Any arts majors here?

[SheHateMe]

Lets see.....are you interested in teaching kids how to play instruments as a career?

No diss. I'm just asking.

 

[Imp]

Nope... Did bachelor's and master's in engineering, underemployed, and hate it.

Employers I've had don't want to train. They'll throw you a manual and let you stumble from there. Knowing what I know now, I'd do a BA and cram it into 3 years, then go to community college for an accelerated diploma in an actual trade/job. I would have spent less in tuition and probably been able to hold a part-time job through those years, so even after factoring opportunity cost, I'd be at the same place or even ahead.

 

[drebo]

Part of the problem is high schools don't really provide a lot of information about job prospects in a particular field. I know when I started university in 2003, you had to hunt that stuff down on your own.

Even the universities themselves don't really have that info. I remember walking into the career centre and asking them what I could do with my degree. They gave me a whole list of jobs (nothing about prospects), and all of them required additional education. So I ended up going to community college a year after I graduated.

I know. I've been railing about it for years. From a young age (I remember presenters coming to my 5th grade class with slides and graphics and shit) you're told "Go to college or you'll never make any money." The reality is that most people would be better off NOT going to college. Instead, they should go to a 1-2 year vocational training program and then entering the workforce.

Now you have people going to a 4-year school and then graduating without any marketable skills, so they decide to continue school...they'll have 6-8 years of school under their belts and still barely qualified to work in retail. So many people I went to school with ended up like this.

It's really sad, and I wish our society would change to accept it...but I don't see that happening. If college is good enough for Sally, it should be good enough for Shadynasty, too, right?

 

[drebo]

my cousin was a fine arts major... she and her wife (a photographer) are actually making a living out of it, selling their art. seems like they're getting flown off to different cities and countries all the time to have art shows.

my cousin also has a job teaching art at UCLA, but my impression is that she just keeps it for the health insurance. last I heard, she only teaches 1-2 classes/semester for grad students (and all she really does is hang out while they do their own thing, unless they need help/advice)

Right, but for every one that succeeds, there are 10,000+ that fail utterly.

My wife was a vocal performance major for a year before she switched and most of the other musical performance majors had no pizzazz, no stage presence, and no real performance talent, despite being very good at their instruments. What real chance does someone like that have at being a successful musician?

 

[Imp]

Now you have people going to a 4-year school and then graduating without any marketable skills, so they decide to continue school...they'll have 6-8 years of school under their belts and still barely qualified to work in retail. So many people I went to school with ended up like this.

It's really sad, and I wish our society would change to accept it...but I don't see that happening. If college is good enough for Sally, it should be good enough for Shadynasty, too, right?

Thank goodness for law school and MBAs... If all else fails, get one or both. I hear there are JD/MBA programs now.

 

[Dman8777]

Major in History, minor in Poly-Sci, went back for electrical engineering and will probably be working the next 30+ years as an EE. I view my liberal arts degree as a necessary compliment to my public education K-12 which lacked significantly in those departments.

 

[drebo]

Major in History, minor in Poly-Sci, went back for electrical engineering and will probably be working the next 30+ years as an EE. I view my liberal arts degree as a necessary compliment to my public education K-12 which lacked significantly in those departments.

Right, but is four years of history study really necessary for a career as an EE? And, was it worth the cost, not just in how much you paid for school, but also in four years of lost income?

 

[inf1nity]

Right, but is four years of history study really necessary for a career as an EE? And, was it worth the cost, not just in how much you paid for school, but also in four years of lost income?

can't say unless we know what position the guy was in.

I was almost certain i was going to get into a CS program and become a software engineer after i finished school.

So certain that i didn't think of any alternatives in case i wasn't accepted by an engineering college. When that happened, i got so confused and depressed that i ended up taking arts. It was only after 5 months passed that i realized i should have done commerce/finance in undergrad instead of sociology/PS

Now i plan on studying commerce through distance education later on so that i can get a decent job, since i know arts wont get me anywhere..

 

[feralkid]

I rescind my good luck wishes.

