almostaugust

Hi, i was wondering about uni/college or other schooling degrees people have done, and how people rated them. Futher, if you'd encourage others to take that type of course and how it has effected your work/career progress.

I did a Bachelor of Arts and a Diploma of Education afterwards.

The BA was a really interesting course with all your standard liberal arts stuff, like politics, philosophy, media studies etc. This kind of degree usually has the stigma of being a waste of time and money to alot of people, and for alot of people this might be the case. However, it really suited me and gave me a good foundation for living and knowing myself better. I wouldnt recomend this course to those who are eager to jump out into specialised professions, earning big bucks (like Law or Medicine etc). Alot of my friends from that course are still struggling to get jobs in their desired fields. If you have the time and energy to undertake one of these courses though, i highly recomend it.
The Dip Ed was a teaching course which was much more demanding in every capacity. It was a fair prelude to life in the classroom (though nothing can really prepare you for it properly). It is a practical qualification though, as its paid my bills and focused my energy. Id advise this course to people only if they were pretty certain that they think teaching is up their alley. Too many people waste their time doing all the academic stuff, but cant hack the chalk and talk side of things.

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'And it's been a long December and there's reason to believe
Maybe this year will be better than the last
I can't remember all the times I tried to tell my myself
To hold on to these moments as they pass'

almostaugust

No takers on this thread hey. Well, i hope my advice helps someone out there.

__________________
'And it's been a long December and there's reason to believe
Maybe this year will be better than the last
I can't remember all the times I tried to tell my myself
To hold on to these moments as they pass'

Slavakion

Sorry, I don't start college until next year.

Suave

I'm currently getting my BA in Sociology, and I love it. I think everyone should at least take an intro sociology course, simply to learn a little bit about the dynamics of society and individuals. Not only is it interesting and broad in scope, but career-wise, the liberal arts are being focused on more as hireable degrees, as they develop a lot of important soft skills.

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"Few people are capable of expressing with equanimity opinions which differ from the prejudices of their social environment. Most people are even incapable of forming such opinions." - Albert Einstein

"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something." - Plato

jorgelito

Third-year Political Science major for BA in USA. I doubt I will continue into Law. I am thinking about going for my MBA though.

It's a good program at an alright public school I guess (UCLA). A bit crowded and rather competitive. Kinda like the real world I suppose. I think the resources here are good.

Practical applications: I'm not too sure, but I think it gets much better if you continue for advanced degree. CIA, think tanks, law school, public service etc.

qweds

4th year Philosophy and Russian double major bachelor of arts, Knox College.

Application: Get more schooling.

I really like it though, good classes and good environment. And it's a good school to go on from.

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tim(mah)

the420star

Last semester of electrical engineering at UConn... It is as terrible as everyone says, by the end of your time at school you will hate engineering and everything having to do with it. But at the same time i wouldnt have been happy if i did another major.
Apllication: you are a God, you are an EE, all bow down to you, for there is not a single thing can not be explained using EE. "on the first day God created EE, then he continued on"

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No, they arnt breasts, they are personalities, because its ok to like a girl for her personalities.

yellowchef

Hrmm where to start AS while in high school for Social Psychology aka Social Sciences, AS in Culinary Arts, and soon to be a BS in Food Service management and maybe an AS in Baking and Pastry Arts since Ill have an extra trimester to waste(Ill pay for it, but I have to finish 4 years of school for my Grandma) I like what Im doing, I got my AS in Social Science for free and everyone at my college is required to take one psych and one sociology course

Im so excited Im almost done with school... its fun, but at the same time I dont like academics where I sit for 2 hours I like to be up and moving

tellumFS

Well, I'm a 4th year Anthropology undergrad. I like it, the field is very interesting and diverse. Personally, I'm focussed a bit more on the archaeology side of Anthro. There's no real money in anthropology, however, I think it's useful for critical thinking. Besides, I plan on going back for a Masters in Education, so right now I'm kind of in it for what I like.

mandal

Currently BA in Physics. Very fun and the smallness of the major makes the enviroment very nice ( you get to know your other classmates and professors very well) In terms of application I can't say much yet, but I plan on going into medicine.

Most importantly though: Not HARD!!! everyone I come across seems to think it's very hard, but so far it's not bad. If you enjoy the first year of physics and are good at it as well as math i would say that you can do it.

