Are Liberal Arts Degrees Worth Anything?

[sushi]

I thought most English majors taught in school/college? It's pretty hard to get a job using it to do anything else, isn't it?

There isn't much demand for English teachers outside of the school environment.

I have a good friend who is an English major. He is close to getting his PhD. We were talking this issue not long ago. He has very few options for employment but to teach. He was explaining to me that in his particular teaching field, where you get your degree is very important. So having a PhD does not necessarily make you a better candidate than one with a masters degree. And if it is not from a recognizable college can actually hurt your chances on getting a job. Most interesting.

 

[dukebound85]

If only that were completely true. So far in my experience it's the same thing all over again. G.E.'s in college make me want to stab myself.

i sure know my college education is specialized. every class i have is an engineering class as it has been all 4 years so far. seems like there is about one gen ed per every 5 classes i take.

i personally am against gen ed requirements in college. i am for the broadening of education and enjoy different classes than my major but for instance i could care less about english classes (as i have taken them all my life and have no interest) and feel i should not be required to take them. let me learn about geology and guitars and ill be happy lol

note: since this is a post, i do not care about syntax or punctuation lol

 

[MongoTheGeek]

i sure know my college education is specialized. every class i have is an engineering class as it has been all 4 years so far. seems like there is about one gen ed per every 5 classes i take.

i personally am against gen ed requirements in college. i am for the broadening of education and enjoy different classes than my major but for instance i could care less about english classes (as i have taken them all my life and have no interest) and feel i should not be required to take them. let me learn about geology and guitars and ill be happy lol

note: since this is a post, i do not care about syntax or punctuation lol

Part of the problem is caring about spelling and punctuation. One of the reasons I enjoy reading the boards on Fark.com is that there are a number of people there who are serious about grammar and punctuation. They will keep the youngsters on their toes.

One of the reasons for the general education classes is to make the degree worth something outside of your chosen field. You can learn just about everything you need about engineering for a bachelors in engineering in about 2 years. You won't understand the physics behind the equations but you could recite them wrote or at least know where to look them up. You may not know what the moment of inertia equation looks almost identical to the stiffness but you will know they are. You may not know what an integral is but you will be able measure it. You definitely won't be able to express yourself as anything except for the short answer and fill in the blank answers which dominate engineering tests.

A well rounded education helps you understand the reasons for things and helps you express what you want to say or do. An art class may not be relevant to electrical engineering but it will help your draftsmanship. An English class may not be germane to mechanical engineering but it will help you write a good spec. A history class may not be helpful to civil engineering but it might help you remember Johnstown.

Quick name the worst disaster on board ship in or around the US and why its important to this discussion.

 

[DISCOMUNICATION]

Book smarts

I thought most English majors taught in school/college? It's pretty hard to get a job using it to do anything else, isn't it?

They become bookstore managers. I'm not kidding.
But I do remember some one on the Simpsons telling Lisa she was a mediocre genious who would grow up to be assistant manager of a Barnes & Noble.
The running joke in American pop culture appears to be that Lib Arts is a uselss major, but they're only jokes. You are what you choose to be if you work hard enough at it. But hard work isn't enough. You gotta have some passion for the work otherwise what's the point.
That being said my hat's off to anyone who want's to better themselves.

 

[michaelsaxon]

This is the obvious point, I know, but money is only one way you can judge the worth of something. There are certainly other ways that might be more meaningful.

 

[shecky]

my brother majored in english and now he is a stockbroker.

 

[sushi]

my brother majored in english and now he is a stockbroker.

There are always exceptions like your brother who uses their degree to move on to something else.

 

[devilot]

I could have sworn there's some sort of statistic that says roughly 70% of college graduates end up in careers that have nothing to do w/ their degrees.

 

[Anonymous Freak]

Let's compare my immediate circle of friends:

Me: No degree. Own my own small business.

My wife: Degree in Cell & Molecular Biology. Working her way toward a masters degree as a medical technician.

Good friend 1: No degree. Unemployed for about 4 years now, after having been laid off as a Linux administrator.

Good friend 2: Computer Science degree: Works for Google as data center administrator.

Good friend 3: Computer Science degree: Just laid off from Intel, was an engineer.

Good friend 4: Some random liberal arts degree: Teaches training classes at Nike.

Good friend 5: Computer Science degree: Decided she didn't like CS, and is now pursuing a masters in archaeology while working retail. (I offered her a job in my company, she doesn't want to have anything to do with computers as a job.)

Good friend 6: History degree: Works as a graveyard security manager at an Intel plant.

Good friend 7: Film production degree: Works retail while trying to break into the movie industry.

So, it's a mixed bag.

 

[Jschultz]

Hmm. I'm on my way to an English Degree, and I'll be teaching. All of my peers are doing the same thing with their English degree. I really couldn't see doing anything else with it, really. I wish the best those that do.