Degrees: Practical or Fun?

[lgstudy]

Okay, so I'm working through my associate's degree right now. After I graduated high school, I had no idea what to do, so I decided to take some time off, thinking I would appreciate a break. Instead, I got bored without school. So, instead of taking a year break, I only had a three to four month break and then I started taking some classes from the local technical and community college and started studying for and taking CLEPs and DSSTs. Problem is, although I appreciate having school to do, this isn't helping me decide what I want to go to school for. (Right now, I'm just doing a general Associate in Arts degree.) I have a couple of different ideas of degrees that I would really enjoy studying, but they aren't exactly practical degrees if I want to get a job in whatever field I study. So...I'm just wondering what y'all think: Should you get a degree just because you'll enjoy it while it lasts, even if you will never use it? Or should degrees be practical - something that you can actually use to find a job to support yourself when you graduate, even if it's not exactly what you want to study?

[Ideas]

It depends on your goals. Practical is probably going to earn you a lot more. Some people would rather do what they love and have less money.

In today's job market, people do have to worry about being completely unemployed. Any bachelor's degree is better than none, but there are plenty of people with a BS/BA who are unemployed. That also depends on things like their interview skills, gender and race (unfortunate but true), where they live (or where they're willing to move), etc.

[sanantone]

Why not do both? Many times, people just don't know how to search for jobs with their degree. For example, my bachelor's in social science would be considered impractical. However, I've found hundreds of jobs that are looking for that type of degree. The jobs range from parole officer to substance abuse counselor to research analyst.

[dfrecore]

There is usually plenty of room in a degree to take courses you enjoy. There is always also the option of earning 2 degrees at the same time, or a major with a minor, or whatever.

I also always recommend Major Search/Career Search classes for people who aren't sure what they want to do with their life. It can help you look at your strengths and weaknesses, and get you looking in some new directions.

[cookderosa]

Okay, so I'm working through my associate's degree right now. After I graduated high school, I had no idea what to do, so I decided to take some time off, thinking I would appreciate a break. Instead, I got bored without school. So, instead of taking a year break, I only had a three to four month break and then I started taking some classes from the local technical and community college and started studying for and taking CLEPs and DSSTs. Problem is, although I appreciate having school to do, this isn't helping me decide what I want to go to school for. (Right now, I'm just doing a general Associate in Arts degree.) I have a couple of different ideas of degrees that I would really enjoy studying, but they aren't exactly practical degrees if I want to get a job in whatever field I study. So...I'm just wondering what y'all think: Should you get a degree just because you'll enjoy it while it lasts, even if you will never use it? Or should degrees be practical - something that you can actually use to find a job to support yourself when you graduate, even if it's not exactly what you want to study?

In my opinion, you have your entire life to pursue your interests. I trained for my career when I was 18, and then later, in my 30's returned to school for another degree- but inbetween all of that, I took loads of personal enrichment and professional development coures. Since this was a while ago, they were mainly conference lectures and the like, but fast forward to 2017 and everything is online! I am enrolled in a course pretty much 100% of the time. When I finish, I find another (or as the case right now, I'm enrolled in 3 courses - 2 for a credential, one because it's interesting).

So, in my opinion, earning an AA isn't a waste of time, simply because the odds are that you'll get to use it (or part of it) toward something else. On the other hand, you need to focus on picking something and going in that direction. There are loads of programs at your community college that are direct-employment careers, in other words, those 60 liberal arts credits you're earning aren't even required. As an example, you might look at the continuing education / adult education catalog for summer. You might also look at the certificate and diploma options taught in the regular for-credit departments. The reason they might be more helpful than what you're doing now, is because studying 100 level history isn't really a career- it's disconnected from any real job. And for that matter, neither is studying English, Psychology, Algebra, or any of the other 100 level courses you're doing. The courses I mentioned before are 100% for a career. For instance, if you took the Real Estate Agent pre-licensing course, then you're actually learning a trade- training for a job. Perhaps you can make room in your schedule of classes to include some practical things - if nothing else, it will help you eliminate career paths too.

