Colleges removing useless majors

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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

Thanks goodness.

You seem like you could’ve used more English classes.

You seem like you could have used more logical reasoning classes.

It is logical reasoning to think that someone who says “thanks goodness” could have used more English classes.

[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.

I was a double major in Aeronautical Engineering and Math, and have MS in an engineering field. I do not think English is a useless major, nor do I think any of the Humanities that teach critical skills like reasoning, writing, etc are useless. Uselss majors? How about these:

Tourism
Theater Arts
Culinary Arts
Sports Sciences (Golf Course Management, Leisure & Recreation)
Fashion Merchandising

Why? Because they don't require college.

[Anonymous]

I was an English major, went into a different field, now write books about that field using skills I developed as … an English major. I think OP is a troll, but fwiw, I have encouraged my own children to major in English, as I think it’s a great foundation. Those won’t be the only classes they take. They do have distributive requirements at their college.
Everyone I know who has excelled in their field has strong writing and reading comprehension skills. The good news is that if you disagree with me, you are free to advocate for a different path. But imagine if every person in society acquired the exact same set of skills. We’d have a shortage of divergent thinkers and little innovation. Plus, an English major can become a scientist if they’d like. For instance, cancer biologist and Nobel laureate Harold Varmus was an English major.

[Anonymous]

I have enough English skills to recognize a sht-stirring troll thread when I see one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

That is not at all what the poster is saying. Can you read?

No - that is the problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Lots of students are either attending on loans or on grants. Those kids don't necessarily have a family member who can get them an internship that will lead to a job. Without connections, an English or History major without connections is going to have trouble getting on the corporate ladder.

[Anonymous]

ChatGpt replaces the need for english majors, except for them to work on the chatgpt engine

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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

Thanks goodness.

You seem like you could’ve used more English classes.

You seem like you could have used more logical reasoning classes.

It is logical reasoning to think that someone who says “thanks goodness” could have used more English classes.

No it's logical reaonsing to thing people don't proof read or care aout english grammar when posting here

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

NP. The writing in the OP, and in some of the follow-up posts, makes me think this OP is the same person who has started at least one thread on this general topic previously. Same tired and ill-informed ideas keep coming up and have been on this forum before.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

I never said I had the opportunity to be highly educated. I said I think it is really valuable to go through life educated about a variety of disciplines if you can manage it. It is a lifelong process in my opinion.

[Anonymous]

The dumbing of America continues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was an English major, went into a different field, now write books about that field using skills I developed as … an English major. I think OP is a troll, but fwiw, I have encouraged my own children to major in English, as I think it’s a great foundation. Those won’t be the only classes they take. They do have distributive requirements at their college.
Everyone I know who has excelled in their field has strong writing and reading comprehension skills. The good news is that if you disagree with me, you are free to advocate for a different path. But imagine if every person in society acquired the exact same set of skills. We’d have a shortage of divergent thinkers and little innovation. Plus, an English major can become a scientist if they’d like. For instance, cancer biologist and Nobel laureate Harold Varmus was an English major.

Read his biography and ask yourself if that same candidate would have any chance of getting into medical school now

[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.

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.

Sorry, most coding fields are dead in five years due to automation.

You cannot automate creative fields.

Agree lawyers, accountants will be disrupted. Maybe not killed but disrupted.

But CS will be disrupted the most. Current CS jobs are already being gutted and that will increase exponentially. I feel bad for kids majoring in computer science thinking it will lead to high-paying secure jobs. That era is ending.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:ChatGpt replaces the need for english majors, except for them to work on the chatgpt engine

Have you read some of this material? It has a long way to go.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

I was a double major in Aeronautical Engineering and Math, and have MS in an engineering field. I do not think English is a useless major, nor do I think any of the Humanities that teach critical skills like reasoning, writing, etc are useless. Uselss majors? How about these:

Tourism
Theater Arts
Culinary Arts
Sports Sciences (Golf Course Management, Leisure & Recreation)
Fashion Merchandising

Why? Because they don't require college.

Isn't fashion merchandising the same as business school for the fashion industry and sports management business school for golf courses.

Do you really need business school/accounting degree to do taxes? Can't you just learn taxes?