To be fair, political science taught as a highly mathematical, borderline economics discipline is terrific, worthwhile, and will give one valuable skills. Of course, very few universities teach it that way, but it's quite valuable from those ones.
Read the page you linked to, and I had to disagree about philosophy. Sure, it won't help you get a job, but the analytical skills are worthwhile, and you won't get them by just reading at home, you really do need a professor and a classroom engaging in a true Socratic dialogue (and not the bullshit Sardonic Method used at law schools).[/quote] This makes it an excellent MINOR or even dual major if you're really into it, which is how I feel about all the other useless degrees, sociology classes can be fun, but ultimately will not help you get a job, major in something useful, minor or dual in something you're passionate about. I find it hilarious that people think 100k+ is a worthwhile investment for four years of education that won't help them land a job. Then again, as long as people keep majoring in stupid shit, people like me will have less competition. Didn't know anyone taught it that way, still stand by my "good minor, bad major" thought since that's how most people view majoring in Poli sci.
Yeah, I double majored. My other major was English Lit (with a ton of creative writing). ...Fuck. I was in state with a partial scholarship though, so I probably got my money's worth.
That article was kind of dumb. There are plenty of jobs for people with degrees in philosophy, communications, english, etc. Publishing, Sales, Marketing, PR, Admissions, HR, Writing and more are all basically stuffed with those sorts of majors. Being able to communicate clearly is a skill worth having for a business.
I'm working on a sarcastic version of the Black's Law Dictionary for my new site, and while I'm pretty set on the entries, I can't come up with a decent title for it. If anyone can come up with a decent title, I'll post a preview.
You're assuming those people are chomping at the bit to become actuaries and the only thing standing in their way is an English degree.
My first degree was Sociology, I mean, who wants to major in hard shit when there is always a party to be found while in college. But I rectified it later. Had I known then what I know now I probably wouldn't have had nearly as much fun.
There are not plenty of jobs in writing. Technical writing often requires a background in the industry, journalism requires a journalism background instead of English lit. If you want a job in writing, odds are you're going to have to make it yourself.
I was implying that in general, people with technical degrees have it much easier because so many people opt for degrees that won't allow them to compete with those with technical degrees. But since you mention it, every single person I know that has graduated with an English degree would love my job a hell of a lot more than their own. Not to say there aren't good jobs for them, there's just a million other people vying for the same positions that are equally or more qualified. Unfortunately their professors didn't tell them that part. And lastly, some english majors do become actuaries, you just have to be able to pass the exams and while a strong math background is needed, a degree in it is not required.
If you don't want to do technical work, why would you get a technical degree? If you want a job that requires a strong writing/english background, why wouldn't you get a degree in the field? There are also a lot of jobs that don't particularly require any major; I worked in recruitment for a while, and as far as I could tell, the only skills you really need going in are being personable and enjoying judging strangers.
There are only a tiny number of jobs that require a background in literature. As for writing, your English degree might involve a lot of writing, so you'll be stronger than most, but probably not the type of writing that any job heavy on writing will require.
So you should decide on doing a job you don't want when you're 16 or 17? I don't think I'm overly optimistic, but consigning yourself to a career you don't want before you can legally smoke is harsh. There are plenty of jobs that don't require a particular background in anything; the value of a degree isn't always strictly tied to its ability to give you the exact skills needed for a particular job.
Because not many of these jobs exist, certainly nowhere near the amount to meet the supply of people with non-technical degrees. And I get the whole 'follow your dreams thing' but let's be honest, some dreams are just unrealistic. If I told you my dream was to be a VCR repairman would you tell me to follow my heart or call me an idiot? Personally I would say if you want that type of job, don't go to college, it's a waste of money. But with all the places that require a bachelors degree just to get your foot in the door, you make a strong case. Out of curiosity did you need a degree (for qualification purposes) for that job?
That's weird. There seems to be a consensus on another thread that the poor educational choices of a 12 year old was reason enough to consign them to cleaning gutters for the rest of their lives. My point though was just that while "writing" may be a very universally useful skill, the kind of writing you do in English lit classes isn't that type of writing. History classes heavy on writing are probably better training.
Found the greatest iphone app ever: DogTeaser. It has about a dozen different sound effects (dog whistle, door bell, cat, bark, etc.) Gonna get drunk tonight, watch the NBA all star game, and turn the app into WifeAnnoyer.
I agree that you shouldn't look at an English degree as a direct investment in a career, like you might for Engineering or Doctoring, unless you're very, very talented or really, really want to work in publishing. Not everything is so cut and dried though; if you can afford it, do what you like. Just don't be surprised. I would tell you to follow your dream, while being honest with you that the odds didn't look good. You can do anything you want with an English degree, with the exception of certain technical fields that you weren't interested in anyway. Why start out by settling? I had that job while I was in school, and I just did admin stuff, so no. But of the people who did the actual recruitment (and made mid-six figures, which I knew because one douchebag asked me to copy his paycheck for personal purposes) all had degree in stuff like religion and art history. They were just good at cultivating relationships. In what I've been doing lately, having an English background has helped me, in terms of being able to write quickly and well. That being said, the actual skills I learned have absolutely nothing to do with anything I learned in class.
The things you can do with an English degree are identical to the things you can do without an English degree. Why not at least get a degree that expands your skillset?
The same can be said for sociology, communications, and a whole host of other degrees. I'm not arguing; I'm just pointing out that there are relatively few degrees where you won't just be doing the same things in slightly different ways. And if you're in a soft major, you probably have no interest/skill in those. I think we probably agree, ultimately though; the vast majority of majors have no direct bearing on your ability to do the job you'll eventually end up in. I just think that's a good reason to major in whatever you want, work hard, cultivate good relationships and cross your fingers.