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I have a lot of former students who are smart enough, but they get degrees in philosophy, gender studies, African-American studies, etc..., which are less conducive to acquiring a career than let's say...electrical engineering.
...and then they get out and can't get a job with their degree...they wind up bitter at the world working as a barista at Starbucks, running a register at Panera bread, or signing an agreement to work for less than minimum wage at some charitable non-profit organization.
I have a communication arts degree, and I can assure you that the non-profit organization I work for pays me well over minimum wage.
And yet I went to a four-year public university in the early 90s. Of my core group of friends from my university (12 guys), one is a STEM major; others were English, sociology, social work, marketing, management, finance, international relations, and accounting majors. All of us stayed in our majors; all of us are living quite well in major metropolitan markets (Washington DC, Philadelphia, New York City, Richmond, Houston, San Diego).
It doesn't take an overwhelming amount of brains, luck, or motivation to have a really comfortable life with a college degree in the United States.
I would absolutely go to college again. While I would do some things differently in my first college experience, namely change my major and study harder, I do not regret it.
My second college experience was when I was in my 50's right when the economy tanked. I decided to go back to college a second time for training for a job in healthcare.
Best decision I ever made. Wish I had made it sooner. I have a reasonably well paying, stable job.
Not sure why folks see a problem with college graduates working in fields seemingly unrelated to their field of study? When I was young, I didn’t care about making a lot of money, I wanted to do work that was meaningful to me. My undergrad degrees was in social work and for years I worked with homeless, chronically mentally ill, and other disadvantaged folks. Eventually that work took an emotional toll and I moved into management. I was able to do that with what many consider a worthless social science degree because I had proven my management skills through my work but, without a four year degree that would not have been possible. I make considerably more money in the last two decades but still look back on my days as a social worker being the most gratifying work I did. My job today is less stressful, pays considerably better and allows me to live a very comfortable life. But, the experiences I had in my youth working the streets taught me valuable lessons and I am grateful for those years. I would never tell my son that he needs to focus on vocation because of demand. Folks should pursue work that is meaningful to them, regardless of others opinions.
Not sure why folks see a problem with college graduates working in fields seemingly unrelated to their field of study? When I was young, I didn’t care about making a lot of money, I wanted to do work that was meaningful to me. My undergrad degrees was in social work and for years I worked with homeless, chronically mentally ill, and other disadvantaged folks. Eventually that work took an emotional toll and I moved into management. I was able to do that with what many consider a worthless social science degree because I had proven my management skills through my work but, without a four year degree that would not have been possible. I make considerably more money in the last two decades but still look back on my days as a social worker being the most gratifying work I did. My job today is less stressful, pays considerably better and allows me to live a very comfortable life. But, the experiences I had in my youth working the streets taught me valuable lessons and I am grateful for those years. I would never tell my son that he needs to focus on vocation because of demand. Folks should pursue work that is meaningful to them, regardless of others opinions.
Because now in many people's minds, from both ends of the political spectrum, college is supposed to be a trade school.
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