<p>I agree with SoozieVT. Going to college is about learning how to learn on an advanced level. DH was a history major and ended up running a billion dollar company. In part, it was his college EC’s that got him in the door and his ability to strategize and think creatively that kept him there. Most of his senior-level execs have similar stories. Another friend was a “classics” major and has had senior positions in household- name media companies. FWIW, we all graduated smack-dab into the last major recession. At the moment my DD is thinking about Anthropology–I say go for it, she’ll probably make a great brand-marketer.</p>
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<p>My kids are not wealthy by any means and in fact, as parents, we’ll be paying off their education for a long time (they qualified for aid). Who cares what they major in? A person with a degree is employable and educated and so many people hold jobs that are not directly related to their college major. Kids study more than their major in college.</p>
<p>In any case, as I wrote, my kids’ majors are on that list and both are employed in their fields and every dime they have earned has been in their major field of study. As parents, we will not support them when not in school (though provided them an education through graduate school if desired). Even if I were wealthy, I would not support adult children. My kids know this and have gotten work every single time they have tried. My younger kid, who is the one fully done her education, has more work than she can handle. She keeps getting offers without even trying for them.</p>
<p>My daughter has two of those majors, and she is working professionally while still in school and goes from offer to offer to offer. “When will you be done?”</p>
<p>She started as an intern after her first year and has been working ever since. Makes for a hectic life, but most creatives know to take the work while you can and bank it. ;)</p>
<p>poetgrl, it does make for a hectic life! My daughter thrives on being busy and is very driven. She did admit yesterday that she had almost too much on her plate at the moment (she is involved in MANY projects and jobs in her field). She joked that she wondered what it would be like for those in normal jobs who might come home after work and veg in front of the TV. She works day and night as she juggles so many jobs in theater and music and offers keep coming in. But it is all good. Hectic, but great.</p>
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<p>No, because there are not enough decent biology jobs for all of the biology major graduates right now.</p>
<p>My kid’s “useless major” is also on the list. She loved her major and it is always a conversation starter when she went on interviews, I guess because you don’t run into too many Religion majors. </p>
<p>But then she also went to law school. So I guess now she has 2 “useless” majors 
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<p>I’ll borrow the analogy that “Poetgirl,” used on another thread:</p>
<p>With regards to job openings for college grads and their majors; it’s like, “running from one side of a sinking ship to the other and back again trying to find that place that has the most liferafts with the least amount of people waiting for them.” I’m not sure it’s a direct quote but the spirit of the comment is here somewhere.</p>
<p>What’s hot and bankable now may not be 10 years from now. Of course there are a few majors/fields that will never fall out of favor but most all the others cycle in and out of demand.</p>
<p>The problem isn’t what you major in – it’s what you do with your time at college. If you spend your time barely getting by, satisfied with simply attending classes and spending the rest of your time procrastinating on work, not getting involved, not knowing your professors, and not even getting any relevant work experience besides the occasional babysitting gig or waitressing at your local restaurant, are you honestly surprised that no one wants to hire you?</p>
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<p>You’re right, DowneasterDad. In the 80s (I could be wrong on the decade here), learning Japanese was considered of utmost iportance for young kids – Japanese au pairs and nannies and classes were abound. Now, Chinese and Arabic are being pushed. What will be the language du jour in the next ten years?</p>
<p>Alternatively, look at the current influx of business majors: the majority of those kids hate what they do in class, but “majoring in business will get me a job at [insert i-banking firm here].” Never mind that, given the economic crisis and even Mr. Bernanke’s warnings that the stock will crash, the majority of what you’re learning in econ/business will be rendered useless in a few years. What “practical” major will everyone rush to next?</p>
<p>Also, out of genuine curiosity, to any parents in the STEM/engineering fields… is electrical engineering preferred to nuclear engineering on practicality alone?</p>
<p>smorgasboard,
This is purely anecdotal (meaning I am hearing second hand from my engineer s’s) that electrical E is a hot field and while nuclear may pick back up, it got hit after the Japan earthquake and damage to the reactors, that planned increases in nuclear reactor construction in the US slowed down.</p>
<p>If you want direct training for a job you should be in a vocational training program, not a degree program. Just because a person is studying (insert so called useless major here) that does not mean you need to work in a job that is directly related to your major. There are many jobs that require the abilities developed in college but not a specific degree. My husband is a partner in a small law firm (9 attorneys). The firm employs paralegals. All are college graduates. None have a degree directly related to law. Paralegal jobs are good jobs that include a complete benefits package, competitive pay and good working conditions. A kid does not need to work in the same field that he studied in order to be considered successful.</p>
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<p>Thanks, Jym626! A friend of mine majoring in nuclear engineering was told his major is ‘useless’ a few weeks ago and that if he wanted to make anything of himself, electric was the only way to go.</p>
<p>Husband and I are both engineers. Son is about to submit his SIR to a LAC as an English major. H and I both chose engineering because we were good at math and science and our parents encouraged us to pursue good careers. Yes, it was a pretty simple, linear path: college degree, campus interview and good paying job in the aerospace industry; yet, neither one of us loved it and often wished we were doing something else. I eventually left engineering to stay home with the kids and H moved up into higher paying management which is both extremely stressful and unrewarding for him. </p>
