounting can get. Computer Science is something I could do, I have an eye for coding but working in front of a computer all days makes me wanna kill myself.
This must be at least the 74,000 thread about liberal arts degree.
I have one. I worked for 5 years doing a job I didn't like. I finally found a job in the same industry (insurance) that I really like. It requires a degree or related experience which is damn hard to get for what I'm doing.
A specific degree or any degree? A friend of mine has a BS degree in economics and mathematics (double major) and he got a job as an underwriter right out of college. Now he's working in engineering for an oil company (making a lot of money). He didn't even have a specialized education at all.
(also, I think it's funny that people are lumping engineering, computer science and accounting together. really? That's like apples and kumquats and cheese)
The news is full of articles and slide shows of what are known as useless degrees.
The reason they are called useless degrees, is the sheer number of graduates, and the severe shortage of jobs available. A great article, that gives statistics on 20 of the most useless degrees for most people.
The main reason why people get useless degrees is because the curriculum is easy and basically a joke. The fact of the matter is that not everyone has the intellectual capability and commitment to get a degree in engineering, accounting, or computer science.
Common graduate programs that people with useless degrees tend to purse is JD, PsyD, MBA, Master in useless subject.
If you have a useless degree and don't want to do sales, what are your options at a good paying white collar job?
Engineering and the sciences is only one part of IQ. There is also reading, reasoning and other facets to consider which engineers, etc may or may not be good at.
People usually enjoy what they are good at and pursue what they enjoy.
There is a certain career test that tests your aptitude in dif areas. A person may score high on ALL areas yet choose a JD over accounting because they do not enjoy math, even though they excel at it.
Being smart is not the only factor, people choose majors as part of interest and passion. Why study those if you don't like it? Makes no sense.
Exactly. I've said this numerous times and it often goes unheard. Most of the time, it ends up being swept under the rug with "STEM masks make more money," replies. Don't get me wrong, that is true, but it is a substantially tougher field that you have be good in in college to make the upper bound money that is bandied about.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Basilide
Bad communication skills exist in any field; it's not particular to one line of work!
I do agree with a lot of elitist attitudes from students in math and also physics. Even taking lower level physics classes, I hated doing labs because it was just a huge chest-puffing nerd sausage fest (ladies being underrepresented). Good for you, you solved the problem 10 seconds faster than that other guy, wow, did you do that equation in your head? My my, why don't they have you teaching this class already? One student thought he was so much better than everyone else, that he finished the lab alone without consulting anyone because we were "too slow" and he understood everything so why are we still doing this, blah blah, and then left half-way through the class without performing any of the experiments with us. Turns out, he got most of the problems wrong.
But again, this seems to be something that happens in a lot of different fields.
You find the chest pounders anywhere. Just look at these threads.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sandpointian
if the only option is a "useless degree," then perhaps working is a better move than 6+ years of college in the prime years of one's life.
It is iff you can get the jobs. The biggest problem today is that rather than jobs (even low wage jobs) being available, they aren't so what's better 6+ years of unemployment or 6+ years of learning in a college environment?
Location: In a city within a state where politicians come to get their PHDs in Corruption
2,907 posts, read 2,070,068 times
Reputation: 4478
Quote:
Originally Posted by mochamajesty
STEM majors = geeks/nerds
STEM majors = socially awkward/poor communicators
Both are stereotypes. Declaring that STEM majors have poor social skills is just as offensive as the declaration that you are too "dumb" to major in a STEM field.
I have a client who works as a Defense Contractor. Every single one of his QC sourcing inspectors fits this stereotype to a T. Without exception.
Engineering and the sciences is only one part of IQ. There is also reading, reasoning and other facets to consider which engineers, etc may or may not be good at.
People usually enjoy what they are good at and pursue what they enjoy.
There is a certain career test that tests your aptitude in dif areas. A person may score high on ALL areas yet choose a JD over accounting because they do not enjoy math, even though they excel at it.
There's various forms of intelligence period including the often talked about emotional intelligence. Not everyone is strong at all forms of intelligence and only a select few have it all down.
Something Can be said about living a debt free life with no University degree.
I am not cut out for STEM and I knew this from the get go, I started working immediately after highschool and I make around $22k a year. I do alright for myself and I have no debt.
I won't waste time on liberal arts degree since i'll merely be piling debt on for nothing as my career prospects will remain as they are now.
A degree can get you into officers candidate school in the military.
Consider being a cop.
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