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A 32 out of 36? It almost sounds like you're humble-bragging. I only got a 29 on mine and that really hasn't prevented me from doing well in my career.
But as I expected, I feel like most of these threads stem from some element of self-loathing. And it seems like this may be the source of the angst on this thread.
Actually, you missed my point.
It's relatively high, but not high enough to get partial or full ride scholarships. My parents really wanted me to succeed in life, so they sent me to an expensive elite school. The kids there are super smart and super rich. When I realized sending me there almost broke them financially, I got the hell out of there.
The point is someone commented they went to an elite school and therefore English or whatever other humanities major people also succeeded. I'm simply pointing out that almost all people cannot afford to go to these elite places.
I'm not self-loathing because I do just fine. I have skills that completely separate me from the cookie cutter candidates. How many structural engineers you know that is also a software engineer? I make plenty and my job is completely secure. I get recruiters and headhunters trolling me.
I do find it excruciatingly painful to watch so many of my friends from college going after their "passion" and ended up in retail or call centers. Every time I go out with them, they always ***** about how unhappy they are and how much of a mistake it was to pursue psychology or english or art or philosophy. The philosophy guy was the happiest back in college and is now also the poorest.
I'm not saying everyone should become engineers and scientists. That's silly. What I am saying is college counselors should push their students more toward planning out their future than simply encouraging them to ignore reality and major in something they are passionate about.
Believe it or not, I'm an artistic person and I also took a lot of philosophy classes. My passion was music and philosophy. That's why I have so many friends from college that were in music, art, and philosophy. I had a philosophy professor that admitted plenty of his friends who got grad degrees in philosophy became very philosophically inclined taxi drivers.
Passion alone doesn't put food on the table. I'm supporting my boyfriend through school right now. Had I gone after my passion, this would have been impossible, knowing how much my friends from college make nowadays.
^^^So when we get many of posters who say that they've been very successful with a measly liberal arts degree, you call them the exception not the rule. But when you tell us you allegedly know lots of deadbeats who work lousy jobs in "retail, Starbucks, and call center" that automatically becomes the rule? You should probably re-examine lots of varying perspectives on this subject. Yours seems incredibly off the mark.
Also, I notice that your story changes constantly. In our previous spat, you said you knew History majors too who also worked at call centers. They have now magically disappeared from the discussion. In a 2 week span, you've magically made new friendships with Art History grads and Psychology grads? I never saw you talk about a Philosophy guy before. That's another new one.
I'm honestly more shocked that you're a STEM gal who can't figure this stuff out at all. Wasn't critical thinking included in some of your program?
^^^So when we get many of posters who say that they've been very successful with a measly liberal arts degree, you call them the exception not the rule. But when you tell us you allegedly know lots of deadbeats who work lousy jobs in "retail, Starbucks, and call center" that automatically becomes the rule? You should probably re-examine lots of varying perspectives on this subject. Yours seems incredibly off the mark.
Also, I notice that your story changes constantly. In our previous spat, you said you knew History majors too who also worked at call centers. They have now magically disappeared from the discussion. In a 2 week span, you've magically made new friendships with Art History grads and Psychology grads? I never saw you talk about a Philosophy guy before. That's another new one.
I'm honestly more shocked that you're a STEM gal who can't figure this stuff out at all. Wasn't critical thinking included in some of your program?
This may shock you, but I didn't just hang out with people in my own major. Just because I don't mention them in one post doesn't mean they don't exist just how just because I don't mention my car in one post and then bring it up in the next doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Nitpicking to win an argument is usually a sign that you're losing. Actually, a lot of young immature people employ nitpicking in a debate because it's the easiest way to make them appear like they know what they're talking about.
As I have said many times before, I don't doubt that there are plenty of successful english, art, history, etc. degreed people out there. I also don't doubt that there are very successful actors out there. But as a whole, acting is one of the worst paying job out there. Not everyone becomes the next Tom Cruise.
Added by edit.
FYI I found most of my friends from college in LGBT organizations. Also found a lot from various core classes.
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.
You personally know only a small slice of the population, and many very highly successful and rich people majored in the subjects you mentioned. A person can do a lot with an English degree or a degree in history or psychology. So many factors exist that can potentially impact whether or not a person with one of the above-mentioned degrees 'does anything with it' or not. And then we'd have to define what 'doing anything with it' means? Does that mean earning a certain income? Or entering a field directly related to said degree? Or being happy with work life/job duties?
