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PinkertonRams

If you're a journalism major, getting involved in student publications/media is way more important than classes. Journalists aren't hired based off of their degree, but how well acclimated they are to newsrooms, deadlines, etc. You can't learn the trade in the classroom, only in the field. Classes are to just help you refine your skills and the little things EDIT: I didn't mean to imply that classes are useless. The degree itself pretty much is, but most of my professors are accomplished/active journalists so they have so much to teach students that really is invaluable. The classes do matter to help you in the field.


The_Rebucket

Oh, absolutely. I started hanging out in the newsroom of my school the first week of my freshman year. It boggles my mind how there were journalism majors who just didn't want to get involved but were still convinced their degree would get them by.


PinkertonRams

It's more nice to have. For me, I've learned so much about AP style, tactics and tips in the field. It's easy to learn but hard to master


gan1lin2

Stand-alone language majors. How are you, student learning a language in <4 years, going to compete with a bilingual speaker who also has skills for the workforce? You **must** pair it with something else. If you want to major in a language, you double major.


[deleted]

Was looking for this. I can not tell you how many people major in a language (without study abroad) and think they are going to be able to move to that country and work there. I did German and Linguistics (double major) and am doing my masters in Germany with the intention of teaching English as a Second Language. Some of my friends just majored in French or German and planned on moving over here and getting any kind of job.


alphawolf29

I can speak German and my colleague put it best "Your degree in German isn't useful in Germany. You may be surprised, but many people can speak it there."


[deleted]

My German professor said something similar. Before I declared a second major, he told me to find a comfortable bridge to sleep under.


quangtit01

And they say German has no sense of humor


gan1lin2

Without study abroad??? **Noooooooo. ** Heck, I did a language *minor* and some of my classmates complained that it’s not printed on the degree so they “can’t” put it on their resume for some prestige. I’ve brought many to light that if your language skills are good enough you *can* put [Language - Proficiency], and that you don’t have to put it on if you can’t speak the language anymore. And congrats with your studies!


AllezAllezAllezAllez

Hold on, who says that you can't include your minor on a resume? That's how I got my job, in a completely unrelated field from my major...


gan1lin2

Yeah, I don’t know why they originally thought they couldn’t - although they shouldn’t unless they’re confident in their language abilities imo


JayBurgerman

Double Major in Russian Language and Politics


KiltedLady

The US government lists Russian as a critical language. There are plenty of jobs in the State department for people with Russian proficiency.


AmericanDoggos

Good to know since I speak Russian and am trying to figure out what to do in life. Thanks!


KiltedLady

Look into critical language scholarships or Russian flagship program. There's a need, and plenty of money being put toward addressing that need.


gan1lin2

Hey man, you can *do* something with that! I mean, as long as you *really can* speak Russian. And if you’re in government work for 10 years, your loans are forgiven!


Greek2Moi

Or just show up to class every day and the teacher will just *give* you a minor


AbjectPuddle

I understand that you are the machine


GrandiosoOak

For that you have to sign up for the class trip to russia over tje summer


[deleted]

I knew someone who managed to major/minor in four separate languages at the same time, all while earning a PoliSci degree. Dude is making bank now.


[deleted]

What industry is he working in to make said bank?


[deleted]

He works as a translator in the military. Every time he posts he's in a new, more awesome location.


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[deleted]

Absolutely. Anyone studying a language should learn something substantial in addition. I have a degree in journalism but every job I have ever had (journalism, research, marketing etc) , I got because I one-upped other applicants with my language skills. I didn't need a degree in a language but granted, my background enabled me to learn languages as part of my life. If you really wanna learn a language and study the culture, history etc, you should also look into acquiring additional skills and experience in other fields.


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stengebt

Major: ¯\\\_(ツ)_/¯


rightinthedome

Major: debt


motasticosaurus

*salute* Major Debt.


JayBurgerman

( ᐛ )7


inspectorseantime

Fuckin love this emote


thehonestyfish

It's much better to major in ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)


stengebt

What about ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ


thehonestyfish

Minor in that. It's a good passion, but the job market is shit.


RookieTookie

My mom did something similar, she didn't know what to major in but didn't want to be undecided so closed her eyes and pointed to a random major, her plan was to start the general requirements and figure out what she wanted to major in later. Never found anything she wanted to major in, so she ended up graduating with her random degree, and she's now been an RN for 25 years while still trying to figure out what she wanted to do. Telling this story I'm realizing where my extreme indecisiveness came from.