Engineering is very closely related, but much more technologically based and applicaiton based. Physics is much more theory and would be good for research and the like.

roderickpsu

I'd say if you want to definitely have a job when you're done pick an engineering program, unless you want to go to graduate school.

bendsley

BBA in Business Management. Going to MIT (hopefully) to get my MBA and Doctorate.

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"You hear the one about the fella who died, went to the pearly gates? St. Peter let him in. Sees a guy in a suit making a closing argument. Says, "Who's that?" St. Peter says, "Oh, that's God. Thinks he's Denny Crane."

frogza

Nearly done with BS in Illustration. My advice; don't do it, it isn't worth it. The actual art classes have been invaluable but the general education garbage is a waste of time and money. If you want to be an artist go to school, but don't worry about the degree.

Seems to me that 95% of college is teaching students how to jump hoops, and then as a nation we're surprised when all we've got is the equivalant of so many trained monkeys.

Dingo2879

BA in Public Administration & Public Policy at Michigan State University
Small program, but good opportunities to work in the State Capital and for either political party for internships. Michigan State is located in East Lansing which is the next town over to Lansing which is the capital of Michigan.

fckm

last year of my BS in Engineering Physics.
A very very very very very interesting major. Learn fundamental physics, combined with engineering problem solving skills. ++good for future research/experimental work in any field.

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And if you say to me tomorrow, oh what fun it all would be.
Then what's to stop us, pretty baby. But What Is And What Should Never Be.

Frowning Budah

BS in Mass Communications. Nebulous enough that you can bend it to what ever job you are applying for. Of course I am not working in anything that has remotely to do with what I studied. You do learn skills that can help in numerous applications.

alpo

BA in biology from a small liberal arts school in upstate New York. I enjoyed being able to learn about a lot of the non-science stuff, but it made it more difficult when trying to pursue further science degrees and jobs. Those small liberal arts type schools are great for some degrees, but for science they just don't offer the expertise one needs.

M.S. in biotechnology at Johns Hopkins. A pretty good experience. It was my compromise from getting a PhD. I didn't think a PhD was absolutely required for me to meet my career goals.

M.D. from a medical school in Philadelphia. There are plenty of days where I wouldn't wish my job on my worst enemy - the hours, the pay, the lack of sleep, the fact that you miss a lot of the important events in the lives of your loved ones so that you can take care of others. then again, there are days where you really make a difference in the lives of your patients. It's a tough call, but I guess I'd do it again. I'm just glad that I'm finishing my training in an era where we are "limited" to 80 hours per week and no more than 30 hours in a row.

Rlyss

I've just recently (one month ago) completed my Bacherlor of Arts degree at the University of Melbourne and I have mixed feelings about it.

Arts was most certainly my 'thing'. I went through the entire course guide and ticked off every course that I knew I didn't want to do, and Arts was the only one I said 'maybe' to, so I did it. I started with a mix of anthropology, linguistics, history, and philosophy, but eventually narrowed it down to a double major in History and Linguistics.

I admit the stigma of an arts degree did get to me after a while, particularly towards the end. Lots of people think 'I know English, so whatever linguistics is, I'm sure its simple'. I think you need a thick hide to endure the arts-bashing. But there are plenty of criticisms for every course ("What are you gonna be, a scientist?").

I liked the type of people in my course, a mix of hippies and jocks and regular people, and I particularly liked the relevence it had to 'real' things and events. I liked being able to discuss issues as they happened (for example the Oct 12th 2002 Bali bombings) in class the next day, instead of talking about theories and electrons and gracity, and things that aren't 'real'. It gave me a great sense of a place in the world, I think.

I'm well aware of the job prospect for an arts-only degree, or the lack thereof, but I wouldn't trade my experiences for anything right now. I know that I now need to get something 'real', like an education degree, to activate, in a sense, my arts degree, but I think my experiences in that course are well worth the position I'm in now.

Stompy

I'm currently working towards my bachelor's in computer science.

So far I'm just getting a lot of bullshit pre-reqs outta the way (english, economics, history, blah blah blah), so I haven't started on anything interesting with the exception of Calculus.

I've looked ahead and the remainder of the courses are generally programming and theory, but in languages I already know - so to me it's a piece of cake.

Because I enjoy the Calculus, I have thought about changing my major to physics, in general, astronomy or particle physics.

