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Being Smart About Your Degree Choice

Kullervo

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This is mainly geared at TypeC members who are still in high school or in their first year at university.

Understand that university lecturers will always tell you that their courses have practical applications, as it is in their interests to do this. Success stories abound on leaflets. The reality, however, is that some courses are far better investments of time, energy and of course, money, than others are. My situation is a bit unusual because I am accruing income from trusts, investments and some part time work, and have hardly any debt, but even I have made some bad decisions with arts papers. Composition for example is something I think it is better to do in my spare time, as only the basic theory can be taught at university - the rest depends on raw talent and using it.

With online resources now available in many subjects for a fraction of the cost of attending a university, I don't see the need for people to attend many university courses anymore unless they are planning on entering the boring, stifling and self-censoring environment of academia. Subjects like politics and history are best just to read about in your spare time.

Here is an article by Forbes looking at the ten worst college majors The 10 Worst College Majors - Forbes. Compare that list with the one of fifteen most valuable ones The 15 Most Valuable College Majors - Forbes.

The top 10 best, in order:
1. Biomedical Engineering
2. Biochemistry
3. Computer Science
4. Software Engineering
5. Environmental Engineering
6. Civil Engineering
7. Geology
8. Management Information Systems
9. Petroleum Engineering
10. Applied Mathematics

Do not be fooled into thinking that this just applies to the US, either. It doesn't.

N.B. I wish I didn't have to make it explicit, but this is a serious thread. If you don't have something constructive to add just lurk in the shadows. You will be doing everybody a favour.
 
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FDG

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Geology and Biochemistry - hard to believe imho. The remaining part of the list seems fair.
 

Kullervo

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Geology and Biochemistry - hard to believe imho. The remaining part of the list seems fair.

I can imagine many research projects in demand for biochemists (molecular biology, such as genetics) and geologists (anything earth/environment related).

Like you maybe, I was surprised that medicine and law weren't mentioned, but perhaps there is an oversupply of young graduates in these professions.
 

Jaguar

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“What you make depends a lot on what you take,” says Anthony P. Carnevale, Ph.D., director of Georgetown’s CEW.
“Most young people in college take whatever interests them, without thinking what it can really do for them.”

The money you make depends on you, not a piece of paper.
My degrees were thrown out in the trash years ago, along with the illusion that they actually matter when it comes to being successful in business.

I disagree with that stick-up-the-ass fella. Take classes that interest you.
 
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Here is an article by Forbes looking at the ten worst college majors The 10 Worst College Majors - Forbes. Compare that list with the one of fifteen most valuable ones The 15 Most Valuable College Majors - Forbes.

Oh God, I think I cycled through literally half the list of "worst majors" in college.

But yeah, if I had any advice, it'd be, get your head out of your idealism cloud, and at least pick a major with actual marketable skills. Don't float around trying to find your passion or "calling" in college. Time to be practical.

If you already KNOW your passion, different story, but I find these people to be in the minority.

sidenote: if you're passion is building toothpick models, maybe you should have a back up plan to actually get paid.
 

Nicodemus

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The money you make depends on you, not a piece of paper.
My degrees were thrown out in the trash years ago, along with the illusion that they actually matter when it comes to being successful in business.

I disagree with that stick-up-the-ass fella. Take classes that interest you.
Sadly, not all of us can will whatever we want into existence. Those pieces of paper do matter.

Deplorable as it is, I think universities are on their way to becoming training centers for market-oriented professions. Given this trend, which is hugely influenced by market demands, it makes more sense for young people to choose a subject that is likely to yield a good job later on than to pick one of personal interest like philosophy or literature, which, unfortunately, are far from interesting to employers.

Luckily, we can nowadays train for a profession at university while pursuing our true vocation privately. With access to the internet and a library, everybody can now learn as much about almost any subject as they would in college.

Me. See above.

English, Anthropology, Graphic Design, English.
Do you have a degree in all of these? And two in one?
 
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Sadly, not all of us can will whatever we want into existence. Those pieces of paper do matter.

Deplorable as it is, I think universities are on their way to becoming training centers for market-oriented professions. Given this trend, which is hugely influenced by market demands, it makes more sense for young people to choose a subject that is likely to yield a good job later on than to pick one of personal interest like philosophy or literature, which, unfortunately, are far from interesting to employers.

Luckily, we can nowadays train for a profession at university while pursuing our true vocation privately. With access to the internet and a library, everybody can now learn as much about almost any subject as they would in college.


Do you have a degree in all of these? And two in one?

Oh you actually have your degree in those? I meant I officially changed my major to all 4. So no, I guess you win. Still. I was so dumb back then.
 

EJCC

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I think this would vary significantly based on what field you're planning on going into. For some fields, your degree doesn't matter. For others, it really, really does.

In my case, my degree didn't matter much at all, but several of my unpaid internships were absolutely crucial. I wouldn't have my current job if it weren't for my unpaid internships. (It helped that my alma mater has some good name recognition, but I know for a fact that I would have gotten this job even if I'd graduated from an unknown school.)

Edit: I recognize that not everyone has the luxury of being able to afford doing an unpaid internship. In those cases, I would still prioritize summer/semesterly jobs relevant to whatever field you're going into. Even work study jobs doing data entry for the admissions office will count as office experience later on. As long as you graduate with something marketable on your resume, your major shouldn't matter much.
 