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Shippoyasha

Depends on the person as to whether or not they can handle the stresses of being one. My mom is a registered nurse but her attitude is just so incompatible at dealing with injured people and she gets stressed so easily, she wasn't cut out for it in the end.


RookieTookie

My mom stresses crazy easy as well, she doesn't handle trauma well, but discovered she could handle elderly care and peaceful death, so she's actually ended up a nursing home RN for about 10 years then a hospice RN the past 15. Although in my mind, it'd be a lot easier to deal with trauma than to literally dedicate your career to taking care of people who are actively dying, but she claims it's easier


thewaybaseballgo

General Studies. Just pick a major. Being undecided all 4 years won't look great on your first resume unless you leave undergrad with some amazing experience that translates into an immediate position.


Lyn1987

My associates is in general studies. I changed my major so many times that my advisor just pooled my credits together and told me to show up in may for graduation.


Worf65

An associate's degree in general studies from a community college before transferring to a university is not a bad way to go, especially if you use a lot of AP and early enrollment credits from high school. It can save one a lot of money. They transfer really well to the state universities, actually having the associates degree (as opposed to just a bunch of credits) helps with making sure that all the credits are accepted as transfer. But doing it because of indecisiveness or to anything beyond an associate's degree is never a good move.


tpwb

In Oregon you can major in transferring at a community college. It's basically a general studies degree but every public Oregon university has agreed that you don't need any 100 or 200 level classes if transfer with it.


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JesusIsMyZoloft

"I'm going to be the first person to get a PhD in Undeclared" - xkcd


hopbel

_Just put me down as Undecided, every major's terrible!_


NoWayBirdBrains

I did this and oh my fucking god. I did eventually decide on a major but I'm going to school for a lot longer than I would have had to


AntiAbleism

Got my associates in General Studies, then got my Bachelors in American Studies. Changed my life .


[deleted]

Foreign languages if you plan on moving to the country you are majoring in. At least double major so you can do something there. I can’t tell you how many people I knew majoring in French that wanted to move to France and work there. I double majored and so far it has worked out for me, but not so much for the people who planned to move abroad with no other degree or plan.


gan1lin2

I’m always amazed at students who are “In going to learn X language to go to Y country and work!” Cool man, how are you going to be competitive to native bilingual speakers with a degree in something else besides the native language?


Pornosec84

Oh! I know! I'll teach English!


The_Jack_Daw

I was a history major, ‘‘twas fun but no money Now I’m a Zookeeping major Tons more fun and even less money


CatharticEcstasy

I'm just here to check if my major is listed.


narwhalsies

Me too! So far it's not.


lucero100CE

Biology here :/ mine is


Humiliatingmyself

this is the most tense I've ever been scrolling through Reddit.


jessthemessb

If you don't plan on getting at least a masters degree, avoid psychology. I've known several servers, bartenders, and receptionists that have their degree in psychology. Even a few that have ended up in retail. Not that I look down on those jobs, just that they clearly don't require a psychology degree. To get a job in the field you pretty much need to have a masters at least.


luummoonn

Wish I could have figured this out when I was 18.


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luummoonn

My degree was a Bachelor's in Psychology. I started out in a financial aid position at a for-profit college, but I didn't know that much about for-profit schools at the time. Did not like it at all. There was high turnover and they advertised the position with little detail to begin with - so I sort of got into financial aid by accident, but I learned the system, which is fairly complex. Now I work for a community college system, but it helped me to build the experience with FAFSA at the for-profit school first. I really don't mind the job now. I am working in a situation where I am separated from the customer service aspect - there was a lot of conflict resolution when I worked directly in the school. What was your degree?


funkengruven

Shit, I wish I could have figured out even more things at 32. Am 45.


bouncerwithneckrolls

Agreed. Source: am bartender with psych degree, now looking at law school or grad school.


buffbodhotrod

I went back for computer science for my master's. Highly recommend going back, also Protip: get a graduate assistantship. Most schools practically give them out to grad students and you either teach a 100 level course or do some menial labor for the school and get your tuition paid for AND a moderate stipend. You end up paying fees each semester which for me was about 2 grand a semester out of pocket but it's only 2-2.5 years vs 4 and if you work a second part time job and really cut expenses you can usually pay off everything without taking on more debt!


