Three Good Reasons to Get a ‘Useless’ Degree
When it comes to college degrees, majoring in pure disciplines tends to get a bad rap. Students who announce their intentions to study philosophy, mathematics, or other similar programs are the frequent recipients of countless eye-rolls and head shakes — often before they even enroll in their first class. “What can you DO with a philosophy degree?” they’re asked. “Do you want to end up working in a coffee shop?”
While this question is obviously egregiously classist (there’s absolutely nothing wrong with working in a coffee shop!), it’s one that is often asked because philosophy majors (or music majors, or creative writing majors, etc etc) usually don’t have a good answer for it. With today’s hyperfocus on career-oriented majors, studying anything that doesn’t provide a direct path to a job is often seen as wasteful. And saying “I’m interested in it” often isn’t a good enough explanation.
Not to worry — here are three good reasons to get a “useless” degree.
It DOES actually lead to jobs. And not just jobs as teachers or professors, either. Jobs for anthropology majors, for example, can include market research or product design, since they’re familiar with how people think and use things. Studying English? Careers for English majors might be found in the industries of copywriting, grant writing, or editing. Jobs for economics majors are often found in the financial industry — think accountant, statistician, or loan officer. You get the idea. Look up jobs for your major, and have your list ready for the next time you get questioned.
It’s enjoyable. If you’re majoring in a pure discipline, it’s likely something you enjoy, which means you’re more likely to stick with it. A full 40 percent of all undergraduate students drop out before finishing their degree. Many leave for reasons unrelated to the classes they’re taking, but others cite academic pressure as the reason for their exit. If you are truly interested in what you’re studying, then you may be more motivated to put in the work than if you’re in a program that you hate.
A college degree — ANY degree — means more money. Even an associate’s degree (a 2-year degree) means earnings of about $7,300 per year, compared to those whose education stopped at high school. If you earn a bachelor’s, you’ll earn about $19,000 more per year than those with 2-year degrees. And this is for all majors — not just applied disciplines.
So go ahead and major (or at least minor) in what you love. Ignore the haters. You’ll be glad you did.
