What college majors should I avoid?

[Singuy]

I do not agree with Disney Steve at all!

Maybe if this was 15 years ago, you can follow your heart and do whatever you want because college was CHEAP. Now you really have to think about what you want to do before stepping on a college campus. Time is money there, and you can easily lose 4 years of your life (and obtain 80k worth of debt) to partying and studying a bunch of random classes.

Just because you know of people with a degree in studies of eating patterns of bats and ended up as manager of a tech company DOESN"T mean you will as well!

I'm not saying you will end up with a job 100% out of college if you have a useful major, or ends up with no job if you have a useless major...but why play the odds game?

There are probably 1000 graduates a year/university with a theater degree, and how many "director of theater" jobs are there?. Most will end up becoming a technician of some sort making 13 dollars/hr until they find the will power to go back and try again in a professional school of some sort.

For every successful person out of college with a useless major, there are thousands who are unsuccessful.
Just google "students without jobs after college" and you find that 83% or 4/5 graduates end up with no jobs lined after graduation. That's pretty much the amount of useless majors in a university, about 80% of them.

[disneysteve]

I do not agree with Disney Steve at all!

Maybe if this was 15 years ago, you can follow your heart and do whatever you want because college was CHEAP. Now you really have to think about what you want to do before stepping on a college campus. Time is money there, and you can easily lose 4 years of your life (and obtain 80k worth of debt) to partying and studying a bunch of random classes.

I think you misunderstood me. I didn't say "follow your heart and do whatever you want". I also didn't suggest going 80K into debt.

I said that if you are interested in a field that is low paying, that's fine, but don't spend a fortune to get the degree. At our local community college, two semesters at 15 credits per semester would cost you just over $4,000. At most private colleges, two semesters at 15 credits per semester would cost you $35,000-$40,000. Add in room and board and you're at or over $50,000/year.

Not everybody has the ability or interest in high-paying professional jobs, and that's fine. We need nursing assistants. We need tradesmen. We need administrative assistants. And many of those jobs require college degrees, but they don't have to be fancy and expensive college degrees.

College can be expensive but it doesn't have to be expensive.

[rennigade]

I'm confused after reading all the responses. Does this mean I can choose any major I want and I will be okay financially?

You sound like you're on your way to a bright future. I will no longer feed you. Good luck.

[NewTypeSam]

Generally, majors in History, Communications, and Art are pretty difficult in finding employment after graduation.

However, this also does depend on your personal passion and interest.

As long as you pick a major and do well to earn that degree, it doesn't exactly matter which major you have. Most people end up working in a field that is completely unrelated to their studies anyways.

Best of luck!

[disneysteve]

Most people end up working in a field that is completely unrelated to their studies anyways.

This is one point I was trying to make. Just because you come out with a History degree doesn't mean your job will have anything to do with history. One of my best friends has a history degree. He practices corporate law.

My wife has a Communications degree. Most recently, she spent 6 years working in the surgical scheduling office for a large hospital system. Before that she had a retail management job. Before that she worked in the advertising field.

[JoeP]

I'd pick a major that is close to your interests, but start with general courses that are required for all majors (e.g., English, Sociology, Math, Psychology).

[college]

So, I'm still a bit confused. I thought this was going to be an easy question to answer, but it appears it's a bit more complicated than a black and white list.

It seems that the general opinion is to do something that I want to do first and foremost, but if I choose that path it may be a lot more difficult than choosing something where it's much easier to get a job.

[txex86]

So, I'm still a bit confused. I thought this was going to be an easy question to answer, but it appears it's a bit more complicated than a black and white list.

It seems that the general opinion is to do something that I want to do first and foremost, but if I choose that path it may be a lot more difficult than choosing something where it's much easier to get a job.

Your synopsis of the above opinions is correct. While you may have a great interest in Spanish, say, or History, obtaining only an undergraduate degree in these fields will not provide you with many employment opportunities. If something in Liberal Arts, Communications, or even the hard sciences (Chemistry, Physics, etc.) interests you, you will need to plan on getting at least a masters, if not a PHD, in those fields.

It sounds like you're leaning towards a major like this. If so, takes the advice given and attend a community college for the first couple of years to get the basics out of the way (making sure these courses will transfer for credit to the 4 year college you wish to attend) and try to attend an in-state university. Typically, they are cheaper than a private institution. Try and save any student loans for graduate school since it is much more expensive than undergraduate tuition.

Is it possible for you to pick a degree that incorporates part, if not all of your interests? For example, my daughter is currently a 4th year student in the integrated Master of Professional Accounting program (a 5 year program) at the University of Texas. She loves Spanish, but knew that obtaining a degree in it would be less productive and require far more education. She decided to procure a minor in Spanish so she could continues learning something she loves and major in Accounting (she likes math and other facets of business) to ensure she has skills that are more beneficial in the long-run.

Would something like my daughter's scenario be of interest to you?

[ReallyBoredMan]

I was in your same shoes not too long ago.

I wanted a major that I would not have to worry about my financial situation. In high school I was very interested in math and physics so I decided I would try for Engineering. Got up to Physics 2, Calc 3, dealing with 3-D calculus, I passed the classes, but I was not enjoying myself in those classes and could not see myself using this on a daily basis. Which made me switch over to business. I found Accounting when just taking the business pre-core classes, but it was something that I really enjoyed.

Being an accounting major does not limit you to be an accountant/CPA, you gain skills such as attention to detail, reconciling information, consistently following set of principles, ect that can be used in other jobs.

