Liberal Arts

[Jib 0]

Kallend remarked about not feeling sorry for art history majors who can't find jobs after college in another thread. So, what do you think about liberal arts and non-technical degrees?

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the depth of his depravity sickens me.
-- Jerry Falwell, People v. Larry Flynt

[billvon 3,070]

Nothing at all wrong with a liberal arts degree, if that's what you want to do. You just won't make much money at it compared to, say, a degree in mechanical engineering. More people want vacuums than want an analysis of musical styles of the Early Baroque period.

[RoadRash 0]

Yep, I am going to have a very expensive piece of paper that says that I know what anthropology is in another year, and you know what I can do with it? I can put it on the fire to keep my @ss warm for exactly one minute, because that is all it is worth.

With most liberal arts degrees, you have to go on to get your master's degree and usually PHD to go anywhere and you are still not guaranteed to get grants and such. Plus, that means that most people have student loans up the wazoo that you are having to pay off for years.

In the end, I think I should have gone into nursing. Of course, that is what I decide I should have done after my parents have forked over thousands for a Big Ten University......oops...


~R+R

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Fly the friendly skies...^_^...})ii({...^_~...

[Sheenster303 0]

My major is declared as Anthropology. Someone told me I should do it so I put that as my major on my application. I took the class and hated it so much! I've been in college for 2 years now and still have anthropology listed as my major because I have no idea what else I wanna do.

I better hurry up and decide before I'm forced to stay with Anthropology.

I'm so funny I crack my head open!

P.M.S. #102

[AndyMan 7]

I'm a liberal arts major, I have a degree in Canadian Studies, from a Canadian University.

In real life I pretend to be a software engineer.

In comparison to the "real" engineers around me, I have superior written and oral communication skills, and I relate better to management and to our clients.

Most importantly, my career has progressed faster then the pure-play techies I started out with.

If you want training, a technical degree can be a good answer. I skipped the training and instead chose an Education. I have no regrets.

_Am

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You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

[batbex 0]

I'm doing a History of Art and Classical Archaeology joint major and even I voted for 'what the hell are you supposed to do with that degree?'

anyone with an answer - I graduate in 3 months, so now would be a really good time to find out!

[rehmwa 2]

Most people advance based on ability to learn and attitude and general intelligence. There are many stupid exceptions to this rule.

As a hiring manager, I have much less focus on degree type and gradepoint than the above. The people I've hired and recruited have all done better than the average with no exception. However, most of the pool of people I hire from are from the hard science background so I'm actually picking logical people with good attitudes.

You've likely done better based on your personal abilities rather than your degree.

However, the slam on the technical degree (as training rather than Education) is just an ignorant slam.

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Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[AndyMan 7]

A slam it may be, ignorant it is not. I've been in this field for 10 years, and there most definately is a difference in the toolbox of those that come from purely techinical backgrounds.

Without a doubt the strongest individuals have a wide and diverse background to draw from, and having a non-technical degree facilitates that - provided they have the training required to do the job.

The opposite is also true, someone like BillVon is a great example. Clearly, his social interests lie outside of his field, and the skills he's picked there are equally important.

That said, in the places I've worked, which include an impresive list of fortune 100 companies, its the soft-skills which are valued far more then the technical ones. I've noticed this not only in the engineering staff, but other technical disciplines like accounting.

_Am

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You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

[AggieDave 6]

Well, I'm a History major. What am I going to do with my degree? I was going to be a Marine, until I blew my knee to shit, so I'm going into law enforcement.

So I guess Kallend has a problem with people who work hard for their education and decide to do things like me. Being a Cop. Could be worst, I could be a professor.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[Jayruss 0]

There are a majority of degreed people that don't even go into their field of study. Of course a BillVon has a more specialized degree, but I've met CPA’s with undergrad degrees in Art History and Aerospace engineering. It's what you do after you get the degree that matters.