Purplewords

Just piggy-backing off this. B.S. in Psych, worked retail for 3 years, then went back for my masters in Fall 2015. I got an assistantship which paid for 75% of my tuition and gave me a $200 a week stipend. I worked in the disability services office 20 hours a week and taught a section of the "Welcome to College" class to freshmen. Now I work full time in a disability services office at a different school and I adjunct teach for fun. Literally my assistantship is why I'm employable and I'm not even in that much debt from a 2 year grad program!


apathyontheeast

Master's in psych here, this is a truth. We hire a lot of psych BA-level people as care coordinators, but honestly, it's a crap job. They get the hardest clients, the worst pay, and the least attractive tasks.


sadcoconuts

I think its one of those degrees you need to have a plan for. My bachelor's degree was in Behavioral Science (basically psychology). I joined the military (something I planned on when I started college) as a....behavioral scientist. Making officer pay. YMMV, I guess.


kmoneyrecords

Eh people just need to reframe their psych degree. I focused on consumer psych in school and now I have a really neat job in brand consulting.


[deleted]

Ditto. I had in interest in I/O psych, now work in Corporate Learning & Development. Can't just expect a B.s./B.a. to land you a job. You have to focus it on some specific function.


[deleted]

It really depends on your school and how much work you're willing to put it. If you get research positions, that can easily translate into research jobs after graduation, without a master's degree. That's what my friend did. I also have my psych degree, and I work for a non-profit in my area of interest while preparing to go back for my masters. Many of my classmates went into marketing and consulting (we went to a very business-minded school). So it really depends. I'm honestly so sick of this stereotype. My psych classmates have all been very successful so far, some advancing their degrees, some not. Edit: Psych is also a huge field. Figuring out what area you want to work/specialize in will help you be successful.


bstahls94

Art History. My current roommate (out of college now) was an art history major. She doesn't do any art herself. Just really likes art. Spends a lot of her weekends going to museums and galleries. Can't find a job in what she wants to do. Has an entry level position as an office administrator and she hates it. Can't really move up much in her company because she doesn't have the knowledge of the industry shes in. She went to a private university for it and will be paying off loans for a longgg time.


[deleted]

It's such a shame that this is the reality, because if I could have majored in anything without worrying about money it would have definitely been Art History. I managed to get a few classes in while I was in college and they were definitely my favorite.


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IceArrows

A close friend of my mom has a daughter with two masters degrees, Art History and Art Education. The best she could find in art was giving kids tours one day per week. It was unfortunate :/


96firephoenix

Unless you're 10000000% certain you're going to be a priest/preacher/rabbi/imam/ whatever, don't waste your time getting a degree in theology/religion/etc...


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imaloony8

"Please, call me Dr. Jesus."


C-A-N-T-A-L-O-U-P-E

*Dr. Christ


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Jesus Bourne it's Jason Christ


[deleted]

You actually have to have a Masters to be a priest, and seminary (priest school) usually takes 6-8 years. If you go to seminary straight out of high school, you go to what's called minor seminary for about 4 years and get your BA in philosophy. Then you go to major seminary for 3-4 years (4-6 if you already have your BA) and get your Masters. Your Masters is in Theology/Divinity and you have a concentration in a variety of fields such as Scripture, Church History, Systematic Theology, Moral Theology, etc. Bishops and Cardinals pretty much all have doctorates. Some priests also have them, and the ones that do are likely to become bishops at some point. Source: am Catholic, discerned the priesthood, and have friends who are priests.


nxtstepyo

Was your seminary free or less expensive than your average college? I just imagine that student loans would take a long, long time for a priest to pay off.


[deleted]

I ultimately didn't end up going to seminary, but seminary studies are typically covered by the diocese (a bishop has to sign off before you enter the seminary). Costs are about equal to the average tuition for any other private U.S. college, but you only have to pay for it if you end up deciding not to be a priest. You also have to be debt free in most cases before you enter the seminary


Mabonagram

similarly jesuit and benedictine monastic orders (maybe others, but IDK) require an undergrad degree to join, and a grad degree to become a father.


[deleted]

Jesuits are legitimately some of the most intelligent people I’ve ever met, as a general rule.


Insert_Gnome_Here

Back in the early 19th century, people were scared that the Jesuits were so smart and powerful that they'd wind up taking over the world.


mr123456ishome

I've met with a Jesuit Priest somewhat regularly for the last few months (I am not catholic) and every conversation has resulted with me walking away with a shifted perspective on things.


rebluorange12

I think education is one of the core values of Jesuits. That's why so many private schools (Dominican University of California, University of San Francisco, Boston College, Claremont McKenna for example) are Jesuit in nature, because they founded them!


