Liberal Arts degrees

[burbuja0512]

Scarlett, I'm so sorry about your brother, but he had to have some idea when he got that degree it was iffy for a long term job knowing the schools were cutting back on what they consider "non-essential" courses. I would have hoped that he had a backup plan. Can he teach music lessons privately or work for a music store teaching? This is one reason I believe everyone should have back up skills. I'm fortunate in that I have spent most of my life in healthcare, but I have also done a lot of part-time work in different areas, so I have a broad skill base to fall back on. That is actually how I fell into teaching out of necessity when my husband lost his job. It wasn't anything I ever wanted to do, but then I fell in love with it and stayed.

My cousin who is using her degree to be a part-time librarian has a son who is in his first year at a very expensive B&M school majoring in music and latin. The only possible job I see with these degrees is a teacher and we all know how those jobs are going these days. I think it was somewhat irresponisble of his parents, neither of which could find employment within their degree specific fields, to not make him choose something more realistic in this current job market, even as a second degree or minor, but if this is the only area that makes him happy he will end up trying to make ends meet too with big student debt to pay off. I believe you have to look at the big picture and project out to the future, although some friends think I do that too much, but I think you have to think about the what ifs. I guess I have been knocked down too many times so I tend to think that way first.

I hope your brother can find something better. What about working with a non-profit medical group that does music and art therapy with terminally ill patients or developmentally challenged kids. Try to get him to think outside the box and he just might find something to incorporate all his skills and knowledge. It might not make him rich monetarily, but it may make him richer in life.

Good luck to your family!

It's ok! Yikes... totally depressing post on my part. Maybe I should go back and delete?

Luckily the job he has right now is paying more than teaching and he likes what he is doing, even if he's not raking in the big bucks. I don't think that things would be so tight if they didn't have the two small kids and if his wife could get a decent job. Daycare for two kids under three is literally more than most people pay on their mortgage. I like the music therapy suggestion though... that could be really rewarding. I'll mention it if the current job doesn't work out.

I agree with you on the music and latin choice. I guess that would make him qualified to be a professional gregorian chant singer? hilarious

I'm just so glad that all of us here knows about testing. People pay so much money to get an undergrad and if you make the wrong choice, you end up with mountains of debt that you may not be able to easily pay off and still need years of graduate school to get where you want to be career-wise.

Hee hee.. or maybe I'm just depressed and grumpy today. I think I should go get a margarita. Too bad it's not 5:00 yet