__________________________________________________
"Beware how you take away hope from another human being."
-Oliver Wendell Holmes

[PhillyKev 0]

Plus, there are plenty of entry level position in big corporations that will hire you to get your foot in the door after college for pretty much any department. But only if you have a degree...any degree.

Way I look at it is, if you know you want to do something that's going to make big bucks whether you like it or not, make sure you get one of the few degrees that will almost guarantee that. If you have no idea what you want to do, get a degree in something you enjoy. It won't hurt, and you may be able to apply it to a money making career in some way.

[narcimund 0]

I have a bachelor's degree in philosophy from what might be the most abstract liberal arts college in the west half of the US.

I own a successful, growing small business with 4 employees. I do fairly well.

My company does extremely technical work, but must do it with a human approach. Common sense cannot be taught, but system administration and software engineering can be.

I completely agree with Andyman in his assessments of people with technical degrees. I'd be much more inclined to hire a history or philosophy or psychology or marketing student than an academically trained programming geek.

First Class Citizen Twice Over

[dzingales 0]

Here is what I told my brother who is going away to college later this year . . . .

Lib arts is great if your high school experience sucked ass and you want someone to teach you how to read and write.

I hope ya got enough $$ to go to tech school after graduating from the 4 year.

P.S. I have a BA in Religious Studies,--immensely useful!

[Deuce 1]

I have a BA in Poli Sci and a Masters in Public Administration.

There's plenty of money to be made as a government bureaucrat.

Plenty.

The problem is that the system is so fossilized you can't change it until you are in charge of the whole thing, and by then nobody cares. When you come up with an innovation, the reigning guy will say "So you are telling me the system I came up with in 1986 SUCKS?" "Not in 1986, sir, but there's some neat new stuff we can do with technology, and that will reduce the paperwork and the time to deliver our service to the consumer"

"I'd love to look at your process, but you'll be in a train the trainer session for diversity sensitivity training for the next two weeks, and then I'll be at the bureaucrat conference in Lake Tahoe for the two weeks after that"

Fuck it.

Anybody want to have their year-end video printed on DVD?

Liberal arts is a good entry degree for government service, police, bureaucracy, military.

Small business too. That's where I'm using mine now.

Good luck.

[FliegendeWolf 0]

I'm going to graduate school for a Ph.D. in music theory. I am under no illusions about the demand for someone in such a profession, but I love music, and I love studying music. If I'm going to make significantly less than a business major, well, I suppose that's economics. But I think overall I will be more satisfied with my life making less money doing something that I truly love.

Of course, I imagine a lot of the full-time skydivers here would have a similar opinion--you won't get rich jumping tandems or AFFs, but doesn't it beat working in a cubicle?

A One that Isn't Cold is Scarcely a One at All

[Zenister 0]

sort of depends on whither you go to college to get an education or to get a job?? Education is an on going process

I have a BFA with a focus in painting and photography (rather “useless” but once enjoyed painting immensely)[/I] as well as a BA in English Literature and enough classes to qualify for minors in history, philosophy, physical education and music as well as a score of classes in scattered disciplines that interested me. [I]yes professional student is still a dream of mine..[/I]

However I’ve also got an ‘I love me’ book full of certificates and certifications for the technical requirements of my job. I work building and maintaining radar and radar exploitation platforms for the military, it pays the bills and i enjoy it, as well as the fact i get to work with soldiers. There are lots of ways to acquire knowledge, how much you gain depends more on the individual and their will to learn than the name/type of institution impressed in the paper on a wall..

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Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

[Laurel 0]

Bachelors in General Studies with an emphasis on Art History and Music Survey
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Masters in Liberal Arts with an emphasis on Art History and Literature
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Advertising gal for Harrah's New Orleans Casino making good money.

It worked for me and I loved it.

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PMS#28, Pelogrande Rodriguez#1074
My Pink M

[BikerBabe 0]

LOL, here's one for you.