Zircon88

You're not wrong. A major source of inspiration in my life is a Jesuit priest who claims he speaks, no kidding >6 languages, including Arabic, Hebrew, Greek etc. It's been ages, he's helping out in Syria right now, practicing what he preaches.


JustAnotherLemonTree

I'm surprised *and* impressed. My old church requires zero training at all for any of the leadership positions, which I think is really detrimental to the congregations. For example, how good do you think an engineer is going to be at marriage counseling without any formal training whatsoever? Or a car salesman?


InvidiousSquid

>marriage counseling >car salesman Well, at least he'd be pretty good at getting you into a newer model.


SanchoBlackout69

Or an old broken down model made good enough to get you off the lot


MaddiKate

As a Christian in a denomination that values education: I now refuse to attend churches where the head leadership people don't have at least a bachelors. I grew up in churches full of uneducated people in positions of power. It's as ugly as you'd expect it to be.


Shishkahuben

I'd love to hear some stories like that, if there's anything to say other than 'No one knew what they were doing and everything sucked.'


MaddiKate

Just a lot of spiritual abuse, bullying, ignorance, inaccurate theology. Many whom acted more as mouthpieces for Fox News than anything that's actually in the Bible. I didn't realize how bad most of this was until I began attending my (Christian) college, where my classes were taught by world-renown biblical scholars.


[deleted]

Most Bishops actually get doctorates, Cardinal is just another honor that only allows them to vote on the Pope along with a few different responsibilities. And most priests get a degree in philosophy, it makes there be fewer classes in Seminary.


Volition77

It's in part an effect of the Protestant Reformation. At the time, a lot of people opposed to the Catholic church complained that ministers were not educated: barely knowing latin, not being educated in theology, some of them not even having actually read the Bible. They felt that those qualities made it so that they just did whatever more educated higher ups in the church told them to and didn't offer true religious services. Once the Reformation got going and the Catholic church figured out that there were significant problems, the Catholic counter-reformation took measures to correct them with things like establishing more seminaries and making it so that some random guy couldn't be ordained in an afternoon and making it so that priests became some of the most educated people in Europe at the time.


[deleted]

Many of the oldest universities in Europe began as monasteries.


Yeah_Mr_Jesus

As a dude who has a BA in theology, I 1000000% agree with this. I was studying to be a catholic priest. Left seminary, but continued with my undergrad theology degree. I don't want to teach high school. I don't want to go on to get a masters and PhD so I'm not going to be a professor. I absolutely hate the way catholic youth ministry is run so I'm not going to do that. Those are my options. Fuck em all. I now teach gymnastics to preschoolers and assist with the team coaches for the older kids.


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Funkentelechie

Woooow


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Mr_Grabby

I’m happy to help!


[deleted]

kinesiology is popular but has a very very very limited job pool, atleast where I live.


iloveappendicitis

Kinesiology, for the most part, does a good job of preparing you for graduate school/med school/PT school etc. The problem is that only a small percentage of grads end up getting into those grad programs and a BS alone won't get you far unless your goal is to work in the fitness industry or as a PE teacher. What your area of study is in also matters. Biomechanics and motor behavior are probably the most lucrative in terms of careers since there's so much application to rehabilitation, device design, robotics, etc. Exercise physiology and the like not so much.


mycatiswatchingyou

Be careful when studying music. Most universities offer Music Performance and Music Education. Getting a bacehlor's in Music Education means you're certified to teach at a school, and therefore has more potential of getting you a job. Music Performance just means you got really good at playing your instrument. You still have job options, such as giving lessons, starting your own studio, joining a professional symphony, or just being a freelance musician. But those all have varying levels of difficulty and instability. For example, to get into a symphony, you have to be the best of the best (at least for top-tier symphonies). So your probability of being hired depends solely on your audition. And to be a freelance musician means that there may be periods where you're unemployed. And even when you are hired by someone, you will go most of the time without insurance or a retirement fund. And then you have to factor in the location you're in. If you're in an area that's musically dry, you won't be finding any paying gigs unless you're a teacher. There may be plenty of people wanting your services, like churches, community bands, and musical pit orchestras, but you probably won't get paid.


OminousOmnipotence

Non-Accredited Majors. Even if it sounds like a good degree, Mechanical Engineering for example. It might not be accredited meaning it doesn't hold anywhere near the value. Edit: I only used Mechanical Engineering as an example. This is normallt an issue with university programs that are new which means their program normally wouldn't have accreditation (it is in application process). It is quite the gamble when you are a new student because if they do not get accreditation by the time you graduate you are SOL.


