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| Which Degree is the Most Worthless? |
| Art History |
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9% |
[ 7 ] |
| Philosophy |
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25% |
[ 18 ] |
| American Studies |
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6% |
[ 5 ] |
| Music Therapy |
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8% |
[ 6 ] |
| Communications |
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5% |
[ 4 ] |
| Dance |
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8% |
[ 6 ] |
| English Lit |
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4% |
[ 3 ] |
| Latin |
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13% |
[ 10 ] |
| Film |
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5% |
[ 4 ] |
| Religion |
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12% |
[ 9 ] |
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| Total Votes : 72 |
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xingyiman
Joined: 12 Jan 2006
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 Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2008 6:52 pm Post subject: |
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| I know many people who majored in these so called "wothless majors" who have good jobs. Lots of times it depends on where exactly a person lives. If you live in South Missouri and major in engineering (and just have to stay there), you're going to be making about $10.00 an hour to start. Maybe $15 in several years. History gets really bashed lots but I know some people who majored in history that are doing well. |
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Omkara
Joined: 18 Feb 2006
Location: USA
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| Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2008 8:55 pm Post subject: |
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| laogaiguk wrote: |
| Omkara wrote: |
Philosophy the most useless? Hmmm. I got one. I found it applies universally.
Sure, it doesn't lead directly to a specific job. But it never antiquates. It gives one the tools needed to think clearly. And, thinking clearly, it can be used in conjunction with other training and that training will be augmented.
I've since gotten an MA in Literature. When I've taught English, Literature or composition classes, my training in philosophy has only made my classes clearer and more interesting.
Philosophy is also excellent training for moving into Law, Medicine, and any field which requires analysis of causality.
But if you want a cookie-cutter career path, I must admit that philosophy is not practical. One must be creative to use the degree to its best advantage, and that advantage is not necessarily implied by that acquisition of the piece of paper and those entitlements. Still, those entitlements do open doors, as well or better than other degrees.
For example, if the requirement is simply a degree, all degrees placed side-by-side, the philosophy degree can imply that the holder has a certain ability to think critically.
Again, I must admit that I have had to augment my philosophy degree with an advanced degree, and next a certificate. These, taken together, will make me very competitive in the arena of education.
I would argue that even a degree in Religious Studies can be a very useful degree, provided it is used wisely. It could work very well for someone who would want to do research in human psychology.
On the other hand, Religious Studies could be lucrative, provided the holder has certain rhetorical skills and an ability to gain the support of a congregation.
And this is coming from a militant atheist. |
I agree, the problem is like most grads nowadays, they can't think for themselves, they just list off a bunch of names they learned in uni to sound smart and never question a professor. Some of the people coming out of education degrees nowadays are like zombies  |
Yeah, most people cannot think critically. I'm not sure if it is worse, better, or the same as that of former generations.
Still, we cannot expect that people would be critically inclined. Learning to read well is hard and rare enough; it is doubly hard to learn to critique well and objectively.
What I am most happy with is that my study of philosophy has helped me to be critical and hence more able to keep a very efficient spam-guard running. Some junk does get through; but, when I see the kind of junk mail filling the inboxes ofmany professionals with advanced specialized and practical degrees, I am relieved.
It does mean, however, that my inbox sometimes stays empty for very long stretches of time.
I can have more confidence when I make a choice, knowing that my choice rests on sound principle and validated fact, that there is a higher degree of probability that, given the causal order, my intention will manifest.
Yet again, my kind of confidence is quite different from the confidence that others with more lucrative degrees do have. Mine holds sound even if the economic market crashes and my mode of employment is no longer needed by the general population.
A teacher of mine once told me that it is important to "stay flexible." My degree in philosophy has allowed me to stay reasonably flexible.
I love what the degree gave me. It was worth struggling with those difficult texts, problems and issues.
Also, I find that having gone through the process, it is really of little importance that I remember specific thinkers, dates, etc. It was more important that I encountered the problems, abstracted sound principles, and was enabled to choose better. For, the whole of an education comes down to one function: choice. How do we choose?
