Majors

[Truman_Burbank]

Or, as Gallager remarked: What are you going to do? Open up a poem repair?
My BA was in Psych (minored in Lit). You can’t do much vocationally that pays at all well with a BA in Psych, but eventually I progressed to an MS and make a living.
I appreciate the breadth of my education every day. College is not just ‘advanced vocational school’. If one of my kids decides to major in Russian History, I hope I can bite my tongue, write the checks, and trust that they’ll find a workable path in life.

[YaraMateo]

@MandaJo

A degree in computer science is focused on programing. This is different from other degrees, such as MIS, that focus on computer applications, or EE, that (among many other things) might prepare someone for technical design.
An English degree is most often a degree in English Literature, which involves studying how language is used to create art. Less often, English Rhetoric, which involves studying how language is used persuasively. Programs also exist that focus on technical writing and creative writing, both of which are often lumped under “English”. All these majors involve extensive work in learning to construct organized, reasoned arguments supporting one’s position. They all involve almost no time dealing with the technical aspects of speaking the English language.

**Do you really believe that all native speakers of English use the language with equal ability? Have you never known a strong communicator or a weak one? ** Those are skills that can be learned.

To the first part, thanks for explainning. To the second, I think these are useful skills but I don’t think they’re highly in demand. Computer jobs are a rarity these days.

I agree, but some can learn them in less than four years and/or for less than it costs to attend college.

[guizot]

@YaraMateo

So, what is the difference between computers and computer science? You, by the way you judge me, know every thing there is to know about every major.

The problem isn’t that. It’s that you seem to view the field of a degree the way you identify a car’s make and model to get replacement parts.

You don’t seem to truly understand what higher education actually imparts. And if you go into higher education with this mind-set, it really doesn’t matter what your major is. It’s going to be a waste of money simply because of the way you think.

[MandaJo]

@YaraMateo

To the first part, thanks for explainning. To the second, I think these are useful skills but I don’t think they’re highly in demand. Computer jobs are a rarity these days.

Compared to what? I mean, we have 9% unemployment. Jobs in general are more rare than they were. But of the jobs out there, plenty involve some sort of specialization in computers.

I agree, but some can learn them in less than four years and/or for less than it costs to attend college.

No, some can be learned, but the more you study and work, the better you get. It’s not like you hit a ceiling. And yes, all those skills could be learned in other ways, but that goes for anything.

Look, I teach AP (beginning college level) English Rhetoric and Economics. I assume you count Economics as a “real” major? Let me tell you something: it takes about half as much work to excel at Economics as it does at English. Learning Economics takes time, but really moving yourself up a level of proficiency as a writer takes a tremendous amount of concentrated effort, where ever your starting skills.

Of course in both fields one is going to hit diminishing returns, where it takes more and more effort to advance less and less. But in my experience, that curve is steeper in English.

For whatever reason, writing is like driving: deep down inside, everyone thinks they are already pretty good at it, and even the suggestion that other people, people who dedicated years of their life to the study of the craft, might be better offends them and they get defensive. But I teach this stuff professionally, and let me tell you, hard, concentrated, systematic work under the guidance of an expert makes you a better writer.

[ultrafilter]

@YaraMateo

Computer jobs are a rarity these days.

Computer science tops list of best major for jobs:

Computer science graduates now get more offers of employment than any other major. This is the first time since 2008 that computer science has topped the list: previously, accounting majors had the highest offer rate.

In 2011, 56.2% of computer science majors received job offers, compared to only 53.8% of accounting majors. The offer rate for computer science majors increased 13.8% this year from the previous year.

I don’t think you’ve made one correct statement in this thread. Are you a business major by any chance?