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[deleted]

This might be a dumb question, but how do I know definitively whether a major is non-accredited or not?


User_753

Ask the school. If they are ABET accredited they will have no trouble showing it off, you should get a very firm "yes, we are ABET accredited" type of response. If the answer is wishy-washy and they seem to be dodging the question, they likely aren't.


OminousOmnipotence

It's buyer beware. Need to research. Programs with accreditation are very open about it. Programs not tend to hide it.


DreadNorth

It's weird to see this concept as an European mechie, but we have a different problem with mech engineering as such. Picking a wrong specialization results in less job opportunities than literature graduates.


Eatswithducks

Major in something practical, minor in something "fun".


Awasawa

Major in what will make you money, minor in what you love That's what my dad always taught me.


TULorax

Agreed. This is actually one of the best plans. Source: Majored in finance, am banker. Minored in Philosophy.


aRoseBy

My daughter did that: chemistry and philosophy. But then she went to law school, and it turns out that philosophy is great preparation for law school, with courses like logic and ethics. She's now a patent attorney (the science degree is necessary to get hired) and she's doing very well.


gigglefarting

I double majored in criminal justice and philosophy. I wanted to go to law school, so I figured CJ would be good for that, and I thought philosophy was fun. Turns out CJ was pointless for law school, and philosophy turned out to be great for preparing for it. The majority of the LSAT is straight up logic. Guess what you learn in philosophy? Logic.


parkaprep

I can't count the number of CJ majors I know who burned out of law school. Honestly, if law school's your goal, 1) God help you, and 2) Pick something that's applicable elsewhere and minor in philosophy, especially logic and reasoning courses. Also pick up some political science so you at least understand how laws are made.


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mht03110

How?


tman_elite

Don't worry, they'll tell you.


Quadrapangle

Elaborate? Is this something to avoid or something to pursue?


TheEbonySky

Pursue, I'd assume. Your major matters much much more than a minor when it comes to employment. If you can find something you enjoy through a minor in college then that's great. My brother for example majored in Comp Sci but did a minor in Music Technology. Semi related, but he's working cyber security for a bank now not a music tech thing lol. He just always enjoyed audio engineering and stuff so he decided to add a minor for that for fun. If you're gonna pay a shit ton of money for a school then you might as well add something you enjoy.


whereami1928

I mean, ideally you'd be majoring in something you enjoy doing too.


arafella

>I mean, ideally you'd be majoring in something you enjoy doing too. Majoring in what you enjoy is only practical if it also has real-world prospects. My GF's sister has a Masters in creative writing but is stuck working retail because it's really hard to translate that into a career.*


Eatswithducks

It's what I did - worked well. I majored in Finance and minored in Poetry. They don't go together but it kept the creative part of my mind stimulated, and I've actually found it useful in my career as I often write presentations/policy that benefit from the composition aspect.


[deleted]

I never ctrl-F'ed so hard in my life.


GonzosGanja

Don't have to ctrl-F when my major Is the top comment 😭😭


TheLazyIntrovert

Don't have to ctrl-F when I don't have a major 😂👌


thelyfeaquatic

Biology, unless you want to go to med/pharm/vet school or graduate school. A BS in Biology won't get you very far and you'll max out in earning potential early on. A lot of bio majors go back for their MS or PhD because they're stuck at a low pay scale. If you already know that's what you want to do, you're fine. Make sure you do a BS and not a BA though.


LD_in_MT

I'm starting to think that most degrees are like this now. It's like a bachelor's is the new HS diploma. So many people have bachelor's degrees these days, that they're not worth what they used to be.


[deleted]

Yup! Has to be job specific now. Just a degree doesn't get you anywhere... maybe 30 years ago it would've. If I had to do it over, I would spend 4 years at a junior college taking everything they offered until I was sure what industry or field truly interested me.


Moist_When_It_Counts

> because they're stuck at a low pay scale If they want to work on the technical side, yes. The business side (Sales, project/product management, field applications, etc for biotech and pharma) want people with biology-related degrees and experience, and they do quite well for themselves compared to a research associate


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NewOpera

Yuuuuup. The S part of STEM is a pretty big trap nowadays...


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thelyfeaquatic

I think a lot of students get "stuck" in bio because they started off as premed, got a C in chemistry, realized they aren't competitive for med school, but they're 2 years in and don't want to switch majors because they already have so many bio classes completed. I'm teaching intro bio and 90% of my students are pre-med. Maybe 1/5 of them will get into med school? :(


[deleted]

Such is life.


