That’s
not to say that you shouldn’t take “The Art of Basket Making” if you
are the heir of an international basket making corporation and need to
know the operation from the ground up. Go for it, if that’s the case.
Or if you have plenty of time and money and you just want to amuse
yourself with such superfluous studies, then have at it. But you will
be better served getting your degree in business or engineering if you
wish to enter the real world later on.
Center
College, located in Danville, Kentucky, offers a class entitled “The
Art of Walking” during the winter break. Professor Ken Keffer discusses
how walking has become a lost mode of transportation in a world ful of
cars and other means of getting around. Lessons are based on Keffer’s
fascination with beauty and art and how walking relates to them. Yes,
you can actually get college credits for this.
College
is a great place to learn and have fun, but let’s face it: Some
degrees are as useless as an ashtray on a motorcycle. Here’s a list of
six degrees that may be interesting, but, in the opinion of the ABC College Planner’s round table, won’t do jack for you in the real world:
1. Art
History. With this degree you may be able to work at a museum and be
the guy who holds up his finger up to his lips and says “Shhhh”. Or
maybe the guy at the desk reading People magazine.
2. Philosophy.
This isn’t ancient Greece. I can’t remember ever hearing an employer
say, “Man, we’re having all kinds of problems. I wish we had someone on
our staff who could explain the difference between the Stoics and the
Epicureans and get our profits up.”
3. American
Studies. It’s nice, but you don’t need to study it if it’s been the
fabric of your life for the last 18 years. Besides, unless your name is
Bjorn, it won’t help you get a job.
4. Music
Therapy. Appalachian State offers this major, with the following
explanation: “Music therapy is the scientific application of the art of
music within a therapeutic relationship to meet the physical, mental,
emotional, and spiritual needs of individuals.” What? I could be
wrong, but I don’t think there’s a job in there anywhere.
5. Latin.
It’s a DEAD language. That means you’re studying something that
doesn’t exist. Unless you want to be that annoying, pretentious guy who
likes to tell everyone what the etymology of big words is, or you wish
to translate the fine print on dollar bills for a living, there no big
demand for this.
What useless degree or college class do you recommend upcoming and current undergraduates avoid?
Katie, I like your post, and it is definitely helpful for recent high school graduates going to college and new college students. Only one thing I'd like to say is that a political science degree can be a stepping stone toward a law degree and/or furthering one's studies in the social sciences and social studies education.
ReplyDeleteHi Michele! Thank you for stopping by. I am glad you are enjoying our posts. You are right about political science degrees. My best friend got one then went on to law school. She is now an ADA in Tulsa. I think graduating high school seniors should understand how their undergraduate college degrees can help them get where they want to be in the professional ladder. There are definitely valid arguments for all degrees. These are just a few where we see college graduates struggle to make use of them in the real world.
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