Parents who don't allow their kids to major in liberal arts

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At the end of the day math and science majors are more difficult. Any decent student can write an essay and read a history book. Not every student can master computer science or differential equations. People are aware of this fact. anyone who took college level calculus classes and college level history classes is well aware of the difference.

LOL

Plenty of engineering students in the world who can't write a decent essay or understand a history book once they read it. I've worked with them and gone to school with them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My oldest graduated last spring from a non-top tier state school with a degrees in history. He got a job right away at a PR firm in downtown DC making good money. He was never the best student and not very motivated (no internships, lifeguard and camp counselor during summer breaks) but he loves his job now. Someone there saw the spark in him that I see and he is doing great-- plus MOVING OUT at the beginning of Oct into his own place downtown. No debt either. Couldn't be prouder.

OT but what is the salary range? Very few PR firms pay well for entry level jobs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At the end of the day math and science majors are more difficult. Any decent student can write an essay and read a history book. Not every student can master computer science or differential equations. People are aware of this fact. anyone who took college level calculus classes and college level history classes is well aware of the difference.

LOL

Plenty of engineering students in the world who can't write a decent essay or understand a history book once they read it. I've worked with them and gone to school with them.

Really? Most engineering students also scored fairly high on the verbal section of the sat. It's a fact. I find it hard to believe there are that many engineering grads out there who can't read a history book. That's silly.

Also who cares if someone can write an essay? No one needs to write essays at work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These articles are so misleading. So you have an English degree from an Ivy or SLAC and got a 6 figure job out of college - whoop dee doo! What about the English major who went to community college then to a 3rd tier state university? Many of them are better off majoring in something practical.

I went to a third tier liberal arts school and then law school at Wash U. on a full ride. I got a very nice Biglaw job out of school and then went to a boutique firm before I started having kids. I make good money.

...because you have a law degree.

*shrug* I fully expect my kids to go to grad school or professional school. Don't you?

Another poster. I don't necessarily expect so. I think so many people are foolish these days to take on massive amounts of grad school debt.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These articles are so misleading. So you have an English degree from an Ivy or SLAC and got a 6 figure job out of college - whoop dee doo! What about the English major who went to community college then to a 3rd tier state university? Many of them are better off majoring in something practical.

I went to a third tier liberal arts school and then law school at Wash U. on a full ride. I got a very nice Biglaw job out of school and then went to a boutique firm before I started having kids. I make good money.

...because you have a law degree.

*shrug* I fully expect my kids to go to grad school or professional school. Don't you?

Not everyone can take on that level of debt (which is the majority of students not in the DC bubble) and they better make sure they can land on their feet with the degree earned in undergrad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These articles are so misleading. So you have an English degree from an Ivy or SLAC and got a 6 figure job out of college - whoop dee doo! What about the English major who went to community college then to a 3rd tier state university? Many of them are better off majoring in something practical.

I went to a third tier liberal arts school and then law school at Wash U. on a full ride. I got a very nice Biglaw job out of school and then went to a boutique firm before I started having kids. I make good money.

...because you have a law degree.

*shrug* I fully expect my kids to go to grad school or professional school. Don't you?

It's unnecessary if you get it right the first time around.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't all degree fields teach critical thinking? Is that really specific to liberal arts? I don't know anyone with a college degree who feels they missed out on the critical thinking portion of their college education.

I agree. I studied nursing and they drilled it in to us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These articles are so misleading. So you have an English degree from an Ivy or SLAC and got a 6 figure job out of college - whoop dee doo! What about the English major who went to community college then to a 3rd tier state university? Many of them are better off majoring in something practical.

I went to a third tier liberal arts school and then law school at Wash U. on a full ride. I got a very nice Biglaw job out of school and then went to a boutique firm before I started having kids. I make good money.

...because you have a law degree.

*shrug* I fully expect my kids to go to grad school or professional school. Don't you?

It's unnecessary if you get it right the first time around.

This.

[Anonymous]

My parents rule was you can do a liberal arts major if you double in something practical. My sister was English/pre-med, I was French/Finance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That was a dumb article. My parents would not let us be liberal arts majors nor will I let my kids.

And you are part of the problem and have no desire to change. Congratulations, you're an idiot.

How am I an idiot for wanting my child to major in something that will lead to a career if I am paying for it? What good is a liberal arts degree? Very little. You can take some fun classes but its important to have a major that is useful. College isn't cheap. You are the idiot for not setting up your kids to succeed.