[bjcheung77]

Hello, I agree with the majority of the replies, my suggestion is to dig deep into your own self and see what you're looking for.
If it's just interest, work your way to an AA or AS, if you want to major in something else, those credits will go to your BA/BS.
You can "specialize" in the BA/BS when you have decided on that particular major, I usually would recommend "laddering" upwards.
Once done, if a Masters is in sight, you can decide on that as well - mix and match, for example, BA in Liberal Studies & MBA in Finance.

[sanantone]

I don't believe in pursuing careers you won't enjoy. Spending 40+ hours a week doing something that you don't like is a miserable way to live your life. I could have continued studying computer science almost a decade ago and probably would be making close to six figures by now, but I absolutely hate programming. I'd rather make half the money doing something more enjoyable.

I believe there is a viable career for most interests. For example, if you like history, many inner-city and rural schools have a shortage of teachers in all subjects. If you like sociology, there are many social service and criminal justice careers most sociology majors don't seem to know about. Sometimes, you have to be willing to move. If you live in my city, and you're unemployed with a psychology degree, that is 100% your fault for not knowing how to search for jobs. My state agency, alone, is trying to fill over 100 positions in this area and often hires people with no experience.

Then, there is the misconception that you can't become licensed in anything with a bachelor's degree in psychology. That's not the case in my state. You only need an associates to become a chemical dependency counselor. If you have a bachelors degree, you can waive the practicum requirement and just do the internship. I believe a bachelors degree or less is the requirement for substance abuse counselors in many other states. It's all about researching possibilities. Several years ago, I found that I could register as a chemical dependency counselor intern after looking at all the licenses offered by the state's Department of Health Services.

[lgstudy]

Hey all!

Thanks so much for your input! My main interests right now are in the science field...I love chemistry or biochemistry. The thing is, though, that I don't really want to go the health science field, which is usually where biochemistry leads. If I were just to get a degree without regard for practicality, I would go for marine biology or chemical oceanography, neither of which are really practical to get as a degree or to find a job with when you live in the Midwest. I would also really enjoy studying political science, but I don't really want to do anything in that area for a living. Something like business or computer science would be more practical, but those types of classes are either super confusing to me or really boring (no offense to those who enjoy them. ) I guess I just really can't find a degree that I would both enjoy studying and would lend itself well to a good career. I could always just go for a plumbing degree at the tech college...I would so be in the minority there.

[rlw74]

My personal advice is that nothing you do will be "wrong"per se. Even if you pick that impractical degree and it leads no where, you have a degree (which isn't wasted) and obviously the smarts and will power to go after another degree later if you need something more practical. I didn't know what I wanted to do either so I put my college education in hold, got mired down in life, bills, kids, jobs, etc. Twenty years later I'm just now finishing a degree. So, my advice, finish something so you don't have regrets and then see where it takes you. It's better than doing nothing and waiting until you are sure you've found the perfect job/career.

[sanantone]

Hey all!

Thanks so much for your input! My main interests right now are in the science field...I love chemistry or biochemistry. The thing is, though, that I don't really want to go the health science field, which is usually where biochemistry leads. If I were just to get a degree without regard for practicality, I would go for marine biology or chemical oceanography, neither of which are really practical to get as a degree or to find a job with when you live in the Midwest. I would also really enjoy studying political science, but I don't really want to do anything in that area for a living. Something like business or computer science would be more practical, but those types of classes are either super confusing to me or really boring (no offense to those who enjoy them. ) I guess I just really can't find a degree that I would both enjoy studying and would lend itself well to a good career. I could always just go for a plumbing degree at the tech college...I would so be in the minority there.

Chemistry and biochemistry can also lead to a career in forensic science. Marine biology could lead to a career as a game warden, working in a fishery, or in wildlife management. The NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps also looks for marine biologists, and I'm sure they would also have an interest in someone with a background in oceanography. One of the things you can do is search for your degree of interest on Indeed and see which types of jobs show up. Like I said previously, you may have to move to do what you want.

Also, don't overrate generic business degrees. Finance and accounting help you develop specific skills. Business administration and business management are very broad. These are the most popular majors in the country, and most people with these degrees end up in jobs that don't require a degree. There's just a lot of competition.