If you want to graduate with a Bachelor of Science in english or art or history (or any other liberal arts-type major), go to the Air Force Academy.

Seriously.

That's because EVERYONE has to take an intro class in each of the major engineering disciplines (civil, aero, astro, mechanical) as well as two physics ourse and at least two math courses. Not to mention a full year of chemistry and some biology, too.

Never meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup!

[wmw999 2,534]

It's harder to start on the road to a well-paying job with a liberal arts degree. On the other hand, I've enjoyed the journey a lot.

I have a degree in sociology with a second concentration in romance languages. Currently I'm a manager for a group of space shuttle onboard computer programmers.

I've gotten a viewpoint on life from my education. I enjoy the insights it's helped me to develop, and the viewpoint it encourages me to take. It's way more than the means to a job.

That said, as a hiring manager, I probably could not hire someone with my background.

Wendy W.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[turtlespeed 226]

  Quote

Kallend remarked about not feeling sorry for art history majors who can't find jobs after college in another thread. So, what do you think about liberal arts and non-technical degrees?

I'm getting to this thread late - but the name in it's self will keep you from making money. Liberal arts - I mean, Com'on.

I'm not usually into the whole 3-way thing, but you got me a little excited with that. - Skymama
BTR #1 / OTB^5 Official #2 / Hellfish #408 / VSCR #108/Tortuga/Orfun

[rehmwa 2]

  Quote

A slam it may be, ignorant it is not. I've been in this field for 10 years, and there most definately is a difference in the toolbox of those that come from purely techinical backgrounds.

Without a doubt the strongest individuals have a wide and diverse background to draw from, and having a non-technical degree facilitates that - provided they have the training required to do the job.

Nope, I still have to say you are oversimplifying (as people always do when their bias favors their own situation).

My point is, once you have the basics, it depends on the individual's personal skills to advance. Here we agree. But not on the concept that an Arts degree has any impact on these personal skills over any other degree. That is pure bunk.

Now, if you want to bin people up into nice little comfortable buckets and pre-judge their abilities based on that, then knock yourself out. I'll still take them one at a time. I've seen too many exceptions to every generalization like the one you're making to sit in judgement on an input that likely doesn't correlate to success one bit.

If I had to make a generalization, I'd say that the technical types with excellent communication/sales skills seem to be the most successful and influential (not highest rank) in all the businesses I've been in. Usually, it comes down to confidence and intelligence and willingness to take calculated risks, (and really who they know) not degree or school.

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Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[kallend 2,106]

  Quote

Well, I'm a History major. What am I going to do with my degree? I was going to be a Marine, until I blew my knee to shit, so I'm going into law enforcement.

So I guess Kallend has a problem with people who work hard for their education and decide to do things like me. Being a Cop. Could be worst, I could be a professor.

I don't have a problem with them at all. I like to have them around.

All I wrote was that I don't feel sorry for them when they whine about not being able to get a high paying job. It was their choice.

As far as working hard is concerned, I've spent a long career in universities in various places, and at no place anywhere have I seen students worked harder than the engineers or medical students. Liberal arts students have it very easy by comparison.

P.S. You meant "worse", not "worst". "Being a Cop" is not a sentence, and "Cop" is not a proper noun so it doesn't need to be capitalized. So much for liberal arts education in Texas!

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The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[rehmwa 2]

I like Aggie and his views and don't normally like to to see him slammed, but that was a funny response.

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Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[AggieDave 6]

Especially since 9 times out of 10 on DZ.com, I don't take the time to proof read what I write, so quite a few times, my spelling is off, as well as some grammer.

Meh, shit happens.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[freeflir29 0]

  Quote

It's harder to start on the road to a well-paying job with a liberal arts degree.

I have NO degree. It's been a long journey to a well paying job. Luck has had a large impact as well. The good part is.....I get hired on technical skill set alone. So, I'm usually well qualified for the jobs I get. I hate when I work with people that got hired JUST because they have a degree. THAT annoys me.