Which Degree, and For Which Job?

[Leigh 87]

I am seeing a career councellor at my University soon. I am not 100% sure what degree I want to study.

 

 

This is extremely important to me, my choice of degree is something I will work 3 or 4 years on.

 

Anyone with any experience relating to the matter, PLEASE give me your feedback, it would be MUCH appreciated!

 

What I am looking for: a degree with no math. I do not care how much reading, however.

 

I would rather study law than a degree with ANY math, as I am a hard worker when it comes to study, and I am fast at reading and enjoy it very much.

 

I also need a degree that will earn me a decent living; not a high flying job at all, but a job that pays a good deal more than a waitress or retail worker!

 

I was GOING to apply for social work, which is a social sciences degree; my good friend is doing it, and says she will get a 70K job out of it.

Then again, social workers I hear, do NOT get paid well at all; what is SHE talking about?

I would do social work, but not if it is COMPLETELY crappy pay, as in, that of a retail worker, travel agent, or waitress.

 

NO offence to retail workers; people up there as a manager or high up in retail DO get paid just fine, but the average retail worker no way.

 

 

 

PLEASE HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Hawaii50]

Leigh, I find this highly ironic... what do you tell people who come to you?!?! It would seem that you're misguiding them, if you cannot figure out your own way. insanity.

[Leigh 87]

I would tell people to see a career councellor, and be prepared to study hard for the right thing, and to not go through hell just to get a great job; to rather aim for a mode of study that suits them, since instance; I hate math and refuse to even do the easiest college math course for one whole semester. It would be one semester TOO long for me.

 

 

 

I am asking people with personal experience, perhaps they know someone with some of my attributes and dislikes (math!)

[Mme. Chaucer]

Here, you have to take basic math to get ANY degree these days. If you are too behind to take the college level requirement (you have to test into it), then you have to get up to speed … or forget about getting your degree.

 

I "hate" math too, but I agree with this. It's ludicrous to honor people with a degree of advanced education if they are not even capable of mastering basic math skills. A university education is not a ticket to a high paying job. It's an accomplishment in itself; and it means that the person has a well rounded education AS WELL as the specialty of their major.

[Hawaii50]

Flabbergasted- to say the least.

[Leigh 87]

Why lol. Your interesting!

 

Just the things that you say haha.

[Mme. Chaucer]

Okay, I'll try over here. I would seriously like the answer:

 

 

Do you have "general education" in Australia? This is the part of undergraduate studies here in the US that every student has to complete, regardless of what they end up majoring in. The general ed might vary between people interested in pursuing math/science majors and those who don't, but they cover basic education.

 

Do you have that, or do you not?

 

As I said, it is rare for college students to have their solid career choice made before their first day of school here. You make it sound like it's a requirement there.

 

Is it? Or can you just get busy with your general education when the semester starts, and worry about your major later?

[Leigh 87]

Here, you have to take basic math to get ANY degree these days. If you are too behind to take the college level requirement (you have to test into it), then you have to get up to speed … or forget about getting your degree.

 

I "hate" math too, but I agree with this. It's ludicrous to honor people with a degree of advanced education if they are not even capable of mastering basic math skills. A university education is not a ticket to a high paying job. It's an accomplishment in itself; and it means that the person has a well rounded education AS WELL as the specialty of their major.

 

 

 

There are SOMe degrees without math: social sciences, which, if you do welfare or HR, pays well in the end.

 

Hence why I am thinking social sciences; sure, social workers get paid sh*t to begin with, but you end up with 50 K for a entry level welfare case worker, and go up to 80K once your a senior one with some experience.

 

And I have tried the most basic math at Uni, and it is absolutely useless, even if you have a job with that needs math, the basic math at Uni is not even usefull.

 

Why do a whole 6 months on math? 6 months rto a year is the MINIMUM math you would need to do.

 

WHo gives a rats if you do a sh*t load od reading and work your butt of to study, if you hate math and are crap at it?

[Mme. Chaucer]

There are SOMe degrees without math: social sciences, which, if you do welfare or HR, pays well in the end.

 

Hence why I am thinking social sciences; sure, social workers get paid sh*t to begin with, but you end up with 50 K for a entry level welfare case worker, and go up to 80K once your a senior one with some experience.

 

And I have tried the most basic math at Uni, and it is absolutely useless, even if you have a job with that needs math, the basic math at Uni is not even usefull.

 

Why do a whole 6 months on math? 6 months rto a year is the MINIMUM math you would need to do.

 

WHo gives a rats if you do a sh*t load od reading and work your butt of to study, if you hate math and are crap at it?

 

With an attitude like this, I don't think you seem to be cut out for university life.

[Leigh 87]

I would do math if it was for ONE semester only. And I would be able to do it but ONLY with a tutor.

 

With a matth tutor I would be able to master the most BASIC college level math, and only for ONE semester.

 

I would do it part time too, I am not willing to study full time AND do math, AND work part time AND work out for an hour a day:sick::sick::sick:

 

SO yes, I would do math, but I would sudy part time whilst doing it, and hire a tutor.

 

Those are my conditions for doing math, that would work very well for me.

 

And I would whine and complain ever day of math cos I hate it so much.

