General Discussion

Piltdown13

(838 posts)

110. Agreed!

Mon Apr 23, 2012, 11:54 PM

Apr 2012

In my opinion, this latest cultural meme blaming students for choosing "incorrect" or "impractical" majors (that don't directly lead to jobs in the field of study) is misguided for two reasons. First, it's extremely difficult to predict which fields will be expanding several years out -- just because you've picked a major leading to a potentially lucrative career *now* doesn't mean that by the time you get out, prospects will still be that rosy (or that there won't be a downturn a few years after you graduate).

Second, suggesting that students deserve no sympathy if they don't choose "marketable" majors presupposes that it would actually be feasible for everyone *to* choose such majors. This is a little bit like suggesting that everyone could win a game of musical chairs if they would all just run a little bit faster!

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About college majors. A lot of people blame students for choosing impractical majors [View all] pnwmom Apr 2012 OP

When was the last time we commonly had 'shop' and 'home ec' as optional courses in high school??? elleng Apr 2012 #1

Wow, home economics. That takes me back. Zalatix Apr 2012 #5

I had to take home eco in california public schools as a kid. Liberal_in_LA Apr 2012 #131

Both are required courses in7th grade exboyfil Apr 2012 #33

The high school my son goes to still teaches them ... surrealAmerican Apr 2012 #39

I had them both in middle school Taylor Smite Apr 2012 #53

I had them in high school, I graduated in 2004. Odin2005 Apr 2012 #92

I had shop and enjoyed it. Even though I never went into any of the fields. LiberalFighter Apr 2012 #106

I think the importance of the major choice on the job market is a misconception Hippo_Tron Apr 2012 #2

I think you're right. Humanities and social science majors can learn pnwmom Apr 2012 #3

Not necessarily true about sticking with engineering once exboyfil Apr 2012 #34

Dream on.. deaniac21 Apr 2012 #98

How recently have you applied for an entry level job or hired somebody for one? Hippo_Tron Apr 2012 #102

I hired an entry level technician in February deaniac21 Apr 2012 #132

What? Nothing to back that up with? Iris Apr 2012 #129

Spam deleted by William769 (MIR Team) james_blocker May 2012 #139

I think Liberal Arts students are very skilled at debate, and really know how to think. MADem Apr 2012 #4

I've been seeing posts like this. The parent's blaming himself and the kid for choosing pnwmom Apr 2012 #8

I don't think education is ever wasted. I don't think there is a "wrong" path. MADem Apr 2012 #11

In my state you actually need a regular certification even to substitute teach. pnwmom Apr 2012 #15

I know people in MA, MD and CA who do it as a full time job, more or less. MADem Apr 2012 #80

There are so many unemployed teachers and new graduates with certifications, our state pnwmom Apr 2012 #86

as the parent handmade34 Apr 2012 #71

He will be ok. Iris Apr 2012 #78

Advanced education is not expensive at all... Fumesucker Apr 2012 #25

State schools often have fairly affordable online programs. MADem Apr 2012 #84

THIS! You win the thread. Odin2005 Apr 2012 #95

Amen to this AngryAmish Apr 2012 #126

I'm planning on going to law school... white_wolf Apr 2012 #133

Thinking like a lawyer is just issue spotting AngryAmish Apr 2012 #134

Wife majored in nursing Taylor Smite Apr 2012 #54

She should try taking one course in archaeology, either at a local state school or online, if MADem Apr 2012 #88

I selected my major based 100% on what educational program I was most interested in, not by career. NYC_SKP Apr 2012 #6

Only a $3,000 debt at the end? The average now is $25K, and that's just undergrad. pnwmom Apr 2012 #7

Graduating Class of 1984. NYC_SKP Apr 2012 #9

I was $25K in debt after undergrad and that was back in 1986. I paid it all off. IndyJones Apr 2012 #21

We really need a latter-day Martin Luther to come along and tack up coalition_unwilling Apr 2012 #10

Flame away? How about a round of applause! MADem Apr 2012 #12

+10 NYC_SKP Apr 2012 #14

IMHO college football can go straight to Hell. Odin2005 Apr 2012 #96

For making money for universities and supporting 20+ other sports joeglow3 Apr 2012 #136

