This line makes me sad. I’m happy for anyone to make a lot of money, but I would really like to decouple university education from career training. A couple of people in this thread have already expressed why. A high school education should provide enough literal and cultural literacy and numeracy for people to enter the work force and be successful, but there’s more to life than collecting money.
Indeed, I’d value my four years at college immensely, even if not relevant to my eventual career. I wouldn’t necessarily say “best time of my life,” but definitely unique. Both the academics and the social aspects were life changing.
This is an excellent, important point. One reason universities are more insistent that people choose a major quickly is they want to keep those students, rather than “lose” them to other institutions. It is a business model that undercuts education
My degree is in “Liberal Studies” because back in the day the CalState system had a design it yourself option. When I went back to school (after having been thrown out of college middle of my Junior year and spending 7 years in the Real World™, that’s what I was closest to out of 10 different college transcripts. Basically ended up with a Major in Anthropology and dual Minors in Sociology and European History. Since I went back to school to get my teaching credential, this was perfect.
It’s weird.
I enrolled straight from high school to College. Mechanical Engineering. This was 1979. Perfect fit really, I love all things mechanical, can fix nearly anything. I’m good at math and have excellent drafting skills.
I had to take some electives, one of which was an art/drawing class. Loved it. Both my parents are art majors. It wasn’t that, but I was really struggling with the high level math for mechanical engineering. And frankly, partied way too much now that I was away from home.
I withdrew. Worked for a few years for drafting and other companies. All map related. And then GIS exploded. Computer mapping. There was no degree or even a class for it back then.
I had some computer experience too. I basically fell ass backwards into a perfect job for me. GIS. Before anyone new what GIS was. It used to be called AM/FM -Automated Mapping and Facilities Management.
I’m very, very lucky.
Not in the least.
My electrical engineering degree got me a job right out of college, which got me out of recession-hammered West Virginia.
It also has had surprising “legs”, allowing me to re-train for slightly different tracks (I got grad degrees at night, twice). I retired after 34 years with the same government employer.
The linked article points out that humanities degrees offer career latitude, but STEM degrees can too, if you’re willing to keep learning.
I didn’t know this when I started college–I just wanted to get a job. I too have been lucky.
Not at all. I started out in chemistry, then quickly discovered I was not good in the lab and discovered modern math, which I majored in and spent my entire career doing. I’m still doing it in a small way.
Majored in Finance & Economics, got graduate degrees in Computer Science and Decision Sciences. Have worked in the intersection of Finance, IT and Industrial Engineering for 30 years.
Pretty linear, reasonably well paying and very satisfying.
Not really, double major in Economics and Political Science. I probably would have just dropped the poli sci major to a minor if I was doing it all over, I had very little room for fun electives with a double major.
I really regret not going to law school or grad school. Always waiting until next year and now next year is too late.
A summary of the article (see first post).
“There doesn’t seem to be much relationship between loans, gender, race or school selectivity and your regrets. Though, as you may have guessed, our analysis shows that the higher your income is today, the less you regret the major you chose back in college.”
Engineers had the lowest regret (24%) versus about 45% of humanities students according to the Federal Reserve study linked above. (Estimated from bar graphs).
About 30% of math, health, physical science and computer science students regretted their major.
About 36% of law, business and life science students regretted their major.
About 40% of education and vocational/technicial training regretted their major.
About 44% of arts, humanities, social sciences and behavioural scientists regretted their choice of major.
The article goes on to discuss regretting choice of school and other data listed on the Federal Reserve study linked in post 5 by Ruken.
!!! That’s how it was for me too!
It did align with my interests, though. I had wanted to “be a writer” so I figured this was a good career path. Also I live near Kent State University which has a good Journalism program and I wanted to stay near home and commute.
Anyway, I went to journalism school and loved it. Stayed in it for the whole ride and graduated cum laude. I never once had a journalism job - when I was a junior in college I started my own web development company and never looked back.
I don’t regret it at all. The KSU journalism degree is a wonderfully rounded program and I learned a ton about a ton. I’ve used a lot of the skills I learned in college throughout my life.
Even though I’m in computers/technology I’m glad I didn’t take a technology major. I like to DO programming but I don’t like sitting in a classroom learning it.
Two of my friends had “Just take whatever major interests you the most!” advice given to them since this was the late 90s “Major in something you enjoy!” terrible high school guidance counselor advice.
So one of my friends got a 4 year Bachelor’s of Music degree in “Music Theory” because he played in a band, and another got a Bachelor of Arts as a “Spanish Major”.
My Music Theory friend COMPLETELY regrets his degree since he literally could find no work with it and instead had to go back to College 10 years later to get an actual Engineering degree to make money.
My Spanish major friend somewhat regrets it, he basically left the country to become a Teaching Assistant at the University of Barcelona in Spain for 4 years but eventually made his way back and became an Elementary School teacher in the United States since they were taking any 4 year degree to teach.
I flunked out of college during my first attempt right out of high school. I was majoring in mechanical engineering and wasn’t taking the math and physics components of the degree program very seriously.
After working in water damage mitigation for 13 years I gave college another try and last year I graduated with a BS in civil engineering. I landed a job in civil engineering before I even graduated and I’m already making 1.5x what I made at my old job.
I may have gained some valuable life lessons from the whole experience, but I still regret flunking out way back when.
Started out in Math but quickly switched to History when I couldn’t figure out calculus. Was on track to go to law school when I decided to sit out a year, and then sex, drugs, and rock & roll got in the way. (OK, it was much more of the latter two…) But eventually went back and got another bachelor’s in Computer Science at the perfect time which set me up for a very rewarding career in IT.
I didn’t then I did now I don’t again.
My degree is in Kremlinology - 1981
Over the years, the two degrees people seem to regret getting more than any other put together are law, and an MBA.
Why does it make you sad? He had no interest in college and made it on his own. Some fields certainly do require a college education but for many of us it’s bullshit.
And while some of you were finding the “more to life” thing in college he was hitchhiking across Europe for 2 years and later Central America. Guess who knows more about life?
Granted, in all transparency my wife and I weren’t thrilled when he was doing it, he was an adult and it wasn’t our decision.
It makes me sad because it makes it sound like the purpose of college is gearded toward earning a good salary.
Go or don’t, as it suits the individual: lots of ways to get started on adulthood. But go for the education, not the money it might bring.
Edit: I thought I made it clear I didn’t begrudge the career success, nor the lack of college. Just the idea that college is a step to earning big bucks.
Unfortunately, what it’s become is that several decades of kids have been told that college is a prerequisite to the possibility of earning big bucks.
Statistically, that’s right, but there are plenty of exceptions both ways, and it really misses the forest for the trees.