Jaguar

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Sadly, not all of us can will whatever we want into existence.

If you want something badly enough, Nico, you'll make it happen.

That in the year 2014 people are stuck in the rusty gear of thinking they have no choice but to consider what would interest an employer, is not exactly what I consider being smart. Perhaps they might consider that upon leaving college they will be self-employed, rather than being dependent on someone else for a job. There are some who leave college early to start their own business. A pal of mine left college in his junior year to start his own business. The entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well within, hardly something one suddenly imbibes from sitting in a classroom.
 

EJCC

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That in the year 2014 people are stuck in the rusty gear of thinking they have no choice but to consider what would interest an employer, is not exactly what I consider being smart. Perhaps they might consider that upon leaving college they will be self-employed, rather than being dependent on someone else for a job. There are some who leave college early to start their own business. A pal of mine left college in his junior year to start his own business. The entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well within, hardly something one suddenly imbibes from sitting in a classroom.
For those with that entrepreneurial drive, that's true, and a great point.
 

Ivy

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I have an English degree which is one of the worst. But I do okay for myself and I wouldn't trade the experience for anything.

I do hope my kids are drawn to fields that will position them for more likely job success, though. My daughter right now is interested in biochem but she's also a gifted musician with a knack for teaching (started giving cello lessons at age 13) and may decide to pursue music education. If she does that she will most likely need multiple income streams but she's had some good instruction in how to do that from her music teachers.
 

Nicodemus

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If you want something badly enough, Nico, you'll make it happen.

That in the year 2014 people are stuck in the rusty gear of thinking they have no choice but to consider what would interest an employer, is not exactly what I consider being smart. Perhaps they might consider that upon leaving college they will be self-employed, rather than being dependent on someone else for a job. There are some who leave college early to start their own business. A pal of mine left college in his junior year to start his own business. The entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well within, hardly something one suddenly imbibes from sitting in a classroom.
A nation without employees where everyone runs his own business by himself...
 

á´…eparted

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I have my B.S. in chemistry, and am working on a PhD in organic chemistry currently. The sad truth of the matter is, a B.S. in chemistry is becoming more and more useless over time, and a MS or PhD is almost a requirement now adays.
Part of the reason for this is there is an ever increasing glut of STEM majors, perperpetuated by the false-claim of a lack of them. What's lacking is quality STEM majors. There used to be a lack indeed, but now there's too many and many shouldn't be in it. Anyway, I digress.

ALL majors really require some sort of experience external to education. Internships, externships, etc. something that gets your feet wet for a while. A degree is a piece of paper, but it doesn't really speak of the quality of it. I know fellow chem majors who made it, but should they actually have their degree? No. They did what was asked, but didn't actually learn anything.

The issue is quality a lot of the time, and it's not entirely the students fault. The system is set up to track students to act in a way of "must make it to the gate!" and not actually care as much about learning.
 

Galena

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I changed my major for these reasons from one in the "worst" list to a more quantitative major that is not on either list but did get me a related job. I graduated not with the perfect marks I could have earned in my dream major, but with good ones nonetheless.

I'm glad I made the choice I did because before I graduated, I was too self-sheltered to know or feel the value that money and livelihood have to me, and when I did get out, I learned that my degree of independence and what I produce comprises a lot of my self-concept as a personality, at least as much as my personal interests do. Looking back, that was obvious all my life, but it was only when I began looking for self-supporting employment that I grappled with it enough to become self-aware of it. If I were still struggling to find work today like one of my family members who stuck with a liberal arts major, I would not be mentally well. Today, I enjoy the job I have and am one of the better performers in it, but work on different, more impassioned projects when I get home.

Maybe for some people in college who don't know what they're doing, they've just never supported themselves before, and under the pressure of independence, something would come to them. Not necessarily their dream career path, but something that would support what they as distinct individuals need most in life. Being solely responsible for netting one's instinctual needs tends to make what those needs are really, really clear. If I ever had children (I won't), I would encourage them to work and support their own lifestyles before college so that they would have that self-knowledge at the age that I needed it.

On the other hand, the question of my major decision's authenticity bites me on occasion, and I still admire people who went after their love willing to suffer for it. Ironically...some seem to have grown up more in an interpersonal way than I did over their transition into the "real world". I have the proof I need of myself, but they don't need proof so much. I have misgivings about the effect that comfort has on me. Of course, many others who choose that path just don't make it.
 

kyuuei

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While I would say that speaking from purely money standpoints, yeah, what you choose determines a lot.

If you're going for an education, you need to plan around that. A doctor can go to a nice school because they'll eventually pay that shit off. But if you're a doctor trying to help people in Africa for shit pay.. then you need to consider getting subsidized for your education somehow.

I'm going to nursing school, and I wouldn't have made it through college without the army's help. I won't be in debt, and that's freed me up for working PRN (as needed) or overseas, which is the sort of schedule that suits me--lots of work in a little time and lots of time off in between. My current education would not have been worth it at a big prestigious school. I can get the same cert and degree at my state school in a 1 1/2 years.

Being an artist is no less important than being a biochem engineer. But biochem engineers don't have to be as smart about their money as artists do. It's a trade-off. Money is not the most important part of the education, but denying it is important and needs to be accounted for is idealistic and foolish. People with 150k debts because they were art students at harvard are ridiculous.
 
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