Everything--not anything--follows from that. |
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Jandar
Joined: 11 Jun 2008
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| Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2008 10:30 pm Post subject: |
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| mindmetoo wrote: |
| Jandar wrote: |
Yes, I have a Business Management Degree.
I have worked as an Electronics Engineer, a Computer Networking Engineer, a Customer Service Engineer, a Sustaining Engineer, A Project Manager, an Electronics Technician, a Satellite Installation Engineer, an Automobile Salesman, and an English Teacher.
Though some of these jobs paid much better I find teaching English to be the most rewarding. |
It certainly makes a nice mid-career break. |
Actually I'm retired teaching is my hobby. |
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el_magico
Joined: 14 May 2006
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| Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2008 1:20 am Post subject: |
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| laogaiguk wrote: |
snip
You opinion is shit. This is what I was talking about. Some people love accounting. I loved programming (though the idea of a cubicle was horrible). Programming to me is like writing a story for an author. Heaven forbid people like different things.
What was your major by the way? Mine was computer science. |
NOBODY LOVES ACCOUNTING. |
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Omkara
Joined: 18 Feb 2006
Location: USA
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| Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2008 2:05 am Post subject: |
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Thank Allah that some people love accounting and things of the like.
I remember walking into a library one day, looking up an obscure article, getting the locating number of the article, walking to the location the number indicated, and getting ahold of the exact thing I was looking for.
I have no taste for organizing things. I personally have no taste for library science, nor do I for accounting. But some people do. I'm really grateful that some people do. If the world were like me, we'd be profoundly disorganized. Our libraries would be organized in piles: this pile, presently reading from the first three chapters; that pile, nearly finished; the other pile, who knows?
People are different, and can compliment each other's talents. Emerson once remarked that Man (or was it God?) became men in order to better serve himself.
Nevertheless, a friend of mine once gave me the insight that it is a foolish mistake to assume the next man or woman's psychology is anything like your own. |
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mindmetoo
Joined: 02 Feb 2004
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| Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2008 2:49 am Post subject: |
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| Jandar wrote: |
| mindmetoo wrote: |
| Jandar wrote: |
Yes, I have a Business Management Degree.
I have worked as an Electronics Engineer, a Computer Networking Engineer, a Customer Service Engineer, a Sustaining Engineer, A Project Manager, an Electronics Technician, a Satellite Installation Engineer, an Automobile Salesman, and an English Teacher.
Though some of these jobs paid much better I find teaching English to be the most rewarding. |
It certainly makes a nice mid-career break. |
Actually I'm retired teaching is my hobby. |
Even better. |
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Draz
Joined: 27 Jun 2007
Location: Land of Morning Clam
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| Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2008 3:14 am Post subject: |
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| Omkara wrote: |
| I personally have no taste for library science |
Going back to school for a degree (maybe a masters?) in library science is my secret dream. Soooooomedaaaaaaay. *goosebumps* |
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Omkara
Joined: 18 Feb 2006
Location: USA
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| Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2008 3:27 am Post subject: |
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| Draz wrote: |
| Omkara wrote: |
| I personally have no taste for library science |
Going back to school for a degree (maybe a masters?) in library science is my secret dream. Soooooomedaaaaaaay. *goosebumps* |
Really? I actually don't know what the job entails. What do you like about it? |
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Draz
Joined: 27 Jun 2007
Location: Land of Morning Clam
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| Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2008 3:38 am Post subject: |
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| Omkara wrote: |
| Draz wrote: |
| Omkara wrote: |
| I personally have no taste for library science |
Going back to school for a degree (maybe a masters?) in library science is my secret dream. Soooooomedaaaaaaay. *goosebumps* |
Really? I actually don't know what the job entails. What do you like about it? |
There are several jobs that fall in that category. I like the organizing, the quiet, and the money. They all pretty much have these, unless you work in a school library (you lose the quiet). |
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Omkara
Joined: 18 Feb 2006
Location: USA
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| Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2008 4:34 am Post subject: |
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I'm glad people like you exist. I'd be screwed otherwise!
But the quiet. . .I'd love that aspect of the job. And access to so many books! How would you get any work done? |
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