College degrees which will not lead to employment are worthless, IMHO, unless the student is using them to get into grad school (ex: poly sci). )[/quote]
You never know if you’re going to get into grad school. There are no pre law requirements, so why not major in something like engineering or science just in case the grad plans don’t work? Plus, lawyers with poli sci degrees are a dime a dozen. Have something in your educational resume that is useful (nursing, engineering, accounting, etc.) Another choice is to double major – and one should have a job at the end . . .[/quote]
I agree about having a “plan B” and that no one is guaranteed admission in grad school.
I only know ONE lawyer with an undergraduate degree in finance and ONE lawyer with an undergraduate degree in an engineering specialty. The vast majority that I know had more “generic” undergraduate degrees upon admission to law school. But they ALL went to college (in CA) at a time when public university fees were $300 – $800 per year and obviously didn’t take out student loans. Back then, students coming from all socioeconomic levels could “afford” (at least monetarily) to obtain a “nonessential, luxury degree” in “art history” at a public university, even if they never in their lives worked in their field of major or even worked at all!
With the current fee rate and continuous fee hikes nearly every semester over the last eight years, it is just plain folly to waste 4+++ years (due to inability to get 300-400 level classes when you need them) and tens of thousands of dollars on fees for such a degree today. And it is foolhardy bordering on disastrous to actually “borrow” in order to obtain such a degree, IMO.
Because of exorbitant costs and budget cuts in the UC and CSU systems, CA HS grads of today need to be completely realistic about their work prospects upon graduation before deciding on a major program of study. Unless they will be supported by a “trust fund” during their adult lives, the vast majority of young people today do not have the luxury of majoring in philosophy just because they’re interested in it. They’re young enough to develop a “passion” for a field of study that will lead to viable employment that pays enough to support themselves. Women students should ALSO expect to support themselves throughout their lives, taking paid maternity leaves.
The days of partying and (purposely) flunking out of college (on a parent’s dime) or attending only to work on a “MRS degree” are long gone.
Obtaining admission to college, staying in for the duration AND earning a bachelor degree and paying for all of of it is serious business now.
