Perhaps my current position has rendered me severely embittered with our country's budding scholars, but what high school is telling kids that they can major in pretty much anything within four years?
First of all, one can hardly complete an undergraduate in something as vocationally useless as Philosophy within a four year time frame, as universities continue to pile on requirement after superfluous requirement. "What's that? You're majoring in Animal Science? Well, you'll need at least 6 credit hours in visual and performing arts!", sayeth the Univesity of Bloated Self Importance. "Now send a hateful grimace your advisor's way!"
Secondly, and I do apologize to the Business majors out there, pretty much ANY undergraduate degree is as useless or as utilitarian as the next. That's right; Mr. I-Majored-in-Marketing will be competing for the same sales job as Mr. RTVF-Changed-My-Life. Grad school, people. This is where specialization occurs.
Having said all of that, I understand how new freshmen are quickly perplexed and immediately disillusioned with the college experience after coming to terms with facts such as these. At the end of the day, I advise to major in what you love. You'll find a job. If you luck out, it'll be in your field of interest.
What I completely fail to grasp is the idea that one may become a veterinarian or even a cosmetic dentist within four years of college coursework. Seriously, two different students told me of such plans today. After completing a bachelor's degree, one was to be a vet and the other was to be a cosmetic dentist. Hmmm. Maybe there's a new online program of which I'm unaware.
Having said that...people, if you're dog eats an entire box of chocolate or you chip a tooth whilst opening a beer bottle, check out your vet's and/or dentist's diploma for proper accreditation before proceeding with any major medical decisions. Especially if your doctor appears to be all of 19-years-old.
Hee hee! So, funny and so right. I have been to college 6 times. I did get my LPN for nursing, but other than that, life kept getting in the way, so I would drop out (and obviously missed the important No Run-on Sentences 101 course). Meanwhile, when working as a waitress or stocker at Wal-mart, I was in constant amazement from learning about my coworkers with their fancy Bachelors' degrees that could not get them anything better than what my slacker-ass did. I totally agree, and preach to my kids all the time, pursue what you love, because it is much better to spend time doing that than trying to 'get rich' at something you hate. Especially when life kicks you in the teeth and you can't even get a job doing what you hate. FYI- I hate nursing. Go figure.
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