Definitely not worthless... How else are those Liberal arts Majors going to get their foot in the door to serve me my coffee? Economics and finance will always be useful. Criminal Justice too. I didn't go the college path (Went into the Navy Nuclear Program,) Got a great job with Amazing benefits. What I am saying is that a non STEM degree isn't necessarily a death sentence, but it is a hindrance in todays world.
[–] 96threpublic ago
I don't think they're worthless but they're usually not worth 30k + inn debt.
[–] taxation_is_slavery 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago
Outside of the context of getting an interview for a job, absolutely worthless.
[–] elbrum 0 points 3 points 3 points (+3|-0) ago (edited ago)
I've got a Masters in Applied Linguistics. I did it for personal interest, studying part-time while working full-time. I never expected to get anything out of it beyond fulfilling an interest and taking on a personal challenge.
Economically, yes it was a huge expense and is worthless. However on a personal level I'm glad that I did it. I got to explore something that I enjoyed and push myself mentally.
My only advice to anyone considering University/College is don't shit yourself with your course. If you are studying purely to live the student party life or avoid the real world, you are an idiot and will regret it. All you will do is delay reality and gain a massive debt for your troubles. If you have a genuine interest in a topic that won't help you get a job, it is a tougher call. Anecdotally, most of the people I know who studied something for interest with an acceptance of the costs think they made the right call. I'm glad I did it a bit later in life without financially crippling myself but that option isn't for everyone.
What ever you decide, good luck.
[–] J50 0 points 5 points 5 points (+5|-0) ago (edited ago)
For a lot of us, the whole STEM circlejerk isn't about pushing students into STEM fields.I dislike that students are often pushed into a general liberal arts degree with no specific major/job goal in mind. They are told that simply getting a college degree is enough (it isn't). These students then often end up with a job that doesn't use their degree and have a hard time paying off their student loans. These students shouldn't be in college.
People who get STEM degrees have a solid career goal in mind. They aren't there to party or "explore themselves" as a young adult. Students don't select a STEM degree with the primary intention to party.
There is nothing wrong with getting an english degree when you're a passionate creative writer or a psychology degree because you want to pursue a career in psychology. It's wrong to go to college without a goal in mind and take a liberal arts degree without any motivation; that's asking for student loan debt and it devalues a college education. Liberal arts degrees are valuable on a valuable individual.
[–] Pawn ago
I've seen a ton of whiners go for a shit degree and then wonder where they went wrong