Long story short, figure out what you enjoy doing and then research what majors would be using those skills. In college, there will be many opportunities such as "Major Fairs" where they can go over the major, and answer and questions you may have.

[elessar78]

I know a number of people who hold some of these degrees. All are gainfully employed in their field. Several went to grad school, but that's true with many degrees. For example, I have a good friend who has a history degree from Drew. He then went to law school and has a successful legal practice. Another friend has a theater (drama) degree from my alma mater. He is now the theater director of the college.

There is no such thing as a worthless degree. It all depends how you put it to use.

Of course, it also depends how much you spent to acquire it. As MM said, don't spend a fortune to get a degree in a lower paying field. If your passion is social work, that's great. We need good social workers, but you can't come out with 100K of debt to enter a 35K/year job. If that's what you want to do, go to a school that is affordable and won't bury you with student loans.

True. My sister got her MBA and now is a stay at home mom (by choice). My brother in law has a degree in Aerospace Engineering and an MBA but now works as a successful real estate agent.

I'd be careful about the "pursuing the passion" thing too. I pursued what I was passionate about in college and I pretty much hate it now, but I am working in another area that I'm AM passionate about. We grow and evolve as people so can't always say that what you're passionate about as an 18-22 year old is the same passion that you'll have when you'r 30-35.

Heck, even my wife . . . she got her undergrad in Social Work and a specialized Masters degree. Traditionally, Social workers don't make much and a lot of her coworkers prove that to be true. But she's an outlier and her skills and specialization(s) allow her to make a good living.

Conversely, I know a lot of people who went to law school and got MBAs and can't find jobs (after 2008, legal firms cut compensation considerably).

[disneysteve]

I'd be careful about the "pursuing the passion" thing too.

I think "pursue your passion" gets misinterpreted. To me, that doesn't mean that if you love playing video games, you should go for a degree in that. I'm talking more about identifying your skill set, learning the type of person you are, the type of environment in which you work best. For example, if you are lousy at math, accounting probably isn't a good field for you. If you are very detail-oriented and meticulous, engineering and the hard sciences might appeal to you. If you love talking with people and getting to know them, psychology or social work might be something to look into. If you love the thrill of making a sale, maybe marketing is an area for you.

I think a very under-utilized resource is the career counseling office at most colleges. They have folks who are trained to help you identify your skills, likes and dislikes, and interests. All students should be encouraged to schedule a visit with them early on freshman year. They will talk with you, have you complete various assessments, and can help you chart a course toward a degree and future career that is a good fit.

[My English Castle]

Focus on Skills

As someone who has spent 15+ years teaching at a university, I always advise students to focus on skills. You may not be able to predict what the jobs of the future will be, but I do know that you will need to be able to think critically, perform independently, and communicate effectively.

I see far too many business majors who blow off writing and communication classes only to come back from interviews and internships completely baffled about why they weren't hired or given another chance.

As for degrees being worthless, if you have solid critical thinking, a good work ethic, and strong oral and written communication skills, you can grow into many jobs. Establish a track record, make meaningful connections, and present yourself professionally. Try hard, and try many things.

[disneysteve]

As someone who has spent 15+ years teaching at a university, I always advise students to focus on skills. You may not be able to predict what the jobs of the future will be, but I do know that you will need to be able to think critically, perform independently, and communicate effectively.

I see far too many business majors who blow off writing and communication classes only to come back from interviews and internships completely baffled about why they weren't hired or given another chance.

As for degrees being worthless, if you have solid critical thinking, a good work ethic, and strong oral and written communication skills, you can grow into many jobs. Establish a track record, make meaningful connections, and present yourself professionally. Try hard, and try many things.

Well said. These are the same points I've been making. Ultimately, having a degree and marketable skills will be more important than what field of study that degree was in.

[Singuy]

Well said. These are the same points I've been making. Ultimately, having a degree and marketable skills will be more important than what field of study that degree was in.

I still feel a lot of these "skills" can be obtained for free from life experiences. I LoL at the thought of not being able to do well on an interview because the individuals didn't take their communication classes seriously. You really don't need to pay thousands of dollars to have someone tell you what should be said on a job interview.

If you want to focus on your skills, great! Do it for free on your own time. You have the internet, google search, and the public library.

If you want to get a job doing a specific trade, then yes you should go to college and pay for it.

[elessar78]

I'm confused after reading all the responses. Does this mean I can choose any major I want and I will be okay financially?

Short answer: Yes.

Because being "okay financially" has nothing to do with the amount of money you make. There are a ton of 6-figure earners who are heavily in debt and live paycheck to paycheck. I would call that "not financially okay".

The important thing is to have a plan after college and it can be an evolving plan, but a plan you must have. Most college students don't think about what happens after they get their diploma until the beginning of their senior year and even more not until graduation starts looming that second semester of senior year. All through college you should be using your summers and maybe winter breaks to find jobs or internships that will give you a taste of possible jobs.

Careers are more than just paychecks. There's lifestyles that go with certain careers and each company has a different culture. Get a feel for these things.

I recently listened to a TED talk that promoted "designing your ideal life". It makes a lot of sense, many workers complain that they don't like their careers and do nothing about it. I don't necessarily love mine right now, but I love the life around it that it affords me.

And don't discount the value of "hustle". Most young people just want one job to give them ALL of it. When you're young and don't have a family—work a couple of jobs. Work one to pay the bills and build a career and work another for fun part time. Do freelance. Volunteer (great way to network).

If you have a degree, some financial sense, and work ethic it's highly doubtful you'll struggle for money. Keep the college bills low, if that's a concern for you.