Word of caution for aspiring CS majors

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Get a liberal arts degree (economics and something soft) from the highest ranked school you can.

Recruiting for finance, consulting, and corporate /strategy roles are much much easier if you are in English and economics major coming from Rice or Vanderbilt or Emory compared to CS at Purdue…..

Ask around people!!!

This. College is not trade school, despite the pervasive and lingering lower middle class belief to the contrary.

This is 2024, not 1954, despite how some elite people want to think it is. College is no longer about a liberal art education, and then get some job because you have a degree. That's 1954 thinking. This is not how it works today, in 2024.

As thé decades pass, the liberal arts majors will have a better understanding of the world and how it works that the person who is not interested in anything that isn’t tech or tech-related. The non liberal arts major won’t even realize what they can’t understand because of their lack of knowledge of history, arts, and humanities. Old age will be difficult for them because they just. won’t. get. it.

That's your imagination.
The employers who actually pay don't agree with your imagination.
The employers who pay are the ones matter.

You are entitled to your view as I am to mine.

Note my spouse and I both graduated with humanities majors from a T10 university.

Our combined annual income averages between $4.5-6million a year.
We are definitely not alone.

Sigh... This is not a view. It's data and fact.
We don't care about your story.
I know someone who didn't go to a college and make more than you running a business.
What does it tell you?
WTF this is the education level from a T10 school LOL

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Get a liberal arts degree (economics and something soft) from the highest ranked school you can.

Recruiting for finance, consulting, and corporate /strategy roles are much much easier if you are in English and economics major coming from Rice or Vanderbilt or Emory compared to CS at Purdue…..

Ask around people!!!

This. College is not trade school, despite the pervasive and lingering lower middle class belief to the contrary.

This is 2024, not 1954, despite how some elite people want to think it is. College is no longer about a liberal art education, and then get some job because you have a degree. That's 1954 thinking. This is not how it works today, in 2024.

As thé decades pass, the liberal arts majors will have a better understanding of the world and how it works that the person who is not interested in anything that isn’t tech or tech-related. The non liberal arts major won’t even realize what they can’t understand because of their lack of knowledge of history, arts, and humanities. Old age will be difficult for them because they just. won’t. get. it.

That's your imagination.
The employers who actually pay don't agree with your imagination.
The employers who pay are the ones matter.

You are entitled to your view as I am to mine.

Note my spouse and I both graduated with humanities majors from a T10 university.

Our combined annual income averages between $4.5-6million a year.
We are definitely not alone.

I believe you and your spouse are in the minority there. Most people, even those without humanities degrees, are not in the .1%

I would say it isn’t the humanities major that made us. It was the school.

And the connections from that school which open doors and continue to open doors to this day.

Correct-so it is connections , and the connections you made are to poeple with strong family connections--so it’s what i said with just one degree of separation.

Except it’s not my family connections. It’s people I met on my own in and after college.

The college opened the doors. My parents knew no one. And still know no one. Our families could not help us, so we needed someone else who could.

And it was in the form of the elite institution, the school, who provided the network that continues to work today.

This isnt unique to Ivys--most everything is about connections, some can find them at GMU and some wont even at Harvard--it has a lot to do with personality, proximity plays a part I will agree, usually this is called social striving-not everyone can do it nor wants to do it. I am not judging-enjoy.

Life is about connections.
Sigh…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are English majors in high demand?

Kids that have actual social skills are in demand more than. Kids that can communicate effectively, look people in the eye when talking, write effectively. Kids with great time management skills and EQ.

All of these executive functioning disorder/adhd Geniuses glued to a screen, not so much.

Where are you getting this ridiculous, TV show stereotype?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are English majors in high demand?

Kids that have actual social skills are in demand more than. Kids that can communicate effectively, look people in the eye when talking, write effectively. Kids with great time management skills and EQ.

All of these executive functioning disorder/adhd Geniuses glued to a screen, not so much.

My husband always tells our HS sons--if you put down the iphone and channel more time in face-to-face and real world you are going to fare so much better than the others of your generation. Set serious limits.

Read the 'Anxious Generation'--if nothing else doesn't convince you that tik tok and SM and iphone are dumbing the h*ll out of our kids and making them socially inept IRL.

Nice aside, which has nothing to do with this discussion about the job market for recent CS grads.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a big proponent of liberal arts education, but I think it is also important to build skills. It's not solely about what you major in but about the skills you bring to the table. I'd encourage humanities majors to learn to code, read financial statements, learn to put together a business plan.

Here is an example of what a CS degree entails (it's not 'learning to code" or vocational tech).

https://csd.cmu.edu/sites/default/files/2024-04/CS_Sample_Curriculum_Schedule.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anyone see Axios brief this morning on labor market for recent college grads?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Get a liberal arts degree (economics and something soft) from the highest ranked school you can.

Recruiting for finance, consulting, and corporate /strategy roles are much much easier if you are in English and economics major coming from Rice or Vanderbilt or Emory compared to CS at Purdue…..

Ask around people!!!

This. College is not trade school, despite the pervasive and lingering lower middle class belief to the contrary.

