<p>I'm sure it's gone through just about everyone's mind: I have to get a job at some point and I have to make money.</p>
<p>And while it's very true that you can get a job with any degree, I also wonder about it.</p>
<p>A lot of people only go to college and major in something because they know they can get a good job out of it. (A lot of times, that's what the parents expect and there isn't really a choice.)</p>
<p>So my question is, if the only reason to go to college is to get a degree to get a good job (one that's higher paying than if you weren't to go to college), then why don't people just go to a community college for two years, get an Associate's, and end up with a job in Diagnostic Medical Sonography, Dental Hygeine, or Nuclear Medicine Technology? All are two-year degrees that pay on average more than $60,000 a year.</p>
<p>It seems a lot smarter. You could live at home, go to a CC for hardly anything, and have a full-time, high-paying job by the time you're 20. There's hardly any student debt. So why don't more people do it?</p>
<p>My reasoning, specifically, is because I have plans to enter medical school. I simply cannot do that with a two year associates. This is likely the case for anyone else planning to enter some form of graduate/professional school.</p>
<p>Getting higher degree as in associate, bachelor, master, etc will get you higher salary. Certain jobs require extra school years like some medical field, economist,etc.</p>
<p>Those two year degrees may not necessarily correlate to what they want to do. As horrifying as say, business sounds to me, there are many people who enjoy studying it and will get a pretty good job out of it.</p>
<p>Even though it’s nice to make money, I think you have to at least like what you study. I can’t imagine people studying something they hate just to make a lot of money later on, imagine how miserable you would end up being. </p>
<p>On the other hand, if making a lot of money is important to you, it would make sense to consider a major that will get you a decent job. I think most people try to make a compromise so they can study something they like AND that will land a good career. Others are lucky and have a passion for majors that are notoriously known to make very good money right after graduation.</p>
<p>For me, I like school. It’s not about the end salary. It’s about the education. That’s why I’m in a 4 year getting what many people call two useless degrees.</p>
<p>For what it’s worth, I’m one of those people studying a couple of useless fields (Theatre and French).</p>
<p>That being said, I know many people who study things like business and engineering because that’s where the money is and not because they enjoy it. For those people, I wonder why they don’t just take the two-year degree plan.</p>
<p>Me, personally, I’ve never found college to be solely for making money.</p>
<p>My majors have high job placement rates and starting salaries so no, not really. And I’m lucky enough to also enjoy my majors.</p>
<p>My planned original major (criminal justice) did feel a little useless at times though. I’ve always wanted to work in law enforcement or the military but a CJ degree is pretty limited outside of those fields. At least my current majors give me those options in addition to several more.</p>
<p>Depending on who you ask, just about every major is useless. Most people agree that things like engineering and economics/finance/business are not useless, and some people will add in a science or two (like chemistry). Everything else is utterly pointless and a surefire road to poverty.</p>
<p>However I know that spending my time getting a degree in something like economics would be a road to misery. And the odds of me getting a job with my B.S. or master’s in Biology are still pretty good, if not lucrative.</p>
<p>I would rather study in and work in a subject I love and be broke than pick a major I hate and be miserable, but slightly more wealthy. </p>
<p>Life is short, it’s just money, carpe diem, etc.</p>
<p>Considering I’m contemplating being a History and English double major with a minor in International Studies, yes, I feel like this all the time. However, I’ve made peace with the fact that I will probably end up being a college professor, which I’m actually okay with, and I always intended to get a full Ph.D in my field, so I’m hoping that I’ll still be able to get a job and at least a half decent salary.</p>
<p>^ same here but with history/anthropology and a japanese minor.</p>
<p>I would rather do something i enjoy (if i have to shell out the money in the first place, why do it for something i didn’t like?) then ending up with a high paying job in a field that everyone is going into?</p>
<p>At the age of 17/18, most of the youngsters dream about ‘College Life’ and not always drown them with the fear of what happens after 4 years? Yes, choice of major is important, though not necessarily from the earning prospect only! In fact, the charm of the college life, new place, away from home, less restriction on time with friends, are some of the added perks of a college life. However, if one is very practical and plan things out in advance with respect to career, it also deserves praise:)</p>
<p>For me, it’s a number of factors. I can’t stand anything medical: I can’t even watch shows like House or Grey’s Anatomy without gagging. Having to spend two years living at home, getting a degree in something like Nursing or Engineering (given my nominally average math and science skills) just to earn $60k/year seems counterproductive. </p>
<p>I want to interact with peers who are my age and of similar intellectual ability in and out of the classroom. I want to learn from experts about topics they love. I want to do what I’m supposed to be doing for my age group: having fun and learning. I want to become a more interesting person, and for me personally, spending the rest of my days looking for a needle to stick into someone’s vein won’t lead to that.</p>
<p>I’ve never understood why people are willing to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to study something that they can do in their own time, independently. STEM majors, however, require a formal education.</p>
and I love my major! It has changed my outlook on life in such a positive way, and you just can’t put a price on that.</p>