 

[inf1nity]

Yeah well you're in India...

so.. what..? :hmm:

 

[Engineer]

There were a few...but they are all down at the food bank now. :hmm:

Nope... Did bachelor's and master's in engineering, underemployed, and hate it.

Underemployed with a BS and MS in Engineering? I can see possibly being at the BS level with an MS but I'm not sure that would be a huge 'underemployment' (never saw the need for an MS in Engineering - could see BS and PHD but not MS - almost no ground gained in my opinion but I could be well wrong). Good luck though.

 

[NutBucket]

My wife has a BA in Art History.

She's now a Physical Therapist.

 

[Imp]

Underemployed with a BS and MS in Engineering? I can see possibly being at the BS level with an MS but I'm not sure that would be a huge 'underemployment' (never saw the need for an MS in Engineering - could see BS and PHD but not MS - almost no ground gained in my opinion but I could be well wrong). Good luck though.

Oh, I work as a tech. The type that only needs a 2 year community college diploma in something as basic as CADing.

Graduated 2008, so shit luck then. Got my master's while working for a leg up, got complacent. After graduating, realized that I don't want to do this and also, for the first time, my options are wide open. So, I show up for the paycheck while thinking about where to go next.

I'm actually a licensed engineer -- ran down the clock, no technical exam -- too as of a few weeks back... Worst/best part of being so overqualified is the look I get when I tell people I have a degree, the other look when I saw I have a master's, and more recently, the complete "wtf" when I say I'm licensed.

 

[Engineer]

Oh, I work as a tech. The type that only needs a 2 year community college diploma in something as basic as CADing.

Graduated 2008, so shit luck then. Got my master's while working for a leg up, got complacent. After graduating, realized that I don't want to do this and also, for the first time, my options are wide open. So, I show up for the paycheck while thinking about where to go next.

I'm actually a licensed engineer -- ran down the clock, no technical exam -- too as of a few weeks back... Worst/best part of being so overqualified is the look I get when I tell people I have a degree, the other look when I saw I have a master's, and more recently, the complete "wtf" when I say I'm licensed.

I've taken a step back and can see the issue now. You graduated right at the onset of the great recession and, although you have a degree, you didn't have the real world experience that EVERYONE wants now (and many don't want to pay for even that much less anyone with no experience).

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

As a political Science major, you should be able to understand the difference between an art degree and a (liberal) arts degree.

 

[Hugo Drax]

Should not be difficult. Starbucks is always hiring.

 

[Scotteq]

Art Major in India?

How good are you at taking service orders over the phone?

 

[dbk]

As a political Science major, you should be able to understand the difference between an art degree and a (liberal) arts degree.

yeah seriously..

 

[nageov3t]

Right, but for every one that succeeds, there are 10,000+ that fail utterly.

true enough. my cousin is also in her early 40's... her 20's were filled with waitressing jobs, shitty apartments, and "loans" from her dad.

 

[Hugo Drax]

The problem is too many people right out of highschool are told the only way you can get employment is with a college degree.

Of course they never give any more details other than you need a "College Degree" So what does the average person do, look for the path of least resistance towards getting a college degree. The first majors always chosen for easy graduation, things like Art etc..

Unfortunately, the advice is incorrect and they end up with a Degree with no intrinsic value in the Job market and end up with 100K loans making minimum wage serving coffee or flipping burgers right beside the high school only grads.

 

[todpod]

whats the pay like?

Here is mid 30s. Bigger cities its better, but you will never make much money. A masters would be a good idea.

 

[inf1nity]

As a political Science major, you should be able to understand the difference between an art degree and a (liberal) arts degree.

yeah seriously..

Maybe i am missing something.. whats the difference?

 

[AViking]

The economy is in the dumps. Unless you're Mozart you should stay the hell away from the arts until the economy improves. It's hard enough as it is.

 

[AViking]

I am an arts guy too.. I'll be majoring in Political Science.. just trying to get a feel of what kind of future lies ahead..?

Share your experiences..

Poli Sci is not arts. Your future looks bleak since you don't know the difference.

 

[Soundmanred]

"The Arts"
LOL