If the football/basketball team is a net reveue generator, I'm fine with paying the coach more Hippo_Tron Apr 2012 #104

Why any institution of higher education should use intercollegiate athletics coalition_unwilling Apr 2012 #121

Had a co-worker tell me that - basically blamed the students ProfessionalLeftist Apr 2012 #13

People can't retire. dkf Apr 2012 #20

. . . because their cost of living is skyrocketing while their real dollar wage remains flat. HughBeaumont Apr 2012 #26

Frankly letting Medicare costs get out of control and covering only at 65 dkf Apr 2012 #32

lol... one track mind. Kill the New Deal!!!!!!! Blame it on the little people... fascisthunter Apr 2012 #59

I am in support of single payer that controls costs. dkf Apr 2012 #114

I majored in English. I don't know anyone from my program who does not have a career now. Iris Apr 2012 #66

Yup. What English majors know how to do is to communicate. MineralMan Apr 2012 #82

Less than 20% of students study hard sciences or engineering. bluestate10 Apr 2012 #87

I met a young man who was working part-time at a sewing machine repair shop... Zookeeper Apr 2012 #16

Our oldest daughter has a double major from a prestigious public university in Philosophy and... phylny Apr 2012 #18

Ouch! I wish her the best of luck finding something more suitable. n/t Zookeeper Apr 2012 #19

Wasn't always that way NNN0LHI Apr 2012 #22

^^ this ^^ Warren Stupidity Apr 2012 #29

I remember growing up in the midwest in the 60's and 70's and the kids madinmaryland Apr 2012 #41

Yes, I lived through that also. And life was good. jwirr Apr 2012 #51

I remember those days, and went to college... Zookeeper Apr 2012 #58

A few months?! white_wolf Apr 2012 #77

Well, a good union job at an auto plant and.... Zookeeper Apr 2012 #105

My wife is working this summer as office manager at a summer camp Throckmorton Apr 2012 #79

A friend of my daughter did that last summer... Zookeeper Apr 2012 #108

No advertising at all here, Throckmorton Apr 2012 #124

I took up two things in college! Oldtimeralso Apr 2012 #17

Well for some it may serve as a cautionary tale. dkf Apr 2012 #23

Business majors risk not finding a job. Iris Apr 2012 #67

Everyone does. But certain majors have higher risks some of which are knowable. dkf Apr 2012 #115

That's bullshit. Iris Apr 2012 #128

So should they just drop out of college if they can't get into one of the most selective majors? pnwmom Apr 2012 #118

My son is switching from a math major to a communications major. Marrah_G Apr 2012 #24

Isn't "Communications" what the airheads major in? Odin2005 Apr 2012 #99

I'm sorry, I had it wrong Marrah_G Apr 2012 #100

No problem! Odin2005 Apr 2012 #101

That sort of thing depends on the university Hippo_Tron Apr 2012 #111

I hope you're being facetious. Plenty of people have gotten jobs with communications majors. pnwmom Apr 2012 #119

Spam deleted by William769 (MIR Team) CommPro17 Apr 2012 #130

No. At many Unis, it is Journalism, not Looking Good on TV REP Apr 2012 #122

33 years ago I graduated with a music major, having taken no_hypocrisy Apr 2012 #27

well done...says this philosophy + art grad :) nashville_brook Apr 2012 #94

Also, not everyone can be an engineer NutmegYankee Apr 2012 #28

LOL... OneTenthofOnePercent Apr 2012 #81

my soon to be stepson is majoring in math blueamy66 Apr 2012 #30

I'm a geologist TransitJohn Apr 2012 #31

I think geology and geomorphology would be good XemaSab Apr 2012 #46

They should take semiconductor circuit analysis as well snooper2 Apr 2012 #56

Get into fracking and move to W-PA or NE-OH OneTenthofOnePercent Apr 2012 #85

That'd be good if I were starting out. TransitJohn Apr 2012 #89

It's not as if kids' majoring in engineering produces more engineering jobs Recursion Apr 2012 #35

actually, oddly enough, it is like more kids majoring in engineering produces more engineering jobs Warren Stupidity Apr 2012 #42

