Colleges removing useless majors

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am not encouraging my kids to choose a major in the humanities but I don’t want to live in a world where no one does.

If you attended college but didn’t study any of the “impractical” subjects, I don’t consider you college educated.

+1. That is the whole point of college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:College is becoming a modern-day vocational school.

Thanks goodness.

Go to vocational school if that is what you want to buy. Why educate yourself if you are don't value an educated mind?

Go to a LAC if you want to gaze at your navel, universities should have are return on investment.

You misunderstood that I was disrespecting vocational education. It is a fine option. Not everyone values education. And you don't need an expensive private LAC to get an education. But I don't disrespect LACs either.

What do you mean? vocational education is 'education'
They value the type of 'education'
Colleges are very much overpriced and overhyped for the kind of education they provide.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am not encouraging my kids to choose a major in the humanities but I don’t want to live in a world where no one does.

If you attended college but didn’t study any of the “impractical” subjects, I don’t consider you college educated.

+1. That is the whole point of college.

Every major makes you take "impractical" classes, they are called core classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I suspect this has more to do with what areas of study do they want to concentrate on/be known for moreso than some broader commentary as to the value of these majors.

The reality is AI is going to fundamentally reshape all career tracks in the coming years. The biggest ones will be coding -- so all these kids majoring in computer sciences, etc. will be SOL in a few years -- look at what has already happened at Google, Meta, etc. That's all about preparing for AI, not economic pressures as they have tons of cash. The exception, of course, is programming the AI itself.

AI will create NEW careers we cannot even envision yet. Colleges will adapt to that, too, with programs of study.

My guess is the creative-oriented fields are pretty safe. There seem to be limits to what AI can do with things like storytelling. See Alan Alda's recent podcast with Mike Farrell where they read a new scene from M*A*S*H written by ChatGPT.

Computer science is not about coding. Coding is part of it, just like ability to read is not equal to English major.
Most creative and innovative thing come out of tech, and the field evolves and adapts faster than any other field.



No

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was an English major. Now I’m a lawyer and I write a lot. I don’t think my major was useless but I guess wtf do I know?

I’m an English major and I have a master’s degree in English (that I got for free while working for a university). My education and experience led to a six-figure communications job and a free master’s degree. I’ve gotten to travel to Paris, Amsterdam, Belgium, Mexico, California, Chicago, Nashville, and Las Vegas for my job. I’ve interviewed A-list celebrities, Supreme Court justices and well-known journalists for my job. My byline has appeared in major publications, and my work is still used as an example in a writing course at a well-known university. I don’t think my major was useless but I guess WTF do I know?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was an English major. Now I’m a lawyer and I write a lot. I don’t think my major was useless but I guess wtf do I know?

You don't need English major to go to a law school, and become a lawyer.
Law school is necessity to become a lawyer, English major is not.

And isn't the law field shrinking? When did you lawyers graduate from law school? I'm pretty sure the field looks a bit different today than years past. I'm pretty sure almost all fields look different today than 20 years ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:College is becoming a modern-day vocational school.

Thanks goodness.

Go to vocational school if that is what you want to buy. Why educate yourself if you are don't value an educated mind?

Go to a LAC if you want to gaze at your navel, universities should have are return on investment.

You misunderstood that I was disrespecting vocational education. It is a fine option. Not everyone values education. And you don't need an expensive private LAC to get an education. But I don't disrespect LACs either.

What do you mean? vocational education is 'education'
They value the type of 'education'
Colleges are very much overpriced and overhyped for the kind of education they provide.

Liberal arts education? We had distribution requirements. Being ignorant is not to your advantage. Formal or informal.... educate yourself beyond just a slog to get the paycheck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:College is becoming a modern-day vocational school.

Thanks goodness.

Go to vocational school if that is what you want to buy. Why educate yourself if you are don't value an educated mind?

Go to a LAC if you want to gaze at your navel, universities should have are return on investment.

You misunderstood that I was disrespecting vocational education. It is a fine option. Not everyone values education. And you don't need an expensive private LAC to get an education. But I don't disrespect LACs either.

I don't think you are smart enough to do most vocational programs. It's not fine, many programs are hard. The fact that you frame vocational schools in such a negative light tells me your education has many holes in it.

I'd love to see you try to learn coding or be a nuclear testing engineer. I'd actually prefer you to be an underwater welder because you'd either drown or be electrocuted and then we'd be done with your ilk.

I am an underwater welder.

[Anonymous]

We have this argument every few weeks, doesn’t everyone get tired of it?

I was a government major, my husband English. We have always had very solid middle class lives and our jobs are in demand.

My kids are also more skilled in the writing, communications, analysis, areas and are social science majors. Neither will have any trouble getting a job, and a well paying one at that.

