Group hug!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because they are usually harder.

Really? I was an English major and I distinctly recall helping the engineering/math/science/econ majors I met in my classes who couldn't write an essay about literature to save their lives. "Hard" is really defined by your own natural skills, and I think we can all agree that it takes all kinds to make the world go around. I have an advanced degree and am employed as a professional, by the way.

Hard science major here. Should I talk about the English majors I had to help with the basics of Rocks for Jocks? Except that doesn't mean anything. Some people are good at different things, so folks are going to need help with their areas of weakness. Doesn't mean I think I am smarter than my more liberal arts inclined friends, just that we have different strengths.

That said, I do think the math/hard science majors are harder, in the sense that they have a higher minimum bar in terms of requirements - more classes/more hours, etc. But that's just the minimum bar - I think it's equally hard to truly excel in other fields.

No! No! No! No!

Why? Because some people believe that your undergraduate education should not simply be pre-professional training. It should be about learning to think critically, write lucidly, and engage with ideas outside your comfort zone. Students should choose fields of study -- not sources of potential earnings -- that interest and excite them.

That's nice and all. But do you think it makes sense to spend anywhere from $50-$150k on a college education that does NOT train you for a job?

Has anyone actually looked at the link of at least the top 10 most employsble majors before spouting off about the IQ of an English or poli sci major? Look at the iist, some of the most undersubscribed majors are most are hard science or require a food amount of math. So, I think that is the answer. However, I think if our schools did a better job of
Linking learning to earning and at least educating students about the opportunities available to them in different majors, and not to the exclusion of the liberal arts, we might see more students going for these.. I am the OP poli SCI major. Yes, I struggled with Math. It's not why I chose my major, but I also did not think at age 20 exactly what I would be doing with my life. As I said, I have a great and fulfilling career and am happy. That is all. In the end, that really matters, ne c'est pas?

The top 10:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because they are usually harder.

Really? I was an English major and I distinctly recall helping the engineering/math/science/econ majors I met in my classes who couldn't write an essay about literature to save their lives. "Hard" is really defined by your own natural skills, and I think we can all agree that it takes all kinds to make the world go around. I have an advanced degree and am employed as a professional, by the way.

How many people need to "write an essay about literature" ever in real life? Maybe a NYT book reviewer?

The ability to write a good essay speaks to critical thinking and organizational skills that are necessary for success in any profession - even the sciences. You sound like you were a business major, and by that I mean dumb.

Sure, but almost everyone can be taught to write coherently. It is not a very difficult skill to master. The hard sciences and math are much more difficult for the average person and many people will never be able to hack it in those majors. They can barely get through Calc I. I would be that the avg IQ of hard science and math majors is far above the avg IQ of English or poli sic majors.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because they are usually harder.

Really? I was an English major and I distinctly recall helping the engineering/math/science/econ majors I met in my classes who couldn't write an essay about literature to save their lives. "Hard" is really defined by your own natural skills, and I think we can all agree that it takes all kinds to make the world go around. I have an advanced degree and am employed as a professional, by the way.

How many people need to "write an essay about literature" ever in real life? Maybe a NYT book reviewer?

The ability to write a good essay speaks to critical thinking and organizational skills that are necessary for success in any profession - even the sciences. You sound like you were a business major, and by that I mean dumb.

Anonymous wrote:Why? Because some people believe that your undergraduate education should not simply be pre-professional training. It should be about learning to think critically, write lucidly, and engage with ideas outside your comfort zone. Students should choose fields of study -- not sources of potential earnings -- that interest and excite them.

Yes, yes, yes!

The typical person doesn't like math and/or hard science and doesn't want to use it regularly.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because they are usually harder.

Really? I was an English major and I distinctly recall helping the engineering/math/science/econ majors I met in my classes who couldn't write an essay about literature to save their lives. "Hard" is really defined by your own natural skills, and I think we can all agree that it takes all kinds to make the world go around. I have an advanced degree and am employed as a professional, by the way.

How many people need to "write an essay about literature" ever in real life? Maybe a NYT book reviewer?

Why? Because hard, tedious work is always available. That's why they call it "work." If it were that much fun they'd be paying you to do it.

Anonymous wrote:Because they are usually harder.

Really? I was an English major and I distinctly recall helping the engineering/math/science/econ majors I met in my classes who couldn't write an essay about literature to save their lives. "Hard" is really defined by your own natural skills, and I think we can all agree that it takes all kinds to make the world go around. I have an advanced degree and am employed as a professional, by the way.

Because they are usually harder.

Why? Because some people believe that your undergraduate education should not simply be pre-professional training. It should be about learning to think critically, write lucidly, and engage with ideas outside your comfort zone. Students should choose fields of study -- not sources of potential earnings -- that interest and excite them.

Just came across this in the WSJ:http://graphicsweb.wsj.com/documents/NILF1111/#term=.

I find it interesting, with the exception of nursing, that the college majors with the highest earnings and highest employment rates seem to be among the least popular. I wonder why that is?

One quibble I have with the list is I think it only looks at a direct link between the major and employment. I was a Political Science major (6% unemployment), but actually work in public policy (2.2 % unemployment) and earn in the 75th percentile. I felt my major gave me a lot of career options, and it has proven true. I have worked private and public sector in the U.S. and internationally and have had a great life!
I went to top 50 universities - one state and one private, but no Ivy. Maybe I had to be a bit more creative or work a bit harder to get my foot in the door at the beginning of my career, but do not think not having an Ivy degree has hindered me in any way. In my experience, ten years out into the workforce no one cares where younwentbto school. I have worked private and public sector in the U.S. and internationally and have had a great life! I hope others can say the same. Cheers!