<p>S clearly has STEM capability having finished AP Calculus as a junior, however, his love and passion is writing. Although, we both know engineering would be a safer and more “useful” major we are happily sending him off to pursue his passion. We look at him with a little envy, but mostly pride for having the courage to take a harder path. We all know it won’t be linear or easy, but are excited to see where the journey will take him.</p>
<p>I loved getting my degree, absolutely loved it. It is definitely one of the “useless” but i would not change the fact that i spent all that money and time getting a fine art degree. It was the only time in my life that i was able to focus on my art and worry about nothing else but getting grades and learning.</p>
<p>What people are not taking into consideration is that sometimes it is not exactly what you studied that will lead to a job but instead the fact that you did study. You learn skills in school that will stay with you and that will come in handy later on in life.</p>
<p>I had to write a lot in school. We had this thing called the Gordon Rule that meant in every class, except for math, you had to write a certain amount. Quite often it was a lot of pretty bad and boring bla bla bla because many teachers didn’t like being told to assign written assignments. Because of all that writing practice i was able to get a job writing web content. So, you never know where your education will lead you.</p>
<p>While the title with ‘useless’ in it is incorrect, it’s useful for students pursuing particular majors to have their eyes wide open regarding practical opportunities or lack thereof with the particular major. I don’t think the majors listed in the article are a surprise to most posters on CC and anyone considering pursuing those majors should have a realistic perspective as to the general prospects of what the job hunt will be like if they seek one after attaining their Bachelors degree. There are some who don’t know and may have an incorrect level of expectations and may be in for a reality shock (see the other thread of recent grads unable to find decent paying jobs in their chosen area).</p>
<p>I can relate to this thread a lot. </p>
<p>My DS received a BA in Literature and a MFA is POETRY! You can imagine how we, his computer/accountant type parents felt about this. But in our defense we never said a word to him. (just to ourselves in private a bit…) But here is the thing. He is now very gainfully employed as a high end web programmer making more money than my other DS who is a chemical engineer. Sadly neither one of them makes as much as DD who is a CPA and settled for a very ‘boring’ accounting degree. </p>
<p>But here is the other thing. DS the ‘poet’ (and he really isn’t 
…) loved his college experience. He was able to indulge his passion for literature and explore his creativity in amazing ways. DD went to the local state university, lived at home and really treated school like a job. She is very successful and very happy, but I always felt she was a little shortchanged on her college experience, even though it really was her choice.</p>
<p>I agree with whoever said, college is a once in a lifetime experience - a chance to grow as a person and maybe be a little selfish about oneself for probably just about the last time in one’s life. </p>
<p>And I also think indulging his creative side for so many years in college has only made my DS an even better web programmer. At least that is what his parents tell themselves.</p>
<p>“The problem isn’t what you major in – it’s what you do with your time at college. If you spend your time barely getting by, satisfied with simply attending classes and spending the rest of your time procrastinating on work, not getting involved, not knowing your professors, and not even getting any relevant work experience besides the occasional babysitting gig or waitressing at your local restaurant, are you honestly surprised that no one wants to hire you?”</p>
<p>Theoretically that sounds correct, and that’s what we’d like to tell our kids. However, the truth is that describes my college experience to a tee. Had I been excited, involved and a hardworking college student while getting my engineering degree, I probably would have ended up as an engineer. Though the truth of it, is none of that mattered a bit for my long time profession (airline pilot), it was just checking off a box, and I’m really happy with what I’m doing.</p>
<p>How about “13 most useless Daily Beast lists”?</p>
<p>I graduated with one of those “useless” majors and I think I had a happier and more rewarding educational experience, and a happier and more rewarding career, than any of my siblings who pursued “safe” and “practical” technical fields. </p>
<p>Now I’m happily paying through the nose (out of a salary that far exceeds what the Daily Beast predicts from my major) to send my D1 to a fancypants liberal arts college where she, too, just declared a “useless” major that just happens to be something she’s dreamed of doing all her life. She couldn’t be happier. Nor could I. I’ve always told her that although I’ve had a very rewarding life, in some ways the college years were the very best years, and I want that for her, too. So I advised her to take her studies where her passions lead her, and drink in every drop of it. She’s followed that advice, and really found her footing, and she’s soaring academically.</p>
<p>Here, in my opinion, is a better take on the question of a college major than you’ll get from the Daily Beast:</p>
<p>[Your</a> College Major May Not Be As Important As You Think - NYTimes.com](<a href=“http://thechoice.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/03/major/]Your”>Your College Major May Not Be As Important As You Think - The New York Times)</p>
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While that may be applicable in your case it should be noted that many of the people who pursued what turned out to be ‘safe’ and ‘technical’ majors/careers didn’t choose them only for those attributes but chose them because they were truly interested in those areas and the safe/practical/financially rewarding aspects were icing on the cake and perhaps even coincidental. Some CC posters come across as if those who pursue computer science and other engineering degrees, accounting, and some others are doing so ONLY because they’re looking for a safe, practical, financially rewarding career and that’s not universally the case.</p>
<p>(I’m not referring to any specific poster)</p>
<p>No joke those are my top choices at this point. Graphic design/art, maybe minors in English/journalism and philosophy? At least I’ll be well-rounded. And I’d rather do what I love and put all my passion into finding a job than have a steady job I hate.</p>
<p>History and English as two of the most useless majors? Ridiculous. Learning to think critically and write well are two of the most important skills in the job market and these majors generally prepare students quite well in those categories.</p>