Is college worthwhile unless you're doing a STEM major?

[melo0115]

stupid thread is stupid.

why are people constantly trying to devalue college?

It's a touchy subject and people are confused about their future. Shrug!!

 

[captain charisma]

Well I would like to add my input. I believe that it all boils down to the individual, and how motivated they are. There is no way I will ever be "poor" or "unsuccessful" (Both words are in quotation marks, because it's all relative to personal experiences). I have ingrained it in myself that I will hustle as much as I possibly can to get what I want. A lot of people would consider me a lucky guy, but I have placed myself in the position to receive whatever I have gained. I also believe that it goes without saying that not everyone is presented with the same opportunities. Life is too complex to just say, "If I can do it, you can too." Life gets in the way sometime.

Moving on to the question of "Is college worthwhile unless you're doing a STEM major?" I would say yes. I majored in Ethnic Studies at Berkeley. I gained far too much for it to even be considered a waste in any sense of the word. The best part about college for me was growing as a person. I really found myself. Now, I would never say I'm offended when someone devalues non-STEM majors. Does it bother, sometimes. I feel that a lot of those who downplay non-STEM are merely misinformed. In other words, they doing it wrong. I am going to go into Education. Obviously not for the money, but because a lot was done for me to be in the place that I am currently. If it wasn't for all of the help and support I have received, I would not have been nearly as "successful" in my endeavors. My end all goal though is to get my PhD, and attempt to do meaningful research that will greatly impact my community for the better. East Oakland ya dig?

I'd also like to add that, academically speaking, I was a really well rounded student in high school. I did well across the board in all my classes. I was actually going to go into STEM. In high school, I interned with East Bay MUD (Water district for the East Bay in the Bay Area). As a freshmen at Berkeley, I had an internship lined up with Bayer. I just fell in love with Ethnic Studies.

Here is my resume:
Person of Color. I'm Mexican, if that matters.

Ethnic Studies (I double majored, and also had a minor)
University of California, Berkeley
Graduated with $0 in debt.

I will start my Masters program in two weeks.
M.ED Counseling Psychology
Teachers College, Columbia University
My 34k tuition will be paid for by scholarships. I will graduate with debt, but it' debt to due to the cost of living. I ain't even mad tho.

It all comes down to what you find important. If the financial security of a STEM major is what you need, go for STEM. I'll still be successful with my non-STEM degree.

 

[heatpinoyboy]

^^
Well dam, Mr. Charisma said exactly what I wanted to say, without the resume part of course.


As a 2nd year student in college I'm finding that having to double major will make my time in college even more worthwhile, despite staying for an extra year.
I guess, without trying to repeat what has been said in here, it all boils down on a very personal level. In a lot of the recent College debates that we've been having here, we have to remember that on the path to a person's future career, there are tons of different variables to account for the success of that individual.

How they work with others, if they're outgoing, do they take initiative, are they lazy, these are traits that can guide you to the right path in a community college setting, or deter you off course in your 4-year university. I guess what I'm trying to say is, if you gotta plan--even with a degree in humanities--then dammit go for it. College is more than just your pursuit of your Bachelor's. There are a lot of experiences, and experiences with people that you can have no matter your major.

Dam it's late goodnight

 

[nazdrowie]

Also, Communications is hardly toxic especially depending on the market you live in. All college programs are not created equal. Some have more resources and prestige than others. Being a Comms major at Syracuse, Northwestern, UNC and USC > being a comms major at your city college.

this i can say there are some pretty lucrative jobs in major markets.

im in the DC market and a lot of these public affairs/relations/communications jobs are good money...many with career potential cracking six figures. the salaries for experienced employees of LARGE non-profits, communications firms and government agencies are really good. 

only problem with the area is the excruciating cost of living.

 

[asianplayer]

Its already hard enough to get a job with a college degree. Don't even want to imagine whats its like searching without one.

 

[tlrdx91]

I'm a STEM major but have interest in the humanities. The humanities are only worthwhile if you are wealthy, passionate about the subject, and enjoy researching and teaching it.

98% of the population cannot afford to pay 40k or more a year on tuition without falling in debt and lowering standards of living for many years. If you fall in the higher echelons of society then you can major in whatever because you will be financially secure regardless of job. Often, you will have a job lined up for you to inherit. So the chances for you to be poor, young, and jobless is very low.

The other obvious issue to consider when deciding the major is whether you really love it. You will have to go through tomes of literature to seek out an answer to some open ended question. If you enjoy conjecture and lateral thinking then it might be for you. The thought of reading through texts by Nietzsche, Kant, and (philosopher, poet, ...) etc should excite you and lead to investigation.

The last thing to consider is the actual job part. Most of the humanities except a few lead to jobs requiring teaching in university. If you want to research philosophy or classics then it becomes inevitable that you teach as a department requirement. 

 

[AZwildcats]

If you go into college with a plan in mind and "specific jobs you want to apply for" and work towards that, it is for sure worth it. If your going in with no idea, get a degree just for the same or getting it, and do nothing extra to get a job, then no its not. Learned this the hard way

 

[rell826]

Far from butthurt. It wasn't my major but I do know plenty of Comms majors who are doing well for themselves. Your inability to carry a conversation without throwing insults is pretty sad. These are viewpoints shared by those who teach. I still talk to my professors and when we do talk, the dismissal of the Arts, Humanities and other programs is something that comes up.

You're a CJ major, but what other skills do you have that would make yourself marketable to an employer? You're already throwing in the towel because you see law school as a bad investment. That's what people mean by don't let your degree define you. Friend of mine was a poli sci major and he's now a Financial Analyst for Pepsi. On the other hand, I had a friend who was a STEM major, couldn't get a job in his field and he's now an advisor at a high school in NYC and has worked in education since 09 (when people regardless of major and advanced degree had trouble landing a position).

Seriously, take journalism for example. Newspapers are dying, bloggers do their job for a fraction of the pay and are far more efficient.

Is that right? As someone who's worked on the digital side, that's far from the truth, but I'll let you tell it since you're so well informed.

Also, if you plan on transferring into Syracuse, you'll be at least a year behind seeing that you'll have to change your major since Criminal Justice isn't offered there.

With the cost of college these days, I think it's worthwhile to double major. One technical major and one soft major, like statistics + psychology for example. It'll make anyone more well-rounded and also make the most out of their time in undergrad.

I definitely agree. That's what its about now. Making yourself appear more well rounded and marketable to an employer.