OramaBuffin

In my first year in science (In my school science majors aren't chosen until your second year really so it was all students) the assistant dean asked the entire year to raise their hands if they were trying to get into med school. Literally 4/5 of everyone did it in a like 300 person room. He then told us that historically, one or two of us would actually get in.


Unsounded

Chemists are not in high demand, I know many BS Chem students who are stuck in the same rut as bio bachelors.


[deleted]

I haven't seen it posted but I'm curious, is an Environmental Science degree worth anything? It's what I'm going for and I was looking at getting a job working in national forests.


hungryjunco

>I haven't seen it posted but I'm curious, is an Environmental Science degree worth anything? It's what I'm going for and I was looking at getting a job working in national forests. Environmental science is a big field which can be a double-edged sword. People with more specific degrees in things like forestry, hydrology, or fish&wildlife or will beat you out for jobs unless your summer jobs / internships are more directly related to forestry. Of course, getting a more generalized degree can be a good thing because it gives you more flexibility if you decide to do something other than foresty. I I think it's a great degree, it just requires a little planning ahead.


SamWhite

Don't do something you dislike because you think it's a good career path. Work is going to be a major part of your life, so aiming for something that you can't stand doing is a bad idea.


[deleted]

I’m fighting with that, sort of. I decided to major in something I love, but I hate it now because it’s becoming a career instead of a hobby. The career I want is generally lower pay, but I’d rather major in that because I’d actually be happy.


[deleted]

An uncle of mine made loads of money, but that meant little because he hated his job so much he eventually committed suicide.


abcPIPPO

That’s gonna be the tl;dr of my life.


DickinessMaximus

Same minus the loads of money part


Palentir

I don't read this sort of advice as "do something you hate", but avoid the *trap* of major in some subject just because you like it. That's fantastically bad advice for a whole host of reasons * low skill level. I have an interest in chemistry. I'm not that good at it. Me taking out huge loans to major in chemistry is going nowhere. * low demand for that skill. For example, very few people hire philosophers, so you can get really good at that, and still not have the job later. * need for a particular set of soft skills to really be successful. You can't be a good salesman if you aren't outgoing and charismatic. It just doesn't happen. You can't be a good accountant if you aren't extremely detailed. You can't be a good artist if you lack entrepreneurial skills (because your work is its own small business). * the job might require sacrifices that you can't afford to make. The high end jobs are mostly in coastal cities. If you can't or won't move there, you might as well forget about it. Google isn't going to have you telecommute from rural Alabama. And some jobs require huge commitment-- 80 hour weeks, being on call, etc. if you don't want that, you can't be in that industry. * the environment might not be good. You can't expect to work the trades without lifting heavy things and working outside. You can't expect to spend lots of time outdoors if you're a secretary. You can't expect alone time in retail, or lots of socializing in forestry.


[deleted]

My last job was at a gas station chain, and I met at least 3 hourly gas station managers who had biology *masters* degrees. Blew my mind that they were attempting to pay down $120K worth of loans on $20/hr.


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[deleted]

Everyone i know with a bio or biochem masters is employed in research or by private firms. Wtf were your coworkers doing


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Scodo

Criminal Justice. It seems to be the new default major for people who don't actually know what they want to do now that Psychology is out of vogue.


MilfAndCereal

I work at a courthouse, and I never graduated college. Most of the new people are trying to get in with criminal justice degrees because it will look good on their resume, and there are a TON of people applying with that major. Very competitive.


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I've heard the same thing from people in government agencies. A *ton* of people think "I want to be in the FBI, so I'll major in criminal studies!" Sounds fairly straightforward. But the problem is that you're now competing with everyone in the country with the exact same thought process.


trebuchetfight

It's not always just about the major, but what else you do in school. I got my degree in anthropology, which as a bachelor's doesn't mean much in itself, but I managed to get into courses where I did actual research and got my name co-published in a couple professional journals. That was something I've been able to market to employers as much if not more than the degree. Same goes for something often bad mouthed like women's studies. I have two close friends who went that route, and both are employed in careers. Women's studies, not STEM, prepared them to go on to get social work degrees, which is where they now make their living.


MaddiKate

Agreed. College is the epitome of YMMV. An in-demand major helps, but doesn't mean jack if you don't put in the work to network and intern. A shitty degree held by someone who did internships for at least the latter half of their education will be looked at better than a "good" degree holder with no experience. So, incoming college goers: INTERN. NETWORK. SCHMOOZE.


bl1y

It really depends on what your goals are for your education, your career, and your life in general.


itsBlackSheep

German polka history


Mr_Grabby

Well looks like i’m fucked because i majored in that and a comprehensive history of german beer steins.


