What to go to college for in todays enviroment

[Zoraxe 546]

It seems like thinking about what degree to get once in school is a depressing topic. As this is an age where more and more employers want employees with degrees, but less jobs that should actually require that degree are available overall. This is also the age of people changing careers several times in their lifetimes. So if you go to school for a specific branch of engineering, and then you change your job and go into finance, your engineering degree is now worth the same as a philosophy degree in regards to finance. Actually, maybe less, as I hear a lot of employers like critical thinking and communication skills that liberal arts degree holders have, but at the same time liberal arts don't really lend themselves to many careers in particular and must be combined with other stuff like certifications or experience in something.

 

That is why I kinda roll my eyes when somebody complains that they have to take electives not related to their field, those electives exist because you are getting an education, not just to get a job, but to be a well rounded individual that is able to work outside of your chosen field. Its for personal enrichment, besides, the statistic is something along the lines of only about 1 in 4 graduates get a job that is directly related to their degrees.

 

In pretty much any field things are harder than in previous generations. Even health care which was relatively recently a booming field due to a lack of nurses. Now after a lot of people became nurses the hospitals can afford to be picky and have an 'experience required' (aka a 'no new graduates') policy, plus a 4 year degree is now required instead of just a 2 year degree in most hospitals.

 

STEM degrees having the highest chance of getting a good job (depending on the field), but no guarantee. Plus you have to be good at math which not everyone is. Whats the statistic? 60% of STEM students wash out instead of getting the STEM degrees? If you can do it than that's great, go for it.

 

It is just not a good time to be a young person, with the way college is priced and the job market. So does anybody here have any good strategies? I always say community college can't be beat, for job certifications and/or for the first 2 years of a 4 year degree.

Edited September 21, 2014 by Zoraxe

[Twilight Circuits 603]

It seems like thinking about what degree to get once in school is a depressing topic. As this is an age where more and more employers want employees with degrees, but less jobs that should actually require that degree are available overall. This is also the age of people changing careers several times in their lifetimes. So if you go to school for a specific branch of engineering, and then you change your job and go into finance, your engineering degree is now worth the same as a philosophy degree in regards to finance. Actually, maybe less, as I hear a lot of employers like critical thinking and communication skills that liberal arts degree holders have, but at the same time liberal arts don't really lend themselves to many careers in particular and must be combined with other stuff like certifications or experience in something.

 

That is why I kinda roll my eyes when somebody complains that they have to take electives not related to their field, those electives exist because you are getting an education, not just to get a job, but to be a well rounded individual that is able to work outside of your chosen field. Its for personal enrichment, besides, the statistic is something along the lines of only about 1 in 4 graduates get a job that is directly related to their degrees.

 

In pretty much any field things are harder than in previous generations. Even health care which was relatively recently a booming field due to a lack of nurses. Now after a lot of people became nurses the hospitals can afford to be picky and have an 'experience required (aka a 'no new graduates') policy, plus a 4 year degree is now required instead of just a 2 year degree in most hospitals.

 

STEM degrees having the highest chance of getting a good job (depending on the field), but no guarantee. Plus you have to be good at math which not everyone is. Whats the statistic? 60% of STEM students wash out instead of getting the STEM degrees? If you can do it than that's great, go for it.

 

It is just not a good time to be a young person, with the way college is priced and the job market. So does anybody here have any good strategies? I always say community college can't be beat, for job certifications and/or for the first 2 years of a 4 year degree.

Pardon my ignorance but what's a STEM degree?  

 

 

I do have a suggestion actually. I recommend you get into the field of the genetics and DNA/RNA based sciences. That is simply the next generation of a scientific frontier. I'm 38, so when I've been around a while... Take into the consideration in views on certain worldly trends. It's not something I'm just randomly throwing in here in an effort to pretend to be helpful.

[Zoraxe 546]

Pardon my ignorance but what's a STEM degree? 

 

A STEM degree is a degree in any of the fields of... Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.

Edited September 21, 2014 by Zoraxe

[Revy ~ Two Hands 862]

I'm getting a foundation degree in IT Software, it covers programming, web design, graphics as well as project management and various other topics. Additionally we are covering 'industry standard' i.e. learning any other image manipulation software other than Adobe Photoshop is pointless because that's what everyone uses.

A STEM degree is a degree in the fields of... Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.

Does a degree in IT Software come under that? There is plenty of computer science involved.

[Twilight Circuits 603]

A STEM degree is a degree in any of the fields of... Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.

Well then. I guess my recommendation was right in the ball park field.

[Andaasonsan 3,205]

Yeah, community college is great. It will save you a lot of money. You have a major there, but it's mostly general education classes anyway so it doesn't matter all that much what you pick.