Agree with you and you are not an idiot. If you are, count me in. Our DS tried pulling the wool over our eyes with a liberal arts degree when he was a wiz in high school with science/math/computers. Oh, and by the way, he loves and has always loved that stuff. After one year at college and much encouragement from his professors he showed us his fall selection of classes and we quickly surmised that he was moving from a BS to a liberal arts degree. When asked why, we were told it's not as stressful and his teachers fully supported the change. Hmmm, well DS what is your plan with this degree, he wants to be a history teacher. Okay, that's fine, except I am not paying 120,000+ dollars for a history teacher and we told him that, get your BS degree and earn some money, fund your retirement, buy a house and then become a teacher. He graduated with a BS degree, found a six figure job pretty quickly and is now pursuing a Masters at the expense of his company. He can teach history when he has taken care of his financial well being, that is why we paid for college. Oh, and he is happy with his life and laughs at the fact that he tried to dumb down his education. And ladies and gentlemen, that's what it would have been, a dumbing down of a STEM student, you know the ones you all fight about in middle school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:College is NOT a vocational school that should read.

Law school is a vocational school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These articles are so misleading. So you have an English degree from an Ivy or SLAC and got a 6 figure job out of college - whoop dee doo! What about the English major who went to community college then to a 3rd tier state university? Many of them are better off majoring in something practical.

I went to a third tier liberal arts school and then law school at Wash U. on a full ride. I got a very nice Biglaw job out of school and then went to a boutique firm before I started having kids. I make good money.

...because you have a law degree.

*shrug* I fully expect my kids to go to grad school or professional school. Don't you?

It's unnecessary if you get it right the first time around.

But if you just get an engineering degree, you didn't get it right. You have a person who is technically trained and can support themselves by working in their field, but they aren't educated enough to do anything else. They aren't ready to advance to management because they can't communicate or think across disciplines. They can't innovate well. They aren't ready to run a business. They aren't ready to be writers or voters or leaders because all they know is their field.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't all degree fields teach critical thinking? Is that really specific to liberal arts? I don't know anyone with a college degree who feels they missed out on the critical thinking portion of their college education.

I agree. I studied nursing and they drilled it in to us.

I went to nursing school to get an ABSN after graduating from a liberal arts school. What they teach you in nursing school isn't critical thinking. They say it is, and it works for nursing problems, but nurses are some of the most narrowly educated people I know.

I wouldn't change my path for the world.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These articles are so misleading. So you have an English degree from an Ivy or SLAC and got a 6 figure job out of college - whoop dee doo! What about the English major who went to community college then to a 3rd tier state university? Many of them are better off majoring in something practical.

I went to a third tier liberal arts school and then law school at Wash U. on a full ride. I got a very nice Biglaw job out of school and then went to a boutique firm before I started having kids. I make good money.

...because you have a law degree.

*shrug* I fully expect my kids to go to grad school or professional school. Don't you?

It's unnecessary if you get it right the first time around.

But if you just get an engineering degree, you didn't get it right. You have a person who is technically trained and can support themselves by working in their field, but they aren't educated enough to do anything else. They aren't ready to advance to management because they can't communicate or think across disciplines. They can't innovate well. They aren't ready to run a business. They aren't ready to be writers or voters or leaders because all they know is their field.

I wouldn't expect anyone coming straight out of undergraduate or graduate school to know how to be an instant CEO. Nobody at the entry level is immediately ready for a promotion. But, even the lowly engineer has to take English, humanities, and social science classes. And they know so much more on top of that. That is why an engineering major requires more credits, and is so much more difficult than a history major.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These articles are so misleading. So you have an English degree from an Ivy or SLAC and got a 6 figure job out of college - whoop dee doo! What about the English major who went to community college then to a 3rd tier state university? Many of them are better off majoring in something practical.

I went to a third tier liberal arts school and then law school at Wash U. on a full ride. I got a very nice Biglaw job out of school and then went to a boutique firm before I started having kids. I make good money.

...because you have a law degree.

*shrug* I fully expect my kids to go to grad school or professional school. Don't you?

It's unnecessary if you get it right the first time around.

But if you just get an engineering degree, you didn't get it right. You have a person who is technically trained and can support themselves by working in their field, but they aren't educated enough to do anything else. They aren't ready to advance to management because they can't communicate or think across disciplines. They can't innovate well. They aren't ready to run a business. They aren't ready to be writers or voters or leaders because all they know is their field.

Did you learn that at the engineering firm who hired you? Do you think it's run by an art history major? It's probably run by an engineer who worked his or way to the top using those critical thinking skills they learned in college.