I was just with an association CEO recently who was an English major, and now probably makes about $450k. I don’t know why people who are obsessed with Cs believe that the whole world needs to pursue a career in that field. There are a lot of jobs out there that actually make the world go around, even running tech companies, that do not require a tech degree.

I have helped a nonprofit hire STEM grads for their entry level job. Nothing is sadder than a bio or Chem grad that decides research isn’t the career for them. These kids are making $45k out of college. Not worth pursuing those degrees in my mind.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I suspect this has more to do with what areas of study do they want to concentrate on/be known for moreso than some broader commentary as to the value of these majors.

The reality is AI is going to fundamentally reshape all career tracks in the coming years. The biggest ones will be coding -- so all these kids majoring in computer sciences, etc. will be SOL in a few years -- look at what has already happened at Google, Meta, etc. That's all about preparing for AI, not economic pressures as they have tons of cash. The exception, of course, is programming the AI itself.

AI will create NEW careers we cannot even envision yet. Colleges will adapt to that, too, with programs of study.

My guess is the creative-oriented fields are pretty safe. There seem to be limits to what AI can do with things like storytelling. See Alan Alda's recent podcast with Mike Farrell where they read a new scene from M*A*S*H written by ChatGPT.

Computer science is not about coding. Coding is part of it, just like ability to read is not equal to English major.
Most creative and innovative thing come out of tech, and the field evolves and adapts faster than any other field.



No

Agreed. The hardest part about coding? Figuring out what the customer wants and actually designing a usable product. Implementing the project has its challenges but being able to communicate verbally, graphically and by written word is essential for a good developer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:College is becoming a modern-day vocational school.

Thanks goodness.

Go to vocational school if that is what you want to buy. Why educate yourself if you are don't value an educated mind?

Go to a LAC if you want to gaze at your navel, universities should have are return on investment.

You misunderstood that I was disrespecting vocational education. It is a fine option. Not everyone values education. And you don't need an expensive private LAC to get an education. But I don't disrespect LACs either.

What do you mean? vocational education is 'education'
They value the type of 'education'
Colleges are very much overpriced and overhyped for the kind of education they provide.

Liberal arts education? We had distribution requirements. Being ignorant is not to your advantage. Formal or informal.... educate yourself beyond just a slog to get the paycheck.

What are you babbling about? You don't sound properly educated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I suspect this has more to do with what areas of study do they want to concentrate on/be known for moreso than some broader commentary as to the value of these majors.

The reality is AI is going to fundamentally reshape all career tracks in the coming years. The biggest ones will be coding -- so all these kids majoring in computer sciences, etc. will be SOL in a few years -- look at what has already happened at Google, Meta, etc. That's all about preparing for AI, not economic pressures as they have tons of cash. The exception, of course, is programming the AI itself.

AI will create NEW careers we cannot even envision yet. Colleges will adapt to that, too, with programs of study.

My guess is the creative-oriented fields are pretty safe. There seem to be limits to what AI can do with things like storytelling. See Alan Alda's recent podcast with Mike Farrell where they read a new scene from M*A*S*H written by ChatGPT.

uh no, it's not, but I do agree about AI making some other jobs redundant, like lawyers. Most jobs can be made redundant.

Creative fields like graphic and web design have been impacted by programs that let users create their own websites, etc.

AI can even create art, play chess, etc..

Also, most writers don't make it.

IMO, fields that are harder to outsource and move to AI are things that require a personal touch like mental health services, plumbing. A lot of white collar jobs can be taken over by AI at some point.

[Anonymous]

This is just the market doing market things. Tuition is too expensive and poor choices are being removed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:College is becoming a modern-day vocational school.

That is sad in my view. Vocational schools are great to teach only specific job skills (the practical skills). Academia however should be aimed higher, including cross pollination of minds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have this argument every few weeks, doesn’t everyone get tired of it?

I was a government major, my husband English. We have always had very solid middle class lives and our jobs are in demand.

My kids are also more skilled in the writing, communications, analysis, areas and are social science majors. Neither will have any trouble getting a job, and a well paying one at that.

I was just with an association CEO recently who was an English major, and now probably makes about $450k. I don’t know why people who are obsessed with Cs believe that the whole world needs to pursue a career in that field. There are a lot of jobs out there that actually make the world go around, even running tech companies, that do not require a tech degree.

I have helped a nonprofit hire STEM grads for their entry level job. Nothing is sadder than a bio or Chem grad that decides research isn’t the career for them. These kids are making $45k out of college. Not worth pursuing those degrees in my mind.

OP whose first link says that Marymount is eliminating MATH is clearly not tired of it.