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Crisis

Currently taking commercial aviation. I get to fly need I say more?! One of the only downsides is that most flight schools in Canada are all located in the far north. It's a fairly heavy work load but so worth it in the end. Just a warning to you all the only thing you can do this far north is go to the bars. Bars + flying = uh-oh

thesupermikey

History Major at Hanover College in Hanover, Indiana (1000 students)
I have had the chance to focus on what i want to learn and work with a top thinker in the field i love (American Culture History from 1950-present).

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Schwan

Not long ago, I got my BA in sociology. I think it was very much worth it, as it changed my outlook completely on everything that's going on around me. It's also respected by emplyers in a lot of various fields - especially stuff that has something to do with media, like journalism, public relations, human resources and so on. If you'd like to know a little bit more about how society works, and why you can't get laid, then this is the place.

Right now I'm doing my MA in national security. This is high calibre stuff, with lectures on how to deal with large scale disasters and how to prevent them. My beef so far is that it seems to be all about administartive law and government structures, but I do understand that the more interesting stuff will come along later. I'm starting strategic simulations any week now, and I'm looking forward to it. After that you're pretty much doomed to end up working for the government, though (well, not really - if you're creative).

Mattbastard

Right about smack in the middle of an Engineering Physics Major from UW Plattville.

supersix2

In my second year of Aerospace Engineering at Embry-Riddle. I like it so far I really enjoy the challenge of the math and science classes. I've noticed so far that most engineering teachers are not really good teachers because they can't explain things very well. For the most part engineering science books aren't too useful either because they are poorly written and have worthless examples.
Some how I end up learning the material through a combination of sifting through crappy books and listening to the professor try to explain the stuff. The most useful thing an engineering professor can do is give as many examples as possible so you can learn to apply the concepts and equations to something real. No matter how bad the teacher they can redeem themselves by doing plenty of examples.

StanT

I have a BS in Mechanical Engineering and work as a network engineer. My degree has no direct application to my employment. While I wouldn't drive over a bridge of my own design, the degree has opened doors and created opportunities that wouldn't otherwise exist. It serves as proof that I am trainable. I would not have my present job if I couldn't produce the diploma.

Hardknock

I'm finishing a BS through an online university due to the fact that my job is traveling. I'm taking an into to psych and studies in lit. Just started them last week but they’re pretty interesting so far. I already have an AAS in management; just want to get the BS for a little more career flexibility.

Baron Opal

BS in Chemistry A useful degree, but the salary it commands is pitiful. Don't expect any recognition for achievments beyond some "atta-boys". Serious work in the hard sciences requires a Ph.D. BS degrees are for the drones that you will ultimatly command. No one cares where you earned your bachelor's degree, except as it pertains to graduate school. If all you want it a four year degree, go to a public university.

Doctorate in Pharmacy An excellent degree for the opportunity and salary. The work is intellectually challenging and has some small amount of prestige / glory. And, while the physicians do appreciate your advice, you will almost always be in their shadow. As I'm a "better counselor than king" kind of guy, this suits my temperment well.

Having any kind of four year degree, earned in four years, is an asset. It demonstrates intellect and tenacity. Many carriers are based on having a four year degree, which I think is a shame really. In the chemical plant I used to work at the position of Development Technician was one where some shlub could work toward with enough experience. When I interviewed for the position, it had been changed to a degree-only position.

Camelbackcinema

BS in Mechanical Engineering from Virginia Tech in May 2004. Enjoyed the program, wasn't terribly challenging, learned lots of good stuff.

Now I'm sittin on my ass at home trying to get a job, and I'm pretty much down for whatever.

chateau_margaux

BSC in Comp Sci - job turns into 100k - I'd still recommend it.

MoonDog

BA in Anthropology
Anthro is fun, interesting, and has little to no earning power! I was drawn to it as a precursor for a PHD in Archaeology, but the left-wingers at the State University of New York at Buffalo, combined with a real lack of earning power, kept me from going past my BA. I'll look into a doctorate when I retire, methinks!

BA in Communication.
Same school. Part of a double degree program, which my advisor said was almost as good as having a Masters degree. WRONG! But I enjoyed the hell out of my courses...just make sure you get some practical stuff, because most of my courses focused on communication theory. Nice to know, but more hands-on would have been appreciated.

Those 2 degrees would be considered liberal arts, and I have to say that they prepared me well to be adaptable. I have worked in factories, retail, government, non-profit foundations, and am currently writing grants for a public school district.