This is 2024, not 1954, despite how some elite people want to think it is. College is no longer about a liberal art education, and then get some job because you have a degree. That's 1954 thinking. This is not how it works today, in 2024.

As thé decades pass, the liberal arts majors will have a better understanding of the world and how it works that the person who is not interested in anything that isn’t tech or tech-related. The non liberal arts major won’t even realize what they can’t understand because of their lack of knowledge of history, arts, and humanities. Old age will be difficult for them because they just. won’t. get. it.

The older STEM majors seem to understand the world just fine. Who do you think developed the technology that you are using to post your drivel? I bet you get all kinds of tech gadgets. Do you have an ev? an iphone? Use the internet?

Most civilizations are able to progress because of innovation in technology.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Get a liberal arts degree (economics and something soft) from the highest ranked school you can.

Recruiting for finance, consulting, and corporate /strategy roles are much much easier if you are in English and economics major coming from Rice or Vanderbilt or Emory compared to CS at Purdue…..

Ask around people!!!

This. College is not trade school, despite the pervasive and lingering lower middle class belief to the contrary.

This is 2024, not 1954, despite how some elite people want to think it is. College is no longer about a liberal art education, and then get some job because you have a degree. That's 1954 thinking. This is not how it works today, in 2024.

As thé decades pass, the liberal arts majors will have a better understanding of the world and how it works that the person who is not interested in anything that isn’t tech or tech-related. The non liberal arts major won’t even realize what they can’t understand because of their lack of knowledge of history, arts, and humanities. Old age will be difficult for them because they just. won’t. get. it.

That's your imagination.
The employers who actually pay don't agree with your imagination.
The employers who pay are the ones matter.

You are entitled to your view as I am to mine.

Note my spouse and I both graduated with humanities majors from a T10 university.

Our combined annual income averages between $4.5-6million a year.
We are definitely not alone.

How much of this is due to social connections from your parents? just curious

or grad school (with loans).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Get a liberal arts degree (economics and something soft) from the highest ranked school you can.

Recruiting for finance, consulting, and corporate /strategy roles are much much easier if you are in English and economics major coming from Rice or Vanderbilt or Emory compared to CS at Purdue…..

Ask around people!!!

This. College is not trade school, despite the pervasive and lingering lower middle class belief to the contrary.

This is 2024, not 1954, despite how some elite people want to think it is. College is no longer about a liberal art education, and then get some job because you have a degree. That's 1954 thinking. This is not how it works today, in 2024.

As thé decades pass, the liberal arts majors will have a better understanding of the world and how it works that the person who is not interested in anything that isn’t tech or tech-related. The non liberal arts major won’t even realize what they can’t understand because of their lack of knowledge of history, arts, and humanities. Old age will be difficult for them because they just. won’t. get. it.

That's your imagination.
The employers who actually pay don't agree with your imagination.
The employers who pay are the ones matter.

You are entitled to your view as I am to mine.

Note my spouse and I both graduated with humanities majors from a T10 university.

Our combined annual income averages between $4.5-6million a year.
We are definitely not alone.

How much of this is due to social connections from your parents? just curious

None. Zero. All of the connections were from the school. It open doors like I could never of imagined.
I’m first generation American. My parents immigrated from Asia….
Spouse family middle class American. No connections at all.

You most likely went to grad school. That's not helping your cause here. Most CS majors don't go to grad school, yet they are able to find good paying jobs. Most humanities majors need to go to grad school to get good paying jobs.

Statistics shows that STEM majors earn more with just a bachelor than all humanities majors with just a bachelors, even in this saturated CS job market.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Get a liberal arts degree (economics and something soft) from the highest ranked school you can.

Recruiting for finance, consulting, and corporate /strategy roles are much much easier if you are in English and economics major coming from Rice or Vanderbilt or Emory compared to CS at Purdue…..

Ask around people!!!

This. College is not trade school, despite the pervasive and lingering lower middle class belief to the contrary.

This is 2024, not 1954, despite how some elite people want to think it is. College is no longer about a liberal art education, and then get some job because you have a degree. That's 1954 thinking. This is not how it works today, in 2024.

As thé decades pass, the liberal arts majors will have a better understanding of the world and how it works that the person who is not interested in anything that isn’t tech or tech-related. The non liberal arts major won’t even realize what they can’t understand because of their lack of knowledge of history, arts, and humanities. Old age will be difficult for them because they just. won’t. get. it.

That's your imagination.
The employers who actually pay don't agree with your imagination.
The employers who pay are the ones matter.

You are entitled to your view as I am to mine.

Note my spouse and I both graduated with humanities majors from a T10 university.

Our combined annual income averages between $4.5-6million a year.
We are definitely not alone.

That much in income and you're on DCUM?

Yeah....right. And I'm Elon Musk.

You’d be surprised….and I’m not even in DC!

Why do people who don’t live in the dmv go on DCUM?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Get a liberal arts degree (economics and something soft) from the highest ranked school you can.

