Are there useless majors?

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<p>I think it’s funny when I take proof-based classes in computer science that are meant for cs majors - they always seem really confused and complain about how hard it is, when it’s actually really easy for the math majors in the course.</p>

<p>Also, Journalism seems like an extremely useful major for someone that wants to go into Journalism, for example. The job market might not be so hot, but I don’t think that has any bearing on how useful a major is.</p>

<p><em>sigh</em> Well of course it would be useful to major in Journalism if you want to go into Journalism </p>

<p>that being said, jobs are horrible, pay is horrible, outlook is horrible, and the journalism education is horrible- nothing an english or communications major (or kid with an 8th grade degree) doesnt have</p>

<p>a lot of journalism majors are pretty useless because they are too academic and don’t necessarily provide expertise in any area of study or even the skills necessary for journalism. </p>

<p>I think for many majors it depends on what you make of them. If you only have an academic degree going for you it’s not enough for a lot of jobs. Work, Extra-curriculars or internships are good wake to compensate imo.</p>

<p>^^Aren’t you a high school senior? Do you have any experience with any college courses? :)</p>

<p>^exactly. lol. </p>

<p>This thread just needs to fade away. Unnecessary arguments, which lead to generalizations. In the end, there are no “useless” majors. All majors have skills, which one can acquire if he/she takes advantage of the resources at their school. It’s really just up to the students themselves. Most of the complaints of jobs you hear come from students who majored in something “easy” and just expected for a job to land in front of their doorstep. This is the problem, not the field of study itself.</p>

<p>I got a laugh out of engineering being a vocational degree though</p>

<p>Theatre, Film, and Journalism.</p>

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<p>In the sense that it is a terminal degree and is pretty much made to prepare you to become an engineer. Same goes for accounting, nursing, and dentistry as I mentioned in my post. Maybe a “professional” degree is a better word.</p>

<p>There are useless majors. Random stuff like kinetics and fitness majors. Those do little to help yourself and your country be successful.</p>

<p>Oh yeah Journalisms is so useless. No one reads the news. Visits news websites. Turns on CNN. Reads sports coverage. Watches ESPN. Reads magazines. Follows politics in the paper. And before you tell me you don’t need a journalism degree to get a job in it, I’d like to know how it is suddenly useless to major in journalism, then go on and get a JOB in journalism. I don’t care if someone else can get a job - if I can, then what do I care?</p>

<p>Journalism isn’t even an easy major if you go to a top j-school. Unless suddenly having ridiculous publication requirements in a semester and having to take a couple classes where 8-15% of people get A’s is easy now? Writing a news story in 30 minutes and needing it to be good enough for publication in USA Today in order to get an A on it is suddenly easy? That’s news to me. And it’s news to the people freaking out about doing well enough just to get a C in News Writing & Reporting I in order to move forward in the major.</p>

<p>…lol… j-school</p>

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<p>You can do a lot of things outside of engineering with an engineering degree</p>

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<p>Why are you knocking something you probably know very little about? Anyone can’t decide they want to be a journalist and just do so. If you think otherwise you’re just being ignorant. There’s more to journalism then just putting words together. Much more. Being a journalist is more than just being good at writing. Whether you’re a print journalist, a broadcast journalist, or an online journalist. You need to know all of them nowadays. You need to be able to cut video, to use multimedia, to be able to put together things on the fly. You need to be able to go out and get a story, not let one come to you. You need to be able to ask the tough questions. You need to be prepared to have all of your potential sources hang up the phone on you. You need to get used to hearing the word no. You need to be prepared to do risky things sometimes to get info. You need to be aggressive enough to get the information necessary. And you need to do all of this on deadline, without making any mistakes. If you think that’s a joke, the joke’s on you.</p>

<p>really… the TOUGH questions</p>

<p>damn</p>

<p>I’d respond with a counter-argument despite your complete lack of one, but your ignorance and pretentiousness are not worth my time. I have better things to do then have a conversation with you.</p>

<p>Journalism is a dying major. People are watching less and less television, don’t pay for newspaper anymore, and get their news from the internet. The articles on the internet can be written by a journalist in India (with a pen name) who has better written skills than an American and hence the jobs are gonna decrease even more. You cannot do anything else with a Journalism degree. Back to school is your only option.</p>

<p>except, of course, going into journalism</p>

<p>I think anyone who thinks all press will be free is deluded. You believe that the “powers that be” are gonna give up revenue streams? At best it’ll probably be like the Wall Street Journal’s online access. A lot of interesting stuff for free, but a lot of the nitty gritty financial detail stuff still has to be paid for.</p>

<p>Then take a look at sites like Engadget. Definitely not raking in NY Times money but they make a good enough living, primarily through advertising.</p>

<p>I am a history buff. The hero of Gettysburg, Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, had been a college professor before the Civil War, and said he got the idea for his famous “swinging gate” bayonet charge at Little Round Top from some book he read on Ancient Greece.</p>

<p>So you never know where liberal arts knowledge might help you.</p>

<p>Journalism is a joke.</p>

<p>Purpleduckman is right.</p>

<p>Nuff said.</p>

<p>“So you never know where liberal arts knowledge might help you.”</p>

<p>that’s what annoys me about your stereotypical STEM major (and some business concentrations as well). They think anything that is not practical/vocational is a waste of time. Then you try to talk to them about anything other than their field of study and you get a blank stare.</p>

<p>regarding journalism, my dad is a journalist and makes plenty of money. studied journalism in college too.</p>

<p>Key word there: DAD</p>

<p>Journalism used to be respectable. Now its dead.</p>