Wall Street Journal editorial
A recent Journal article by Douglas Belkin entitled “Should a College Student Pick a Major Based on Possible Future Salaries?” raised the question of whether the common advice to ‘follow your passion’ is really feasible in today’s economy, given mounting student debt and poorer job prospects for recent graduates. Also, the fact that some companies do need to hire more workers but cannot because of critical skills deficits in some areas (particularly the sciences) indicates that different criteria should be used by future graduates when selecting college majors. Although Carol Geary Schneider, president of the Association of American Colleges and Universities is quoted in the article as saying that a college major is just a small part of the picture of a graduate presents to a prospective employer, there can be no doubt that some majors like electrical engineering are more likely to result in job offers than other majors (like psychology).
The idea that you should not follow your passion is anathema to many young Americans. President Obama recently re...
...truth. today’s job market is fiercely competitive. With unemployment at an all time high, it is near impossible for one to find a job with or without a college degree. Hundreds of layoffs and fewer openings can really make it hard on those who have just graduated and are trying to find a career. Just because you have a college education does not guarantee a job, or job security. It just makes you a better candidate.
When students say that their majoring in “English” or “History” I can’t help but think that they might be misguided and be making a big mistake. In his article “The Evils of a Liberal Arts Education” Steve Tobak , thinks that we need to do a better job of showing to young Americans what the job market will look like for them before they go and get these degrees. Tobak says “we at least owe it to them to provide some counseling in the realities of supply and demand and the basics of personal finance. At least then they’d know what it takes to pay off their debt, have a fulfilling
Over the past few years, people have begun to see going to college as a way to achieve the American Dream through career-readiness. People used to go to college, hoping to get a better well-rounded education. For most the well-rounded education, it usually came with the courses required for a liberal arts education. The courses would provide a level of analytical and in-depth understanding that would prepare the students for both life and whichever career path chosen. No matter the amount of money paid, parents would be willing to gi...
If more people went to college, and less went the vocational route, jobs will take a momentous hit. Today, companies will not even touch an application that does not include a Bachelor’s Degree; even if the Bachelor’s Degree has nothing to do with the job being applied for. Attention is not given to whether the hopeful applicant qualifies for the job; all that matters is that the applicant has a Bachelor’s degree. Murray best sums up the American job market when he says, “Employers do not value what the student learned, just that the student has a degree” (Murray). However, if less people obtain a Bachelor’s Degree, employers will be forced to base applicants on their skills, and abilities. Furthermore, important vocational jobs that lie vacant will be filled. Good electricians, carpenters, and construction workers will always be in
Through survey analysis and exploration of literature, we found that there was a correlation between females and college major choice. Our survey results signified that the majority of participants believe Textiles and Psychology are the most popular majors for females. The majority of participants reported that they believe the most popular major for males is Engineering. This indicates that people are aware of the gender gap between majors. We found that out of our sample of 105 participants, only one female was in Engineering, and one of the most popular majors for females was Textiles.
In “Are Too Many People Going to College?”, Charles Murray brings to his readers attention that not all jobs need a degree he says, “Actually becoming good in those occupations will take longer than four years, but most of the competence is acquired on the job” (242).
Zac Bissonnette, “Your College Major May Not Be as Important as You Think”. New York Times. New York Times. 03 November 2010. Web. 05 Mar. 2014
Contrary to popular belief, a college education can help with any job, regardless of whether the job is within a certain major or not. In fact, a college graduate even benefits if they take up a job as a plumber or a police officer- not only from their academic education, but also from learning important skills such as persistence and discipline (Leonhardt). Having a college experience and exposure to the world creates well- rounded people with higher skills and work ethics- and therefore better workers. Though they aren’t immune to being turned down, college graduates are more likely to actually get jobs, and be paid more for them, as shown in a study d...
In “Should Everyone Go to College?” there are multiple figures depicting the return of investment on different Bachelor’s degrees. Among the lowest ROIs include the majors of liberal arts, literature, and the arts (215). These are majors which on average, don’t pan out well for those who invest in them. As we often forget, college is an investment in a future career, and so there are certain majors which just aren’t good ones to make. Other majors, such as engineering, computers, math, science, and business, are fantastic investments based on the work-life earnings on different careers pertaining to these majors. These are the ones which are the best ones to invest money in if someone’s looking for a college route, and if they are having trouble finding a way to pay for it, they should consider looking to methods such as doing some time in the military, applying for scholarships, or going to a community college, in order to help them achieve their
The benefits and burdens of a college education are not one to be taken lightly. The value of getting a college education is greatly debated among society today. This is due to the rising costs of tuition and decreasing availability of jobs. In consequence, graduates are finding it harder today to find employment in the jobs they earned their degree in all while struggling to keep up with their student loan payments. Yet, despite the misfortunes, all that hard work does not go to a waste. This is supported through a college graduate named J.D. Roth, claiming that, “I earned a B.A. in Psychology… (with a minor in English Lit…). What have I done with this degree? Almost nothing. Yet I do not regret the money and years I spent working to earn
One of the most important decisions an undergraduate will make will be deciding what they will major in. This academic and life choice will ultimately decide how an individual will view their college experience and help guide them with their future career choices. Choosing the wrong major can be too stressful and overwhelming for a student with more course work than expected. On the other side of the spectrum, the wrong choice in a major will not challenge the individual to bring out their full potential. “Ideally, a major will leave a student academically successful, as well as fulfill academic, personal, and vocational goals “(“The Pennsylvania State University Division of Undergraduate Studies,” n.d.). For most college students choosing a major is a difficult decision, especially when they are not mentally and rationally matured. When choosing a major it is implied that most people are logical and rational, and that they weigh the pros and
The book Taking Sides- Educational Issues states that, “individuals who have attended college have greater work opportunities and tend to have skills that can be easily applied in different job settings”.
...y you have enthusiasm for and do well in,” is advice often given by employers. Lynn Cheney, former Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities, agrees: “Students who follow their hearts in choosing majors will most likely end up laboring at what they love. They’re the ones who will put in the long hours and intense effort that achievement requires. And they’re the ones who will find the sense of purpose that underlies most human happiness.”
It’s nonsensical to believe that every sixteen-year old should know what he or she wants to do with his or her life, and even more so to discourage someone from pursuing his or her interests. In a capitalist society, it makes sense that average salaries a few years out from college graduation would strongly influence the interests of many young people. It’s not uncommon to come across newspaper articles or editorials bemoaning the United States’ lack of engineers or glut of unemployed English majors. It’s even more common to...
“Some students go to college knowing exactly what they want to do. But most don’t. At Penn State, 80 percent of freshmen — even those who have declared a major — say they are uncertain about their major, and half will change their minds after they declare, sometimes more than once” (Simon). Many students going to college have no idea what they want to become when they grow up. Many change their major and career path during college which proves to become extremely financially damaging. For me, I am pretty sure I know what I want to become in the future and will not end up stuck thinking what I want to become when heading into college in the future. I want to go into the medical field and the two jobs in that field that seems very appealing are