What is the most worthless college major?

A lot of hate on English Majors here. I have mixed feelings...

I have a Bachelor of Science in English. I took a lot of STEM classes but never got the minor in engineering. Poor academic planning on my part. I leveraged the few math and engineering classes I took and a few certifications I got on my own to land decent entry level IT job.

So, you could say that my English Degree was worthless... initially. Since most of my peers, who were technically stronger than me, couldn't write a coherent email or logically articulate their thoughts I was usually chosen to prepare reports and present our projects. I gave credit where credit was due but, since the reports came from my email address and the presentations came out of my mouth, I got the expose and was quickly promoted. Now I am in management. I have just enough technical background to 'talk the talk' but I rely on what I learned in pursuit of that worthless English degree in my day to day activities.

I would say that my experience is atypical but I see this a lot in my field. The average comp sci majors land decent jobs right out of college but lack the personality or communication skills to break out of entry level positions. The guys with better organization, communication skills, and vision end up in management.

Oh, and the most useful 'class' I took in college was Debate Team. It was an extracurricular activity so I never got credit for it but damn has it been useful. Never underestimate the ability to dissect an opponent's argument, find the vulnerabilities, and deliver counter points.

I feel sorry for the kids who go to any for-profit colleges where you spend tens of thousands of dollars to get a certificate in web design, automotive repair, interior decoration, etc.

Why don't you just admit you were the only Honkey dude in that IT department amongst a bunch of Chinks, Pakis, and Injuns.

jamin wrote:

This is something I have to reiterate.

Due to automation and outsourcing, there is a decreasing number of white collar jobs for Americans. At the same time, there is an increasing number of young American adults pursuing white collar jobs, through the educational route, because Obama and other dummies act like we're headed towards some Star Trek society where everyone is employed as engineers and doctors. You shouldn't go to college unless you're able and prepared to compete to be in the top 5-10% in terms of your college resume -- your combined university, degree, GPA and internship experience. As Thomas Friedman says, "Average is over."

There's IMO some truth to this, but it's not anything as bad as the picture you paint. The main thing is that you can't just rely on the GPA and school to get you in the door anymore. That stuff is needed, but then you also have to interview well and actually perform well on the job. That's the main difference today because companies seem to be running very lean (often way under-staffed) and work-life balance seems to be almost non-existent as you're supposed to just be happy with having a job. Sucks.

economics is NOT useless

UNIX Computer Science is a worthless major. Windows Server Computer Science is now the best major.

economics -> passing the CFA exam Level 3 -> you're GOLDEN

Laughtus wrote:

Sociology.

I want to hear your opinions, letsrun.

Journalism. You could lose your head in that vocation.

I'd go with wrote:

Laughtus wrote:

Sociology.

I want to hear your opinions, letsrun.

Journalism. You could lose your head in that vocation.

You are still wrong about ENGLISH. I hire English majors all the time for companies for which I perform job interviews.

Now, let's be clear here...if you are an average student at some crap university, then yes, you will have a harder time finding a job. There are more college graduates than there should be today. If though you are a good student, and especially if you actually went to a decent college, the odds look better for you. Some will say it doesn't matter where you went to college, but as a hiring person, I'll tell you that at least for me, I disagree. Got one who went to Shawnee State and one who went to Emory and all other things are equal, I'm hiring the Emory grad.

I agree that you can succeed without going to college, but then you will succeed either by starting your own business or doing well in a job that traditionally doesn't require a college education. I used to work with a guy (English major) who had a daughter who he said "could write well", but she attended one year of college and then dropped out. He presented her as a possibility to be hired as one of our technical writers, and he was amazed that we didn't give her consideration. Some jobs just require a college education. If there are people out there thinking that a college education is worthless and so they don't want to go to college and yet they still expect to get a job that traditionally required a college education, then they will be sorely mistaken.

Economics. Why is this even a question. They just come up with whatever works to retrospectively explain whichever major calamity they failed to spot beforehand. Economics students are even rebelling against the inability of the 'old' school (no, it's not a science in the way an actual science is a science, with a rich history and intellectual pedigree) to take in and address failures.

