<p>Here is an article on the drop in humanities/arts majors on college campuses, and efforts by many schools to revive what used to be the core of a college education for many. The switch in focus from broadening the mind to preparing for a career is also covered.</p>
<p>College</a> leaders work to increase interest in humanities - The Boston Globe</p>
<p>Hmm…so one more plus for DS with his indicated majors of Religious Studies and Philosophy…</p>
<p>Ha. I’m with you, Sylvan. My son is majoring in Religion, my daughter in English. Meanwhile, I have, at a ripe old age, gone back to college to study accounting. I’m not even done yet and I already have a job… and it’s not easy to find jobs where I live!</p>
<p>Still, I can’t imagine recommending it to my young and intellectually curious kids. There’s plenty of time for pragmatism, but when you’re 20 and turned on by philosophy or medieval literature, go for it! (I know I did at that age and don’t regret it for a second.)</p>
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<p>Huh? I mean, I applaud Dr. Kim’s support for literature and the arts, but has he actually met any kids who study them? There’s a real shortfall of cotillion balls and polite conversations there!</p>
<p>(Cotillion balls? Where did that come from? How many kids these days even know what a cotillion ball is? And the ones that do . . . somehow I doubt they are discussing literature and the arts politely there. At the ones I went to, the main topics of conversation were how much we were drinking, how this one compared to the last one, and where we could go to take each other’s clothes off.)</p>
<p>btw: Dr. Kim is also growing Dartmouth’s science programs… (Of course, I would do the same bcos that’s the federal money is, but still…)</p>
<p>lol, JHS. 
I’m impressed you’ve been to a cotillion.</p>
<p>Well I’m sure this is a repost but maybe applicants have been watching this [YouTube</a> - So you Want to Get a PhD in the Humanities](<a href=“So you Want to Get a PhD in the Humanities - YouTube”>So you Want to Get a PhD in the Humanities - YouTube)</p>
<p>JHS: I am shocked. Taking off clothes? Oh, the shame of it. (LOL of course.)</p>
<p>Chiming in as the mom of an American Studies major and a Classics Major. I think Classics is better for a Cotillion. Especially Catullus. What do you think JHS?</p>
<p>Hi all.</p>
<p>Why yes, they do! My sister is a graduate of this one:</p>
<p>[Etiquette</a> Saint Louis](<a href=“http://etiquettesaintlouis.com/cotillion.php]Etiquette”>Etiquette Saint Louis Cotillion)</p>
<p>They weren’t discussing art and literature, let’s just put it that way.</p>
<p>thanks robertthid for your youtube link - i hadn’t seen it before. here’s another:
[url=<a href=“selloutyoursoul.com”>http://www.selloutyoursoul.com/]Selloutyoursoul.com[/url</a>]
more parents of college-age kids, and their kids, need to reconsider the value of four years’ study of liberal arts instead of preparing to make a living. wake uo to the new world. but this is obviously not an open subject to those others on cc who are in denial about the waste of time and money that is also known as a BA in the “liberal arts”. you know, those parents who sound like they’re a bit long of tooth to be still paying college tuition, and now make a career of posting here - thousands - long after their tenure as “parents” has expired.</p>
<p>^^^Wow. Tell us what you really think. I wonder why all the anger expressed needs to prevail. Why do you care if others act foolishly?</p>
<p>That said, my H is a professional photographer. DD is in law school with excellent prospects (has worked on specialized legal issues and is aiming for something very specific) after a degree in American Studies. I am a college professor of literature.</p>
<p>I <em>am</em> a bit worried about DS. I won’t lie.</p>
<p>But we all figured it out with a liberal arts degree.</p>
<p>Dang, toodleooo. Bitter much? </p>
<p>What do you care if other people waste their time and money?</p>
<p>There is a big difference between pursuing a BA in humanities and a PhD. The BA does provide a strong foundation for lots of careers and different grad schools. The PhD, unfortunately, does not. As an employer, I would much rather hire someone with the skill set of a humanities grad (critical thinking, problem solving and writing well) than a business major. I have tried both and there is no comparison.</p>
<p>^^It’s all about the money. And time, you know, IS money.</p>
<p>quick thought</p>
<p>Too many folks who do NOT want a career in general management/marketing/sales/advertising major in liberal arts.</p>
<p>While too many folks who DO want a career in general management/marketing/sales/advertising major in business.</p>
<p>Oh, I dunno, I was thinking those of us who “wasted” all that money could create a reading list of classics relevant to 2010. But then I ran across [this</a> article by Jakub Grygiel of Johns Hopkins](<a href=“http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2010/04/02/the_classics_rock]this”>http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2010/04/02/the_classics_rock) which really cuts to the chase.</p>
<p>Pretty horrifying to me to think of a “new world” ignorant of what’s been learned to date. Geeze, talk about a literal waste of time.</p>
<p>as for the article. </p>
<p>Econ was the biggest major at Harvard 30 years ago. Though a shift toward the natural sciences from the humanities is interesting. </p>
<p>Learning humanities on the side, as a minor, is a good thing. Scientists, engineers, and economists should all have that, IMO.</p>
<p>Mainly elite schools were discussed - Ivies plus Brandeis. At the Ivies, while many humanties majors were among those who got the best jobs in the humanities fields themselves, there has also always been a big share of LA majors going to Wall Street. Could this reflect Wall Street being less attractive as a destination?</p>
<p>Brandeis, I wonder if it also reflects the steady decline in Jewish enrollment, now less than 50% IIUC. Given the strong orientation of many Jewish families toward grad school, it may reflect a greater concern with having a BA with greater immediate “marketability”</p>
<p>“Learning humanities on the side, as a minor, is a good thing. Scientists, engineers, and economists should all have that, IMO.”</p>
<p>my point exactly. what’s really amazing is how parents of LA-bound kids grandstand that the degree develops “critical thinking skills”. isn’t this the point of all college education? all the hiring of people i’ve ever done has been based on the question “what do you know how to do?”</p>
<p>"LA-bound kids grandstand that the degree develops “critical thinking skills”</p>
<p>Hopefully they learned enough to see how you are trying to hijack what I said to imply agreement with your own POV ;)</p>
<p>"isn’t this the point of all college education? "</p>
<p>Ideally a science major or engineering major should have those. If what is required in a job is critical thinking per se, and not knowledge of science or tech, an english or phil degree should do well enough.</p>