Then why have the number of STEM jobs gone down while the number of STEM graduates has gone up? (nt) Recursion Apr 2012 #43

hmmm.... Warren Stupidity Apr 2012 #45

China produces more than 1M engineers each yr JCMach1 Apr 2012 #117

I agree with you somewhat. aikoaiko Apr 2012 #36

www.thebestdegrees.org...these jobs are decent paying and high chance of getting uponit7771 Apr 2012 #38

haha. Yeah. right. Iris Apr 2012 #70

I got my degree in General Psychology and ended up in IT for most of the last 30 years slackmaster Apr 2012 #37

Not everyone has what it takes for certain majors tabbycat31 Apr 2012 #40

I disagree with you about "strengths", although I agree with you about interests Hippo_Tron Apr 2012 #138

I had to come up with a major on the spot- registration day. ceile Apr 2012 #44

Up to age 21, the focus should be on identifying marketable talents and developing marketable skills FarCenter Apr 2012 #47

Maybe we should be encouraging more kids to take up a trade 4th law of robotics Apr 2012 #48

Sure with the caveat that they do it in a trade school Iris Apr 2012 #68

I blame colleges FreeJoe Apr 2012 #49

The fact still remains that people with college degrees make more over a lifetime Iris Apr 2012 #72

There are some who choose not to join the rat race and study what's interesting. Tierra_y_Libertad Apr 2012 #50

Well they don't get to complain about the 80K in student loan debt then snooper2 Apr 2012 #57

Why can't they complain? Tierra_y_Libertad Apr 2012 #64

Exactly. This talk of "bad choices" placing the burden on students Iris Apr 2012 #75

I don't think that anyone should major in something that they are below average Nikia Apr 2012 #52

Experts predict that 60% of the best jobs in the next 10 years haven't even been invented yet riderinthestorm Apr 2012 #55

I sure blame myself hfojvt Apr 2012 #60

My English major friend and I got jobs pretty much right out of school. I know accounting majors and Erose999 Apr 2012 #61

haha! Yes! See my post above. Iris Apr 2012 #69

Igneous petrology has nothing to do with finding oil. TransitJohn Apr 2012 #76

Ahh, ok well thats not as excitinc as petroleum then. Not a lot of igneous rock where we are, anyway Erose999 Apr 2012 #123

I'm a senior in Religious Studies; people gave me the '?' line, now I'm going to law school! ^_^ nt cecilfirefox Apr 2012 #62

One of the first thing fascists do is kill off the intellectuals datasuspect Apr 2012 #63

Autocrats of the right and left kill off the intellectuals they disagree with FarCenter Apr 2012 #127

because everything is always the fault of workers in this wonderful land of individual "choice". HiPointDem Apr 2012 #65

Amen! white_wolf Apr 2012 #73

People have to decide why they are going to college treestar Apr 2012 #74

Agreed. bluestate10 Apr 2012 #91

The only engineering major that does not get hired readily are Civil engineers. bluestate10 Apr 2012 #83

I just came across this: TransitJohn Apr 2012 #90

journalism is particularly hard hit -- but that's not the only area for English grads nashville_brook Apr 2012 #97

Grr, Journalism? white_wolf Apr 2012 #112

Back in the day you could get a decent office job most anywhere... Odin2005 Apr 2012 #93

They missed listing the Major in Minimum Wage cr8tvlde Apr 2012 #103

The brilliant Garrison Keillor was an English Major and was forced Elwood P Dowd Apr 2012 #107

there is no "right" major noiretextatique Apr 2012 #109

Agreed! Piltdown13 Apr 2012 #110

The other point I forgot to mention is that the non-technical degrees pnwmom Apr 2012 #120

PhDs are a very risky proposition FarCenter Apr 2012 #125

Unless we want a society of composed totally of technocrats and engineers frazzled Apr 2012 #113

A lot of people blame students for choosing impractical majors harun55 Apr 2012 #116

How many majors turn people away? joeglow3 Apr 2012 #135

"there just aren't enough of those technical slots for all the students who want them" Spoonman Apr 2012 #137