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Old 12-07-2013, 05:25 PM
 
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What about coupling it to statistics and programming? You can mine old historical data and do interesting meta analyses. Meanwhile, at least you learn something that could be useful in the future if you don't find employment doing history.
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Old 12-07-2013, 05:32 PM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fibonacci View Post
What about coupling it to statistics and programming? You can mine old historical data and do interesting meta analyses. Meanwhile, at least you learn something that could be useful in the future if you don't find employment doing history.
You don't need history for that... stats and programming alone would be enough.
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Old 12-07-2013, 05:44 PM
 
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Why set yourself for a hard time finding a job? Please educate me, why? Is this the only subject your are passionate about or get good grades in? If that's the case go ahead.

I know people doing well with liberal arts degree.........all of them received their degrees in liberal arts before the econ crash and had several years of experience in the real world, which basically meant they were viewed as experienced with a degree, that is why they have jobs.

I don't know of a company out there that is actively searching for people with history/religious studies/women's studies/anthropology fresh out of school with no exp.

Then why do colleges promote them? Because they are in the business of selling something to and when you get your head around that you will do better in life.

A wise person told me, "Everyone is selling something" even me in my post, I am trying to persuade you to find something more marketable because I actually care.
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Old 12-10-2013, 01:05 AM
 
Location: Southeast Arizona
3,379 posts, read 5,020,385 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TabulaRasa View Post
It's not horribly uncommon to face opposition from family on any number of life's choices, unfortunately. Ultimately, you're the one who has to live with your choices, though, not your family, so you really need to make them for yourself.

I'm not sure why someone would "despise" a college they themselves don't have to attend, (or just despise a school, period, really) but that's neither here nor there. I can't really speak to the dilemma of how much say a parent ought to have if they are picking up the tab, since that wasn't my experience, nor did I have parents who were the sort that would want to make that decision for one of their children if they had been financially contributing. But in the end, you're the one who needs to be comfortable with your choices. Make sure you're making them based on what you want for yourself, too, and not as a big middle finger to naysayers. That's just as foolish as following somebody else's idea of what's the right path for you. Make your choices based on your interests, skills, wants, and goals. If that means avoiding situations where others have things they can hold over your head, you might need to go that route.
Agree with this.

I've been told also that history majors don't just "require" you to be in education. The writing and researching involved can also be handy in business or consulting. Also fields I don't mind.
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Old 12-10-2013, 07:16 AM
 
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Originally Posted by Desert kid View Post
Agree with this.

I've been told also that history majors don't just "require" you to be in education. The writing and researching involved can also be handy in business or consulting. Also fields I don't mind.
definitely, not all history majors have to or want to be teachers , just like not all English majors want to be English teachers, not all bio majors desire to go into med school/pa school. Sadly "history major=History teacher" seems to be a long-held stereotype.

There are jobs out there aside from teaching but like I said in my earlier post you have to be willing to be flexible. That is working jobs not related to history, working unpaid for a bit, perhaps balancing a minimum wage job with an internship etc...

As for the parents being unhappy with your major choice- believe me dear god I know the feeling. For most parents unless your major is something that directly leads to a career, that is directly A to B with nothing in between (nursing, accounting, finance, computer whatever etc...) then rightly or wrongly your college career is considered as a waste of time/money.

History in most cases is not like nursing, accounting or whatever, there is often no direct A-B, "graduate job in your field right away". But if you are willing to be flexible you should find success
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Old 12-10-2013, 01:36 PM
 
Location: Maryland's 6th District.
8,357 posts, read 25,287,098 times
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Originally Posted by Desert kid View Post
What is the reasoning for the pro-History major crowd?
This topic seems to come up once a week, all in regards to history....

I have answered this question in-depth in previous posts about the same topic, plus I am pressed for time at the moment, but: I know a handful of people, including two ex GFs, who all received Masters degrees in useless areas such as Art (yup, just "art"), MFA, Library Science, History, African-American Studies (Ph.D.), and a few others. The MFA and AA-Study are now teaching at the university level and the rest are working decent jobs. All except the AA-Study guy are in their early/mid 30s and while no-one has yet to break the 6-figure salary mark, they are all earning on the higher side of five figures. Not bad for degrees that are supposedly so darn useless
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Old 12-11-2013, 07:01 PM
 
Location: Southeast Arizona
3,379 posts, read 5,020,385 times
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Originally Posted by K-Luv View Post
This topic seems to come up once a week, all in regards to history....

I have answered this question in-depth in previous posts about the same topic, plus I am pressed for time at the moment, but: I know a handful of people, including two ex GFs, who all received Masters degrees in useless areas such as Art (yup, just "art"), MFA, Library Science, History, African-American Studies (Ph.D.), and a few others. The MFA and AA-Study are now teaching at the university level and the rest are working decent jobs. All except the AA-Study guy are in their early/mid 30s and while no-one has yet to break the 6-figure salary mark, they are all earning on the higher side of five figures. Not bad for degrees that are supposedly so darn useless
See, this is what I am talking about, I am certainly not afraid of being flexible.

What helps fuel this whole mess is that my dad is so adamantly against me leaving the state for college. Which is something I want to do.
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Old 12-12-2013, 10:17 PM
 
Location: Southeast Arizona
3,379 posts, read 5,020,385 times
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And thank God I got finals done this week.

I was able to get my GPA up some. Still need to get to 3.0 by the end of the year.

Dad still doesn't support any of the schools I have in mind. I finally got him to agree to visit Ole Miss, but my history major? Won't support it.

He says I'll land myself in a mess and won't get out for 30 years.
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Old 12-13-2013, 07:55 AM
 
2,210 posts, read 3,508,559 times
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Originally Posted by Desert kid View Post
And thank God I got finals done this week.

I was able to get my GPA up some. Still need to get to 3.0 by the end of the year.

Dad still doesn't support any of the schools I have in mind. I finally got him to agree to visit Ole Miss, but my history major? Won't support it.

He says I'll land myself in a mess and won't get out for 30 years.
Why do you need your Dad on board with this decision? Will he be paying for your graduate school tuition?

If your Dad is concerned because you're going straight to grad school with no objective in mind, then I absolutely agree with him. Just getting your MA in History will do nothing to make you more appealing to an employer and may actually make you less employable once you graduate. Education is important, but employers require experience in addition to education.

Why are you in such a rush to go straight to grad school? Why not work for a year and then figure out what you want to do?
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Old 12-13-2013, 08:07 AM
 
Location: Maryland's 6th District.
8,357 posts, read 25,287,098 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Desert kid View Post
See, this is what I am talking about, I am certainly not afraid of being flexible.

What helps fuel this whole mess is that my dad is so adamantly against me leaving the state for college. Which is something I want to do.
Thankfully, I never had such familial issues. My guess is that he cannot afford to pay for you education and knows you will require loans....and that a degree in history will lead to such a low-paying job that you will be stuck in repayment forever. Understandable, sure, and why I am going to assume he wants you to remain in-state.

Personally, I would go to Ole Miss if accepted. However not everyone shares in my pioneer attitude.
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