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View Poll Results: Why do young people today major in economically useless subjects?
ignorance about the bubble 36 21.05%
too lazy to do engineering/accounting/nursing 46 26.90%
other (comment) 89 52.05%
Voters: 171. You may not vote on this poll

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Old 03-22-2016, 05:46 AM
 
8,007 posts, read 10,434,906 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jobaba View Post
If you want to make $, be a doctor or a banker.

The idea that one undergraduate major will lead to a life of riches and job security while another will lead to poverty and constant unemployment is just a myth.

Real life shows you the truth.
Most IT people I know make more money than most of the doctors I know. And they don't have the absurd debt of medical school.
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Old 03-22-2016, 09:05 AM
 
1,768 posts, read 1,638,983 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CarnivalGal View Post
Most IT people I know make more money than most of the doctors I know. And they don't have the absurd debt of medical school.
"Most IT people"

That's extremely unlikely. Most IT people work in support areas where they are tasked with maintaining networks and employee computers. Those folks do make decent money, but not a LOT. By IT, I assume you mean a Software Engineer or Programmer, where the top folks in that arena can make really good salaries. If you work as a backend programmer in Silicon Valley, it's very possible to make $150,000 a year if you are part of the top 5 to 10 percent. But MOST of them are not making more than doctors.
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Old 03-22-2016, 10:16 AM
 
1,188 posts, read 959,564 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tonym9428 View Post
"Most IT people"

That's extremely unlikely. Most IT people work in support areas where they are tasked with maintaining networks and employee computers. Those folks do make decent money, but not a LOT. By IT, I assume you mean a Software Engineer or Programmer, where the top folks in that arena can make really good salaries. If you work as a backend programmer in Silicon Valley, it's very possible to make $150,000 a year if you are part of the top 5 to 10 percent. But MOST of them are not making more than doctors.
There's a lot of variation in the salaries of each, but doctors make way more on average. The low end of M.D. salaries is the high end of software engineering salaries.

Software Engineers make anywhere from $40,000 to $150,000. At Microsoft, there are contract software engineers getting paid $17/hr, working alongside senior, FTE software engineers making $140,000. But software engineering is an open field, so, theoretically, a 16-yr-old who taught himself to program can get a 6-figure job.

The range for M.D.s is like $150,000 - $5,000,000 (The dermatologists and cancer specialists are the ones making millions per year). It's an extremely closed field and if you're able to get in it you don't get to practice until you're in your 30s.
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Old 03-22-2016, 11:51 AM
 
404 posts, read 366,997 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MetroWord View Post
At some point in the 90s, the politically correct liberal douche crowd took over academia and started telling students to major in something they are passionate about and completely ignore reality. Every single art, art history, english, psych, and other useless BA people I know ended up in retail, starbucks, or call centers.
Thats sad, but its been the same issue for me as well

Quote:
Originally Posted by jobaba View Post
Who said that?

If you major in the humanities, you can get into a bevy of industries.

For example, of my friends who have English/Psych degrees...

-One does marketing for an amusement park.

-One does high level admin/marketing work for a real estate firm.

-A few teach high school.

-One is a senior editor at a fairly major publisher

If you think people in those positions make much less than engineers, then I think you are mistaken.

Now. I DO know people who make double, triple, and even four times what I make.

Medicine, oral surgery, and banking. If you want $, then don't f@ck around.
How did they get those jobs? Networking? Second degree?
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Old 03-22-2016, 12:07 PM
 
1,768 posts, read 1,638,983 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Down in a Hole View Post
How did they get those jobs? Networking? Second degree?
Just apply for every single job and someone will call you back. That's the trick. Who cares if you don't meet their requirements, just apply. I just interviewed for a machine learning engineering position at a big tech company on the West Coast. My academic background is not related to it and I don't have the requisite experience, but I have worked as a statistician, and I got a call back and on to the phone interview with the hiring manager. Example of why people should disregard what the job posting actually says, just apply if your skills are close enough.
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Old 03-22-2016, 12:07 PM
 
736 posts, read 353,868 times
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The majority of students won't be able to do engineering or go into professional careers like a doctor, dentist, and so forth. I think people need to work with what they have. For some it's a lack of money. I would have like to get masters, PhD, or maybe become a doctor, but my parents aren't rich. My cousin major in Biology and was planning to become a doctor. He took the easiest route. From what I been told he hasn't entered medical school and not too long ago moved in with his parents. The problem with my cousin is he didn't plan for contingencies in the event that he could not enter medical school.

Engineering makes good money, but in end it won't make you rich. I might go back maybe go into medical school without having to worry about the cost or start my own business. It takes money to make money.
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Old 03-22-2016, 12:11 PM
 
736 posts, read 353,868 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jobaba View Post
The people I know who majored in English and Psych make marginally less than the engineers, accountants and nurses I know.

If you want to make $, be a doctor or a banker.

The idea that one undergraduate major will lead to a life of riches and job security while another will lead to poverty and constant unemployment is just a myth.

Real life shows you the truth.

I think you need to look at the average or statistics of those majors to get an accurate picture of what to expect from certain majors. There will always be examples of people who make good money with any given major.
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Old 03-22-2016, 12:14 PM
 
1,768 posts, read 1,638,983 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NekoLogic View Post
I think you need to look at the average or statistics of those majors to get an accurate picture of what to expect from certain majors. There will always be examples of people who make good money with any given major.
Most of the time, those are people with connection OR people who are actually above average. They are not you, me, or the common man (no offense)
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Old 03-22-2016, 12:28 PM
 
736 posts, read 353,868 times
Reputation: 383
Quote:
Originally Posted by tonym9428 View Post
Most of the time, those are people with connection OR people who are actually above average. They are not you, me, or the common man (no offense)
I am above average. Only reason I didn't go to medical school is the high cost. My cousin majored in biology, but lack funding so he was unable to to attend medical school. I plan to work in the engineering or software development field for a few years, then go back and try to get a medical degree or start my own business. I should be multilingual by then and I would have years to prepare.
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Old 03-22-2016, 01:07 PM
 
1,768 posts, read 1,638,983 times
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Isn't everyone above average...

The Superiority Illusion: where everyone is above average - Scientific American Blog Network

http://priceonomics.com/why-do-we-al...above-average/

Why the stupid think they’re smart – Mind Hacks
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