 

If you haven't started college yet I wouldn't worry too much about your major until junior year, because you're probably going to end up changing it anyway.

[Wind Chaser 4,768]

Does a degree in IT Software come under that? There is plenty of computer science involved.

Yes, computer science is STEM, too!

 

I'm one of the 60% who dropped STEM education, after I got an F in Intro to Computer Science. This may be one of the worst times to be growing up because our education system is failing, corporate greed is crushing the working and middle classes, and even worse, the government is having trouble doing anything about it because of the partisan divide and corporate influence.

 

Companies say that college students are not as work-ready as the colleges think they are, thus they go with these "experience required" policies. Lower-level jobs such as food service and/or retail are now even harder to get because of the influx of higher-skill workers losing their jobs. Many now have to work jobs they're overqualified for unless they have a unique talent or a personal connection that can allow them to skip this part, or if they're in a field that recognizes college students.

 

My best strategy would be to go to a trade school or try out for a job that requires little or no college or work experience, and specialized career training. If I was 21, I would try out for a commercial driver's license (many trucking lines have their own schools!), and/or I would apply to be a train conductor if the jobs were available (they really aren't where I live). Municipal jobs give you great benefits, however it takes much longer to be accepted after you take a test, at least where I live. Seeing the results of a test rather than a generic rejection letter from a corporation is more rewarding to me.

 

When you are being failed by the general/higher education system, the best chance you have is to get out if it when you have a chance, and take training for a certification that you would enjoy. Unfortunately, I have no choice because of my age and where I live, but once I do get the chance, I'll get out of the education system and try that instead.

Edited September 21, 2014 by Wind Chaser

[Nulln 755]

Actually, it's discouraged to take classes that aren't required for your field here, because the financial aid only pays for up to 90 credits for 6 years, so if you fill up your credits limit with classes you don't need, you're going to run out of money before you can finish your degree.

 

I think it just depends on what you want.  If you want money, def get a degree.  I'm in community college working for my nursing degree.  over 90% of the nursing graduates from my school make an about $81,000 a year, and this is just a 2 year community college degree.  

 

If you want to do something you actually like, then look into that.  I would love to do forestry.  It would take a lot less time, and you'd really only need a certificate for it.  Certificate classes are generally a lot faster to get and almost guarantee you a job right out of college.

[SeraphStar 398]

You could always self-educate yourself (the local library and the internet are free) (my personal opinion).

 

I would say go for a technology degree (computers, software, what have you) or you could always join an apprenticeship which gives you an education and trains you directly for the job in question and gives you experience in the job.

[DubWolf 17,263]

I'm currently pursuing a STEM degree (engineering). I thought once about changing from an E to an S (chemistry), but I ended up sticking to engineering in hopes that it would accelerate my speed to an airline pilot career (money=flight lessons).

 

Classes have been tough (or just overworked that I can't study enough for them), yet this has always been the case, and I've gotten this far already (technically in my 4th semester), so we'll see if I'm in that 60%. I wonder what I would do next...

 

Though I have a healthy GPA, it might drop significantly by the time I graduate.... But then again, plenty of engineers get hired with 2.0 GPAs...

Edited September 22, 2014 by SparkWolf

[Stalliongrad 982]

You are absolutely correct. The key is knowing what you really really really want to do once you graduate. The problem is the changing world. If you get a bachelors in communication, the unfortunate truth is that once you graduate your degree is useless because the communications field has changed drastically by the time you graduate. The thing about college is that some people need to understand that College is not for everyone! That doesn't mean you are stupid or you aren't smart but you probably would want to look at other ways of furthering your education. Find a trade school and learn a craft that you enjoy and is high in demand. People that install Air Conditioners HVAC people make tons of money and there is demand in their field. Plumbers, Electricians and Mechanics are always in high demand. For me I enjoy driving, I recently got my Commercial Drivers License(CDL) which allows me to drive Trucks and Buses. Kids today are being told their only option is College or the Military. And that's just not true. If you decide to join the armed forces that is a good route to go as well. If you join the military your goal should be to learn a trade that you can use when you leave the military. A lot of companies give hiring preference to veterans.

 

My advice to anyone thinking about college is to explore your options and decide that's what you really want to do. College is expensive and you will incur a great deal of debt unless you receive scholarships and grants. My friend is in college and he really wants to be a geologist. There is a fair amount of demand for geologists in the oil fields. Decide on your career while you are young. If you decide you want to work at a certain company and you go in while you are  20 years old, there is a very real possibility you can retire at 40 and that gives you plenty of time to do something else if you want.