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I believe it was brought up here about higher learning, might be taking advantage of students. Making students think the degree they are in will actually get them a job. Then there is the social situation where people think you go to school, you go to college, and you get a job, its just in order.
Just came across this after reading some of the "99%" signs that have been online...
Someone should be reviewing the reports that say there are no jobs in fine arts and millions of jobs in pharmaceutical chemistry before committing to spending $40,000.
Who told them to major in Fine Arts or get a BA? High school Counselors? Teachers? College Admission officers? The answer is none of those. They made the decision to major in fields with a small demand and low pay.
My oldest daughter majored in Fine Arts. Her decision. Her mother and I both counseled her to at least stack it with a teaching degree as she was attending a school noted for its teacher training programs. She chose not to. In order to be employed in Art she needs at least a Master's degree.
She actually has a decent job in the County Library system which she enjoys and which has allowed her buy her own house at age 27. While her Art degree did not directly get her the job having a degree did.
The problem is usually they see a field that interests them. Then while in that field, the field is talked up and made to seem like it has "worth" when it may not.
They get young impressionalbe people and then you have professors/administrators that want to "save" their job/field and talk it up to keep numbers up in it.
College is not vocational training. There are many jobs where you need a degree, not a specific degree. If a student MUST have a degree in their field they run the risk of being disappointed unless they major in business or engineering.
The problem is usually they see a field that interests them. Then while in that field, the field is talked up and made to seem like it has "worth" when it may not.
They get young impressionalbe people and then you have professors/administrators that want to "save" their job/field and talk it up to keep numbers up in it.
You really need to get out more. Counselors are honest with their students. You won't believe that but it's true.
In addition, this "plugged in" generation has more information about job prospects available in 10 seconds than we dreamed about having in a month 40 years ago.
At the universities where I've worked, students choose their own major when they apply for admission, THEN see an academic advisor at orientation to find out what courses they need to take for that major. Students can go online and change their major any time and don't need to consult anyone before doing so. Most students are in a specific major because their parents pushed them in to it or because they wanted it themselves. So I can someone please help me understand why people think colleges are to blame for students' decisions? Unless one is suggesting that colleges ONLY offer majors that are currently in demand and remove all others?
At the universities where I've worked, students choose their own major when they apply for admission, THEN see an academic advisor at orientation to find out what courses they need to take for that major. Students can go online and change their major any time and don't need to consult anyone before doing so. Most students are in a specific major because their parents pushed them in to it or because they wanted it themselves. So I can someone please help me understand why people think colleges are to blame for students' decisions? Unless one is suggesting that colleges ONLY offer majors that are currently in demand and remove all others?
This was my exact experience as well.
Quote:
Originally Posted by North Beach Person
You really need to get out more. Counselors are honest with their students. You won't believe that but it's true.
In addition, this "plugged in" generation has more information about job prospects available in 10 seconds than we dreamed about having in a month 40 years ago.
Counselors are fine... but as listed above the source of information is also a department looking to "attract" prospective students to increase their numbers. So they are put in an enviroment of people who promote "worth" in the degree.
I agree alot more should be done on the students side.
Contrary to popular belief, it's not just liberal arts majors who are currently unemployed. Or that a degree in something "useful" like marketing is a guaranteed ticket to a good job. The problem is not the choice of degree, it's the fact that it's a VERY rough job market for new grads these days.
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