No wonder, then, the wealthy love economists because in the end the field of study is so thin, they can say more or pess whatever and still be taken notice of.

May as well read chicken entrails.

who you foolin wrote:

You guys are ridiculous.

The type of "excellent written and oral communication skills" that companies are referring to in job listings are basic communication skills that you should be able to pickup while completing any degree from any school. It's usually one of at least 10 required abilities, not THE most important skill they're looking for. They're just trying to filter out the socially awkward from applying.

A large percentage of English majors have difficulty finding well-paying jobs after college. This, of course, leads to overall negative feelings about the "real world", hatred of corporations and people with well-paying jobs, and the inevitable anti-business, ultra-Liberal political stance that they feel aligns with their lifestyle. It's just one of the many self-perpetuating cycles with a genesis in academia.

Who is the "they" in "they're"? Hiring managers? I'M a hiring manager, and I'm telling you that when I look for someone who needs excellent oral and written communication skills, I really mean it, especially the written part, and dude, NO they don't pick it up with just any degree. Computer science people as a whole are the WORST writers, and back in the day I used to edit a magazine for physicians filled with articles written by physicians. Man they were horrible writers.

In 2013 the unemployment rate for recent grads who were English majors was 9.8%. Today that would be even better, and when you consider that that is right on average with other 20-somethings, then going on about English majors not being able to get a job is crazy. Besides, not everyone wants to be a computer programmer. Get a degree in philosophy or art history, then you'd better be prepared to teach if you want to use that knowledge, but a degree in English has much wider application.

Flagpole wrote: Computer science people as a whole are the WORST writers, and back in the day I used to edit a magazine for physicians filled with articles written by physicians. Man they were horrible writers.

From my experience, people with heavy science backgrounds, such as physicians, are good writers. All those years of writing abstracts teach them how to write in clear, concise, unambiguous language. They have a better grasp of language than do English majors. The only reason they might come across as horrible writers is because they don't care about spelling correctly or using flowery language; it's just not a high priority for them.

jamin wrote:

Flagpole wrote: Computer science people as a whole are the WORST writers, and back in the day I used to edit a magazine for physicians filled with articles written by physicians. Man they were horrible writers.

From my experience, people with heavy science backgrounds, such as physicians, are good writers. All those years of writing abstracts teach them how to write in clear, concise, unambiguous language. They have a better grasp of language than do English majors. The only reason they might come across as horrible writers is because they don't care about spelling correctly or using flowery language; it's just not a high priority for them.

Most people can't write worth a damn. The only reason this is not more widely known is the bar is set very low due to everyone self-publishing every seventeen seconds, and most people have no idea when they're writing poorly, simply because nobody notices. I was a copy editor and journo for my country's highest-selling magazines and I can say with no ambiguity the worst writers were the writers.

I can also say IT people are basically non-verbal, but that's okay. The thing is they have a VERY bad attitude to being told their writing's anything other than perfect. I don't want an argument, Cedric. I just want your writing to suck less. Science writers are accustomed to dumbing things down and science writing in any case is relatively straightforward.

Anyway, I got out of the industry and into healthcare because nobody gives a damn about good writing anymore. In this I include the employers asking for good writers who, themselves, cannot write worth spit.

Journalism is a great industry to get out of, I'll give it that.

SenorGonzalezTheFirst wrote:

In America it depends a lot on who is getting the degree. As an asian or caucasian male good luck getting a good job in many competitive fields if you aren't sporting top of your class type statistics. Whereas in many of the same fields you simply need to graduate from a top-50ish if you can fulfill their gender/diversity quota. A female women's studies major with a 3.5 who can write a bit of code is probably equally as employable (in America) as a non-sought after demographic graduating with a 3.5 in a serious engineering discipline with full knowledge of multiple programming languages to boot. Sad world we live in

This is very true. If you are a female with a STEM degree from just about any reputable school, you'll write your ticket. Doesn't matter if you were bottom of your class.

Meanwhile, male grads with the same degrees will have to work much harder to find gigs (unless they are top 20% of class).