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Marcus78 · 01-19-2012, 05:39 PM

Okay. This article might hit a nerve with some people, but it is not meant to be an assault on anyone's major or educational experiences. As a person with two "worthless" degrees, I have done okay for myself, which just goes to show that it's more about the person than the paper.

Back to the point, what do ya'll think about this list? I was very surprised to see the strong representation of agricultural degrees which accounted four 3/5 of the total. I know that an engineer (especially petroleum engineers nowadays) will usually squash any liberal arts or soft-science majors in terms of job availability and pay-scale, but for the non-technical/specialty degrees (so no doctors, lawyers, engineers, etc.) do you think a degree makes that much difference or is an indicator of success?

Keep in mind that when someone criticizes someone's "worthless" degree, that person is among the top 1/4 (about 24% of people I think) who even have a Bachelors degree in the U.S. When you get into masters, doctorates, J.D.'s, etc., the numbers get much lower.

http://education.yahoo.net/articles/....htm?kid=1KWNU

The top 5 "Most useless" degrees were:
1. Agriculture
2. Fashion Design
3. Theater
4. Animal Science
5. Horticulture

Precious_b · 01-19-2012, 06:10 PM

I wouldn't knock anyone with an Ag degree.
Can't forget who feeds us.

Only have a couple of degrees, BS in Computer Science being the highest. (Regret in hindsight not taking one more semester for a Hard Math degree.)

But to say an education is worthless is putting down the best investment you will ever make. And that is in yourself.

Rakhir · 01-19-2012, 06:58 PM

Yeah I can't really see where Agriculture, Animal Science or Horticulture degrees would be useless. As Precious said remember who feeds us. Also I would remind others that these are the degrees along with mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and the like that are the basics of what drive our world economy. Those that understand these skills are the ones who are best suited to survive any sort of downturn.

Marcus78 · 01-19-2012, 07:21 PM

I was shocked about Fashion Design! Without that, the movie "Zoolander" could not have been made!

I don't put much stock into these types of studies, but I enjoy reading them whenever they're published.

satexasguy · 01-19-2012, 08:09 PM

i don't put much stock in these types of articles either. Seems like whoever writes them doesn't do much research.

i especially hate reading the ones that say nursing is a great degree to have. i know a number of people that have earned some sort of nursing degree and have not found a job with the pay the articles say they should be getting. Nursing has an over-abundance of students and not enough openings.

mirandalee · 01-19-2012, 08:38 PM

I agree with the artical. It is important to get a degree that would benefit that person in this shitty economy. I am going for Criminal Justice associates, then going for my bachlors in digital forensics.. There will always be crime, so this degree better benefit lol..education is important and many employers ask if you have any college.

Pepper_Springfield · 01-19-2012, 11:25 PM

Well, I think the list is silly. Im a fashion design student and besides the fact that I absolutely love it, there are so many jobs out there for fashion. You can be a set designer, merchandise displayer, start your own line, tailor shop, boutique owner (that's what I want with my own designs too), fashion editor, stylist, clothing pattern maker, accessories designer, showroom sales rep, shoe designer, textile artist (Im taking that class now), costume designer, and the list goes on and on. I was nervous about my decision to get that degree, but I am very happy I decided to do it

People will always need clothes

Lovely Lexi MILF · 01-20-2012, 03:32 AM

I was honestly surprised my undergrad degree, Psychology, was not among those listed. Granted my original plan was to follow up my B.S. with my Masters and PhD, as one or both are pretty much a necessity to move forward in the field but, honestly, I was so READY to graduate and hang up my cap and gown permanently, I figured a BS was enough and Psychology could be applied to many types of jobs. Regarding your question as to whether a degree makes a difference or is an indicator of success, in my opinion, the answer to both is "no." For me personally, graduating from a 4-yr college and earning a degree was a goal (and presumption I never questioned) I set for myself at an early age. My path took a bit longer than I anticipated after my initial "great time" and "lack of schooling" at Texas Tech. (My fault 100%) As a result of my bad performance, I had to sit out for one year, which then turned into 3 years of self-imposed "college exile." Finally, I decided I had to finish what I started. I enrolled at a local (for me, DFW) private university and earned my degree as originally planned. I firmly believe "a book can never or should never be judged by its cover." There are many historical figures, whose influences continue to impact our day-to-day lives, who never earned a degree. Not everyone is afforded the opportunity or luxury of going to college but that does not make them any less intelligent or any less capable of making an impact on the world today. Long story short...a degree may open an door but it is up to the individual, not a piece of paper, to keep that door open, or in some cases, knock it down. When looking to hire someone for an open position, experience and "know-how" should reign supreme - not whether they are among the lucky to have the "piece of paper." I am proud of my paper but only in the sense of being proud I achieved what I set out to do. Seeing I was lucky enough to be given two chances to finish college, anything less would have meant letting "myself" down - no one else.

sajay55 · 01-20-2012, 06:08 PM

BS computer science has severed me well, however I've seen a fair share of people with a CS degree that totally suck when it comes to actually getting the job done and shipping a product... not too many of us out of work though, so I'm glad I took that path I guess... Best programmer I ever worked with told me he barely graduated high school lol... I do think many young adults chase their dreams and take the easy route, for most it ends up bad I think...

smilespkf · 01-20-2012, 09:47 PM

Best programmer I ever met attended one year at a college and decided it was way too slow for him. He's pulling in 3 figures now. Bastard!

A lot of folks I've met just get their certs and are good to go.

Incidentally I have several friends who have earned degrees in liberal arts, and yeah... it rarely works out.

Marcus78 · 01-20-2012, 10:06 PM

Quote:

He's pulling in 3 figures now.

I make more than 3 figures in a week. I think a lot of people do actually... LOL I assume you meant 6 figures?

smilespkf · 01-20-2012, 10:11 PM

lol yeah 6. I'd blame that on the keyboard but that wouldn't make any sense. man, this board makes me nervous.

Precious_b · 01-20-2012, 11:45 PM

With the outsourcing of Brains, I never did use my CS degree.
Personally, I have more fun doing the job I have now. No way to outsource it!
And i'm not stuck behind a Monitor.

SA_Mike Hancho · 01-21-2012, 01:55 AM

Experience rules !!!

sajay55 · 01-21-2012, 08:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Precious_b

With the outsourcing of Brains, I never did use my CS degree.
Personally, I have more fun doing the job I have now. No way to outsource it!
And i'm not stuck behind a Monitor.

yeah, but even with outsourcing if you are a good programmer you can find a decent job (just at a lower salary then 10 years ago lol). I still write allot of code, but I had to take on more PM/lead responsibilities to make more money. I would prefer to just write code 100% of the time if I could, it's like getting paid to solve puzzles all day. just suites me I guess...