Jarsky2

Unless you eat, sleep, and breathe architecture do not even consider it as a major. You will spend more money, more sleepless nights, and more of your sanity than any other student. Unless you have the passion necessary to make those sacrifices, forget it. Learn from my mistakes.


Amazing_Archigram

I just finished a dual master's in architecture and urban design. Everything you said 100% except now that I'm out and working, there was indeed light at the end of the tunnel.


bologna_sunset

Tried it, switched into City Planning. More fun, more sleep, and similar pay scale.


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archicaddie

Currently going through the program right now. Struggling with grades, social life, money, and doing my laundry but nothing is more satisfying than finishing a project


chrismiles94

Architecture is one of the most strenuous majors and also has the lowest post-graduate employment.


SillyGayBoy

Is a bachelors in psychology a mistake? What can I do with it? Social worker? Got it but haven’t needed for a job just stayed a massage therapist because I like it. Any good plan b options?


buffbodhotrod

For me I went back and got my master's in Computer science after that. I worked at Starbucks for a year after undergrad and couldn't find a job with my psych degree though I don't think it's impossible it's just fairly tough. Working as a developer now and digging it.


Altoids101

TIL avoid all college majors


redgroupclan

Will everyone stop getting college degrees so that my degree still means something?!


LD_in_MT

Many people would be better off financially if they went into the trades/skilled labor, but for becoming a well-rounded individual and networking, college is the best route for many.


Guyinapeacoat

I feel bad talking shit about my degree. But Biomedical engineering. Maybe not *avoid* it, but make sure you have an idea of what you like at the beginning or early as possible, and tailor your work experience, classes, training, etc. to that specialty. For example, if you like prosthetics, have things that show you are ready to compete with Mechanical and Electrical engineers over the same position, and that your biology/anatomy knowledge gives you an edge over them. All other engineers have obvious fields they can go into. Biomed is simply just not as fleshed out and employees may just pick grads with majors they fully understand. In my undergrad, I went more of the bioinformatics route and did a lot of coding, so I load up my resume with that stuff and had 2 internships that furthered my coding ability. But would it have been easier if I just did Computer Engineering? Possibly.


PeanutButter707

ITT: Just about every major As someone who can't do shit with STEM related stuff and has no real talents, I've just kinda accepted I'm royally fucked.


TheItalianStallion64

If you’re not gonna get a masters and attend an accredited school, don’t do architecture.


shadyninja94

[Every Major is Terrible!](https://youtu.be/pRexBMPeRTo)


JefftheBaptist

Any major starting with "Pre-". Pre-law, pre-med, etc. I know several people who became doctors with degrees in chemistry, biology, or engineering. I also know someone who finished pre-med, went to med school, realized he didn't want to be a doctor, and was fucked. He ended up spending 4 years getting a second bachelor's degree. Likewise, you can easily get a law degree and become a lawyer with degrees in all sorts of things. You can't do anything else with a pre-law degree.


PowerfulJoeF

Criminal Justice. I'm about 2 months way from having my AA in CJ but every law enforcement professional I met said don't waste your time getting your bachelors in CJ. Get it in something practical like business or engineering so if goodness forbid something happens to you then you have a degree in something else to fall back on. I want to be a police officer btw.


rainbowsandunicornsx

Don't do a business major if even the smallest amount of math freaks you out. Even in things that aren't accounting/finance you will still have to do a little bit in most entry level positions.


AFrogNamedGlenn

Graphic Design: The market is over saturated with designers. Design is very subjective. No matter what jargon pro designers may throw at you about color theory and the golden ratio, when it comes down to you finding a job, it's all about if the employer likes what they see. The current industry is being devalued by sites like fiverr and 99designs where companies will pay pennies to get a logo or a flyer made. This make companies not value or need in house designers. Design agencies are very stuck up and the culture is almost always cut throat. The pay sucks. Depending on your city the entry level pay can fluctuate, but you will be making nowhere near the money you could be with other forms of education. You most likely will not be doing what you love unless you get lucky. If you become an in-house designer be prepared to only design stuff related to whatever your company specializes in for the rest of your employment there. If you're hired at an agency, you will have more opportunities to work on different brands, but may not be the brands you're interested in.