Recruiting for finance, consulting, and corporate /strategy roles are much much easier if you are in English and economics major coming from Rice or Vanderbilt or Emory compared to CS at Purdue…..

Ask around people!!!

This. College is not trade school, despite the pervasive and lingering lower middle class belief to the contrary.

This is 2024, not 1954, despite how some elite people want to think it is. College is no longer about a liberal art education, and then get some job because you have a degree. That's 1954 thinking. This is not how it works today, in 2024.

As thé decades pass, the liberal arts majors will have a better understanding of the world and how it works that the person who is not interested in anything that isn’t tech or tech-related. The non liberal arts major won’t even realize what they can’t understand because of their lack of knowledge of history, arts, and humanities. Old age will be difficult for them because they just. won’t. get. it.

This is pure unadulterated nonsense.

STEM majors have 30% or more of their course work in history, arts and humanities in college. It is the humanities majors who end up having a very narrow education.

How many courses do you need in history, arts and humanities? Do you need to major in history to understand world history?

Good point. Gen End classes are heavy on humanities. Non STEM majors take easy science and math courses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Get a liberal arts degree (economics and something soft) from the highest ranked school you can.

Recruiting for finance, consulting, and corporate /strategy roles are much much easier if you are in English and economics major coming from Rice or Vanderbilt or Emory compared to CS at Purdue…..

Ask around people!!!

This. College is not trade school, despite the pervasive and lingering lower middle class belief to the contrary.

This is 2024, not 1954, despite how some elite people want to think it is. College is no longer about a liberal art education, and then get some job because you have a degree. That's 1954 thinking. This is not how it works today, in 2024.

As thé decades pass, the liberal arts majors will have a better understanding of the world and how it works that the person who is not interested in anything that isn’t tech or tech-related. The non liberal arts major won’t even realize what they can’t understand because of their lack of knowledge of history, arts, and humanities. Old age will be difficult for them because they just. won’t. get. it.

The older STEM majors seem to understand the world just fine. Who do you think developed the technology that you are using to post your drivel? I bet you get all kinds of tech gadgets. Do you have an ev? an iphone? Use the internet?

Most civilizations are able to progress because of innovation in technology.

+1 why does PP think the tech majors are not also studying art, history, languages, etc. My CS major reads Cicero in Latin, is an excellent artist, very active in music and theater, and studied three modern languages.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Get a liberal arts degree (economics and something soft) from the highest ranked school you can.

Recruiting for finance, consulting, and corporate /strategy roles are much much easier if you are in English and economics major coming from Rice or Vanderbilt or Emory compared to CS at Purdue…..

Ask around people!!!

This. College is not trade school, despite the pervasive and lingering lower middle class belief to the contrary.

This is 2024, not 1954, despite how some elite people want to think it is. College is no longer about a liberal art education, and then get some job because you have a degree. That's 1954 thinking. This is not how it works today, in 2024.

As thé decades pass, the liberal arts majors will have a better understanding of the world and how it works that the person who is not interested in anything that isn’t tech or tech-related. The non liberal arts major won’t even realize what they can’t understand because of their lack of knowledge of history, arts, and humanities. Old age will be difficult for them because they just. won’t. get. it.

That's your imagination.
The employers who actually pay don't agree with your imagination.
The employers who pay are the ones matter.

You are entitled to your view as I am to mine.

Note my spouse and I both graduated with humanities majors from a T10 university.

Our combined annual income averages between $4.5-6million a year.
We are definitely not alone.

That much in income and you're on DCUM?

Yeah....right. And I'm Elon Musk.

You’d be surprised….and I’m not even in DC!

Why do people who don’t live in the dmv go on DCUM?

Better question, how many posters are in the DMV? I'll guess 1 in 4, tops.

[Anonymous]

I just can't figure out why you would spend time on this site if you don't live here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just returned from a college reunion, and my friends' kids who majored in CS and graduated last year and this year are all un- or under-employed. It seems pretty obvious to me that low-level CS jobs are the first to be gobbled up by AI. If you go to a top school, it truly does not matter what you major in. Most of those kids who want top jobs in tech, finance, consulting will get them. Majoring in something skill-based is more important if you attend even a slightly lower-ranked school. This is why people work so hard to secure spots in the Ivy-plus schools.

Again the data doesn't agree with your imagination.

Harvard english major 4 year out median salary = $49,675
https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/school/?166027-Harvard-University&fos_code=2301&fos_credential=3

I have no doubt the average pay is lower. Many English majors want to go into lower paying fields like journalism, teaching, etc. But I guarantee you that English majors from Harvard who want to do into finance, tech, or consulting can do so pretty easily. I know plenty of kids from T20 schools who did.

This is absolutely not true when you look at the backgrounds of people working in finance, tech and consulting. It is dominated by quantitative majors, and it is absolutely not "easy" for a Harvard English major to get one of these jobs.

More accurately, a Harvard English major may have a 15% of getting one of those jobs while a UMD English Major probably has a less than 1% of getting such a job. Almost always even that English major had to take some real classes that proved their quantitative abilities (and likely a parent forced them to take so they may have a shot at a job).