A really good example of a POOR study and even worse conclusion. The conclusion should be half of the people attending college had regrets. Provides a good argument for NOT attending college at all unless you have a clearly defined plan for yourself. No significant differences between majors.
_________________________________________________________________________ “A man’s treatment of a dog is no indication of the man’s nature, but his treatment of a cat is. It is the crucial test. None but the humane treat a cat well.” -- Mark Twain, 1902
Posts: 9398 | Location: Northern Virginia | Registered: November 04, 2005
Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL: Provides a good argument for NOT attending college at all unless you have a clearly defined plan for yourself.
Preferably one that will likely provide an income sufficient to offset the cost of the education.
Talking to the young lady across the street, at her HS graduation party. Asked her what she'd be majoring in. Purchasing and Supply Chain Management I think was the answer. Something like that. I complemented her on her choice of a rational major. Pretty sharp young woman. I could tell by her response, with a smile and a little laugh, that she got what I was getting at
"America is at that awkward stage. It's too late to work within the system,,,, but too early to shoot the bastards." -- Claire Wolfe "If we let things terrify us, life will not be worth living." -- Seneca the Younger, Roman Stoic philosopher
Saw a screen capture of a Tweet last week (by a trans woman working some blue collar manual labor job) thanking Biden for paying for their philosophy degree.
It's hard to believe there's a shortage of high paying jobs in the philosophy field.
Did you expect the king to grant you lands and title?
The major people were least likely to regret, the Federal Reserve survey found, was engineering. Despite that popularity, engineering is still a far less common choice than other majors, NCES says.
Maybe because you need some STEM smarts to get an engineering degree?
_________________________________________________________________________ “A man’s treatment of a dog is no indication of the man’s nature, but his treatment of a cat is. It is the crucial test. None but the humane treat a cat well.” -- Mark Twain, 1902
Posts: 9398 | Location: Northern Virginia | Registered: November 04, 2005
45% of people surveyed who studied social and behavioral sciences also wished they’d picked something different.
I would say the majority of these graduates end up in a low paying local or state government job working for social services or a mental hospital.
_________________________ "Sometimes I wonder whether the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on or by imbeciles who really mean it." Mark Twain
A lot of this, I believe, is due to the public school system and specifically the quality of school counselors that help students choose a college and major. Mine was great at telling stories about 1960s parties but knew basically nothing about college, majors, or community college options.
If a high school graduate doesn't get lucky and have parents that know how college works and what majors make sense, they are likely to fall for the general guidance telling them to just got get a degree in something they enjoy (aka 'pursue your passion!') and it will all work out.
If you manufacture nails then that is the solution to the world's problems. Teachers often feel success is getting kids to go to a liberal arts college as they did.
Posts: 1098 | Location: New Mexico | Registered: November 04, 2003
Originally posted by bryan11: A lot of this, I believe, is due to the public school system and specifically the quality of school counselors that help students choose a college and major. Mine was great at telling stories about 1960s parties but knew basically nothing about college, majors, or community college options.
If a high school graduate doesn't get lucky and have parents that know how college works and what majors make sense, they are likely to fall for the general guidance telling them to just got get a degree in something they enjoy (aka 'pursue your passion!') and it will all work out.
True. I was at a meeting once with a representative from the public school for the parents at my son’s school whose children were receiving special needs services. She said something along the lines of “and of course we all want our kids to go to college”.
That idea seems to be ingrained in a lot of people’s minds. My reaction was no we don’t. Not because I don’t value education, but rather because I don’t view education as the end goal. It may or may not be a step in the plan for pursuing a livelihood.
Posts: 12015 | Location: SWFL | Registered: October 10, 2007
When I was 15, I figured these things out for myself, without need of a guidance counselor, and in fact despite having great parents, didn’t even need them to figure it out. My school had a vocational program, and as I had an interest in healthcare, enrolled in the nursing program. Do 1/2 your senior year at nursing school, then a full year after graduation to get a practical nursing certificate. Why not go to a free program and even if I find healthcare isn’t my thing and decide to go in another direction, at least it is a job skill to pay the bills while going to college for something else. Besides that is where a lot of the pretty girls are anyway. I thought that a pretty sharp move for a teenager. As it turned out, I pursued more health education and that vocational nursing degree gave me a night job that Paid bills tuition, gas etc and allowed me to study at night when the patients were asleep and didn’t need immediate attention. Resulted in my having little college debt after finishing my degree and have no regrets about my path at all. Almost everyone voicing regret or having 20/20 hindsight ( same group clamoring for loan forgiveness imagine that) is someone who got one of those useless majors not providing a significant job skill
Posts: 3437 | Location: Finally free in AZ! | Registered: February 14, 2003
I happen to agree with the OP. I've been saying this for years. I have two useless college degrees. One was in Education, that didn't work out at all, and the other was in Urban Planning. Urban Planning ?? What the hell was I thinking? Good grief.
Fortunately I went on afterwards and had a reasonably successful career that spanned 30 years. College had nothing to do with that.
If I were an employer today the most important thing on my mind would be finding someone that has good common sense. That and probably a military veteran with an honorable discharge.
.....never marry a woman who is mean to your waitress.
Posts: 5187 | Location: Lake of the Ozarks, MO. | Registered: September 05, 2005
I know a few folks working on getting schools to support people going into the trades - the income helps, but the most successful tradesmen I know, except one, also have educations in accounting/finance.
The trade schools really should add some basic business classes/maybe offer some kind of community college education for tradesmen.
Posts: 6040 | Location: Republic of Ice Cream, Low Country, SC. | Registered: May 24, 2007
Bottom line, some people chose garbage degrees designed to keep average intelligence people spending money they don't have to delay entering the work force earning not enough to pay back what they owe for their worthless document. Yeah, that's regrettable. I can see why they want others to pay for it.
You’re a lying dog-faced pony soldier
Posts: 30003 | Location: Norris Lake, TN | Registered: May 07, 2008
A friend's daughter wanted to major in Dance. I told him to tell her no, but the wife prevailed so she got the degree.
Couldn't get a job anywhere doing anything for a couple of years, then ultimately got a job in California...teaching dance to others who wouldn't be able to get a job with that degree.
When Covid hit, she was laid off and decided to "retire" with only around 8 years on the job.
And in other news, my brother has a degree in Zoology and another in mathematics and was a railroad dispatcher, something that requires a G.E.D. or better.
Originally posted by Aglifter: I know a few folks working on getting schools to support people going into the trades - the income helps, but the most successful tradesmen I know, except one, also have educations in accounting/finance.
The trade schools really should add some basic business classes/maybe offer some kind of community college education for tradesmen.
yeah I was certified to do IT, I was good at it. I got promoted. I went from being a tech to controlling a multimillion dollar budget and a crew of 15 over multiple campuses.
I had the tech down, that was demonstrated even in the interview. But dang I could have used some good management and accounting skills. But I knew I was over my head so I got help and studied hard. The HR and finance folks helped me too. Man they were a blessing.
This business will get out of control. It will get out of control and we'll be lucky to live through it. -Rear Admiral (Lower Half) Joshua Painter Played by Senator Fred Thompson
Posts: 3694 | Location: Central Virginia | Registered: November 06, 2006