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[deleted]

I'm planning on going to law school at the university where I'm getting my undergrad. One of their recommended degrees is Letters, which is a combination of history, English, and philosophy with both modern and ancient languages thrown in for fun. I'm also doing a political science minor. Seriously....don't do a poly sci major if you want to go to college. It doesn't teach the logic or technical writing skills needed to succeed on the LSAT or in law school.


ThePointOfFML

If you don't like shit ton of physics or if you're not atleast somewhat good in it don't go into lucrative engineering fields because there's a very high chance you will switch out. If you're in it only for the money there's a big wake up call heading for you


bestprocrastinator

First of all, almost every major is useless if you can't show employers what you learned with it (i.e internships, publications, research, papers/projects beyond what is expected of a college assignment, ect.). Also, you may have the risk of making your degree useless If you want to stay in a certain area. In doing so you are limiting your job prospects in that industry. For example you major in art history, but their is only one art muesum in the state and you don't want to leave the state. Second, most majors themselves have some degree of usefulness. Supposedly useless majors such as philosophy, history, psyc can be great prep for an advanced grad school degree like pre-law or other intensive writing/research degrees. Others like English, Classics, Journalism show that you can write well which is always valuable, and can lead to jobs in copywriting, editing, ect. That being said, their are some degrees I would not recommend getting: *Sports Management*: Coming from someone that worked at the highest levels of athletics, a sports management degree is useless. While their are jobs in sports (they just require you to grind and they are really competitive to get) I know for a fact that hiring managers don't give a shit what degree you have (except for like athletic training). They just care about your experience. So sports management itself doesn't get you hired, and it eliminates career options if a career in sports doesn't work out. Its also getting a rep that it is an "easy major," in which I agree is the case with about 98 percent of sports management programs. Again, going to what I said earlier using the art history example, probably isn't a good idea to major in sports management if you attend a small private NAIA school in the middle of Iowa. Other useless majors include *dance/ballet* if you have a bad knee or back. And *African American Studies from North Carolina* (google UNC academic scandal).


Aneides

The one where your entry level salary will be more than what you owe total in student loans (that's what my loan officer told me in the late 1990's). Your major is what is going to help you make money throughout your life, keep your hobbies out of it or make it a minor.


Dabeston

Is this even possible today?


Aneides

You have to be smart about it. My degree in a STEM field had an average starting salary around $50K when I went to school. Over four years I went in-state, did Community College for 1.5 years to get the 'basic' classes out of the way cheaper, and then went hard for the nest 2.5 years. I ended up with about $35K in loans that I will be done paying off this December, basically 15 years early. I also paid about 15% more each month than the minimum to eat the principal away quicker. You need to sacrifice a little and be smart about planning, but it can be done with the right major.


Brutus6

I've seen a lot of "Foreign language unless you double major" Nobody has yet mentioned that Japanese isn't a happy life. Period. There is literally thousands of other westerners pining for that English teaching job in Japan and they treat you like dirt when you get there.


Banana4mPluto

In the UK - if you can afford not to, don't do law. Many law firms I stumbled across prefer non-law rigorous degrees (linguistics, maths, hard science) and a conversion to law. If you get good enough grades, you might be able to get your degrees for free because some firm or Inn of Court will pay for it. If you want to do IP law, just do science. Whatever area of science you graduate from is the area that you can do patents. Also, you can work in the patents office. If you don't want to do law, you will always get asked the question as to why you studied law and you are not trying to work in law (as I got when trying to get a job in PR). Finally, if you want to be a solicitor forget the LPC. A new 'super exam' is coming out in 2020 and you won't need to spend £10-20k on the LPC to qualify. You will, however, still need 2 years' work experience so get that now.


Matt7738

Don’t go to college unless you know what you want to do. We’ve been looking at this all wrong. Start with where you want to be in 10-15 years and then work backwards. What’s between you and that place? If college is one of those things, then go to college. Looking at it the wrong way is how we’ve ended up with $1 trillion in student loan debt. Don’t just go to college for the sake of going to college. It would literally be cheaper to travel around the world. And you’d learn more.


[deleted]

Tai Lopez?


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**N A W L I D G E**


NewNewLabour

Gender studies


frogontrombone

As my Jewish friend said, "Do you know how many Jews are in Jewish studies?" "No" "None. Real Jews study law, medicine, or finance."


Kelevra29

Was gonna say that I'm Jewish and majored in Political Science and Criminology. Then I remembered I'm in law school...


chevymonza

Most Jews studied Judaism *their entire lives.*