And working retail or working at Starbucks or at a call center are honest jobs, so why bash certain types of employment? As menial as these jobs are, they still serve a purpose, and the people doing them are real human beings with value. Maybe you didn't bash them, and maybe I used a poor word choice there, so I apologize if that was not what you meant. The point is those jobs are jobs.
It's relatively high, but not high enough to get partial or full ride scholarships. My parents really wanted me to succeed in life, so they sent me to an expensive elite school. The kids there are super smart and super rich. When I realized sending me there almost broke them financially, I got the hell out of there.
The point is someone commented they went to an elite school and therefore English or whatever other humanities major people also succeeded. I'm simply pointing out that almost all people cannot afford to go to these elite places.
I'm not self-loathing because I do just fine. I have skills that completely separate me from the cookie cutter candidates. How many structural engineers you know that is also a software engineer? I make plenty and my job is completely secure. I get recruiters and headhunters trolling me.
I do find it excruciatingly painful to watch so many of my friends from college going after their "passion" and ended up in retail or call centers. Every time I go out with them, they always ***** about how unhappy they are and how much of a mistake it was to pursue psychology or english or art or philosophy. The philosophy guy was the happiest back in college and is now also the poorest.
I'm not saying everyone should become engineers and scientists. That's silly. What I am saying is college counselors should push their students more toward planning out their future than simply encouraging them to ignore reality and major in something they are passionate about.
Believe it or not, I'm an artistic person and I also took a lot of philosophy classes. My passion was music and philosophy. That's why I have so many friends from college that were in music, art, and philosophy. I had a philosophy professor that admitted plenty of his friends who got grad degrees in philosophy became very philosophically inclined taxi drivers.
Passion alone doesn't put food on the table. I'm supporting my boyfriend through school right now. Had I gone after my passion, this would have been impossible, knowing how much my friends from college make nowadays.
It sounds like you need to find better friends to associate with if you are so concerned about it. It should be noted that just because you go to an elite school or get into an elite program, it doesn't mean you're going to succeed either. My rich friend, who went to UChicago for grad school (Master's in Sociology), has talked to me about her fellow rich classmates who seem to have no career direction. The truth is, it's because they can. They have trust funds and rich parents who fund their lifestyles, so they're not forced to grow up and choose a career path like the rest of us proles.
The fact is, you still have to have the drive and ambition to succeed in life. A college degree in any subject is not some magic ticket. Maybe a big problem with all your friends who've not done well in their careers is that they've been sheltered most of their lives and haven't figured out how to succeed on their own. The fact that my parents didn't make much money and didn't hold my hand throughout life is the very reason why I developed the drive that I have now to be financially independent. Statistically speaking, I probably should have ended up working in a warehouse like my father or cleaning toilets like my mother or working in some BS retail job for the rest of my life. But that's not the life I wanted, therefore it's not the path I chose to go down. So here I am...with my "economically useless" degree from a non-elite-private state university...from my low income roots...doing just fine financially. As a matter of fact, I just bought a home a few months ago with the salary I've earned from the job that required a college degree.
Please don't use your confused "elite" friends as prime examples of what happens when you pursue a non-STEM/technical degree, because they are not.
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.
Well said!
I know professional dog walkers and window washers and pool cleaners that make very healthy incomes, a lot more than many people probably think, and they generally work a lot less than the typical 9-5-er.
Not sure if they have college degrees, but they are intelligent, articulate, well-spoken people who excel at creatively making money doing things they enjoy. Of course, to the more materialistic/snobbish people, they are worthless people doing worthless jobs, but they are making good incomes and are happy.
Personally, I'd love to make pet-sititng a full-time income, as I do that as a side business, and I can see the potential that exists in that field. Plus, generally speaking, I much prefer to interact with animals than I do with humans.
You personally know only a small slice of the population, and many very highly successful and rich people majored in the subjects you mentioned. A person can do a lot with an English degree or a degree in history or psychology. So many factors exist that can potentially impact whether or not a person with one of the above-mentioned degrees 'does anything with it' or not. And then we'd have to define what 'doing anything with it' means? Does that mean earning a certain income? Or entering a field directly related to said degree? Or being happy with work life/job duties?
And working retail or working at Starbucks or at a call center are honest jobs, so why bash certain types of employment? As menial as these jobs are, they still serve a purpose, and the people doing them are real human beings with value. Maybe you didn't bash them, and maybe I used a poor word choice there, so I apologize if that was not what you meant. The point is those jobs are jobs.
I agree that those jobs are jobs. But not caring for political correctness, I'd also add that I would not be proud to tell people I work at starbucks or I stock the shelves at Walmart. I would also not be able to afford my house or properly feed 4 mouths (bf, me, and 2 dogs). Frankly, I did not invest in college to end up at starbucks. I'm not bashing those jobs. I'm just saying those aren't exactly the job that very many people strive for.
I agree that those jobs are jobs. But not caring for political correctness, I'd also add that I would not be proud to tell people I work at starbucks or I stock the shelves at Walmart. I would also not be able to afford my house or properly feed 4 mouths (bf, me, and 2 dogs). Frankly, I did not invest in college to end up at starbucks. I'm not bashing those jobs. I'm just saying those aren't exactly the job that very many people strive for.
Did it ever occur to you that some folks (who have degrees) might be working in retail or fast food, because they're in between jobs, building up their business, figuring out a major life change, going to grad school, etc.?
You are making so many judgments about things you know nothing about. At the end of the day, people have made the choice to work in these jobs. It's up to them to make the choice to do something different. It's not up to you. I think you should go about minding your own business. After all, you're already doing so well for yourself. Not really sure what your beef is with lib arts grads. There are several engineers on this very thread countering what you are saying. So what personal qualm do you have with this? I feel like there's something you haven't told us.
I don't think a degree matters in life. Here is an example. I tell my kids all the time. If you know exactly what it is that you want to do and you can make a living at it then run to that and don't waste your time with college. If when you run to what ever it is you want to do and find that you don't have all the answers then go to school to find the answers or find someone that can teach you the answers. When my sons were younger they wanted to be video game developers. I guess they figured that would be a fun job. I never pushed them away from that. I did tell them that if they could figure it out on their own then nothing is stopping them from doing that before they graduate from High School. It turns out that they needed to learn more. My oldest son is now completing his Bachelors Degree in a computer related field. He found something that he does love and is already actively pursuing his field. The other two that wanted to go in that direction have since changed their minds. One is working toward becoming an RN and following my wife and I into the Healthcare industry. Another son wants to go into counseling.
Not everyone needs a degree to succeed in life. My oldest brother is a singer song writer. He is self taught in just about every stringed instrument out there. He plays the Piano. In the industry he is known as one of the best Bass guitarist in the nation. He has done studio work and has written way over 1,000 songs. Chances are you have heard my brother's songs. May have even been to one of his shows.
My younger brother figured out how to write code when he was in high school. He is 48 years old now and has for the most part only worked for himself. He owns a very successful business and never graduated from high school. He was too busy to finish and never thought about going back to complete a high school degree.
My youngest brother graduated from high school and ended up getting into the printing industry. He worked his way up and before too long was the CFO for a company. He used that experience to move up and jump into a manufacturing industry job as their CFO. After a year their he looked at what they were making and decided to create a brand for himself. He now runs a successful hair care products company that is in retailers across the nation.
My youngest sister works for a large nation wide insurance company. She worked her way up and makes 6 figures. She never went to college. She now has a home office and her company sends her all over the nation to train other department staff.
I am the only one that went to school. I have my MBA. I have a job that I love. I make less money than my siblings that never went on to get a degree.
Did it ever occur to you that some folks (who have degrees) might be working in retail or fast food, because they're in between jobs, building up their business, figuring out a major life change, going to grad school, etc.?
You are making so many judgments about things you know nothing about. At the end of the day, people have made the choice to work in these jobs. It's up to them to make the choice to do something different. It's not up to you. I think you should go about minding your own business. After all, you're already doing so well for yourself. Not really sure what your beef is with lib arts grads. There are several engineers on this very thread countering what you are saying. So what personal qualm do you have with this? I feel like there's something you haven't told us.
You're right. I shouldn't worry so much about other people and their paths in life.
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