 

 

 

 

 

MATH IS USELESS to have for"everY" degree, geez WHY does a social worker need useless math skills?

 

 

The TYPE of math at Uni I have witness that I would do, has NOTHING to do with social work, it is nothing u can apply to daily math problems.

[Leigh 87]

With an attitude like this, I don't think you seem to be cut out for university life.

 

 

 

No, I Just know my limits. I wouldwork best if I did math, but only if I studied part time whilst doing it, so as to be able to handle my daily life with ease.

 

 

Not every one needs to study full time all the time, ya know.

 

 

ANd I am alloud to think math is useless for some degrees.

 

 

I am very cut out to work hard thanks, I have done before, and do nto need math to do it, but will do it if it means I get a better job out of a degree.

[Leigh 87]

I cannot believe you think u need math for say, a degree in arts!?! LIke, seriosuly?

 

You think people should do math just do be able to GET a degree? Your way of thinking is totally off base in my opinion.

 

To "earn" higher education, u should be able to do so by working hard, but necessaruily knowing math if your degree gas nothing to do with math.

 

 

I am only willing to do math if I HAVE to, and with a tutor.

[Mme. Chaucer]

Okay! Here is my FIFTH TRY at getting my question answered:

 

LEIGH:

 

Do you have "general education" in Australia? This is the part of undergraduate studies here in the US that every student has to complete, regardless of what they end up majoring in. The general ed might vary between people interested in pursuing math/science majors and those who don't, but they cover basic education.

 

Do you have that, or do you not?

 

As I said, it is rare for college students to have their solid career choice made before their first day of school here. You make it sound like it's a requirement there.

 

Is it? Or can you just get busy with your general education when the semester starts, and worry about your major later?

[Leigh 87]

My mother is terrible at math and cannot even do basic math at her age, because she has been a french, Dance, and English teacher for almost 40 years, at diff times per job...

 

So I fail to see WHY math is relevant, seeing as my mother is at the top of her game in her field, and knows KNOW math lol.

 

The math she would have done in her degree she has forgotten; really usefull math!

 

 

I would do primary school teaching if it were not for math.

 

 

oh well. Maybe if it is only one semester for math and teaching is going to definately get me a job, at 50K or more, I would do math...

[Leigh 87]

Okay! Here is my FIFTH TRY at getting my question answered:

 

LEIGH:

 

Do you have "general education" in Australia? This is the part of undergraduate studies here in the US that every student has to complete, regardless of what they end up majoring in. The general ed might vary between people interested in pursuing math/science majors and those who don't, but they cover basic education.

 

Do you have that, or do you not?

 

As I said, it is rare for college students to have their solid career choice made before their first day of school here. You make it sound like it's a requirement there.

 

Is it? Or can you just get busy with your general education when the semester starts, and worry about your major later?

 

 

Yes there are general courses in your degree that you need, and then you major in something; I am not 100% sure, as I only started my degree in 2010.

 

Social science is one of the only degrees that does not include math.

 

Nutrition, which I tried, has hard science which I am okay with, and I think it has stats which I am okay with, or basic math, for example.

 

I am willing to do math, if it is only for ONE semester, and if I have a tutor WEEKLY, and go to the student support programes for math.

 

I am not bad at math, at least I was adept at it in school. I Just hate it in my adult life and am ver reluctant to go back to MATH, unless I have serious HELP with it, and study part time whilst doing math!

 

I would do math for one semester with the conditions I outlines, in order to get a good job out of it; 50K plus

 

I sure am not doing math for nothing.

[mammasita]

Math is part of ANY degree in some form. For my undergrad I took a "transcendental functions" class and a statistics class. Granted my undergrad is engineering and for the most part I love math, but damn those classes sucked.

 

Not to mention math is a huge part of retail and hospitality whether you care to admit it or not.

[Leigh 87]

Social sciences is pretty much the only degree, besides law (which I prob wouldn't even get into with only 92%),

 

 

Social sciences is my ONLY no math option. There is absolutely NO math in it.

 

 

If I majored in welfare I would start out at about 50K and work up to 80K as a senior case worker.

 

My partner and I both think I could do a harder degree with a BIT of math, but do it part time when it gets really hard; I refuse to do a difficult degree full time, you see, and will only do it part time, and do the not hard bits full time.

[Leigh 87]

I am seirously thinking about full time work, with study being a part time thing that I work towards.

 

 

Part time will not only enable me to tackle a HARD degree, like nutrition or exercise science, but will allow for me to work full time too.

[Hawaii50]

oh no, not hard! But everything in life has been so easy

[Phoebe]

You may want to rethink the social worker idea. I know that it's something that I wouldn't be able to do and I've heard that it's not really a lifelong career for a lot of people because of the burnout.

 

"There is a lot of literature out there that talks about the high incidence of suicide rates in social workers, high turnover rates in employment, high rates of burnout, and disruptive symptoms to personal lives resulting from traumatic stress (Figley, 2002; McCann & Pearlman, 1990; Meyers & Cornille, 2002; Pryce, Shackleford, & Pryce, 2007; Valent, 2002)."

[Hawaii50]

You may want to rethink the social worker idea. I know that it's something that I wouldn't be able to do and I've heard that it's not really a lifelong career for a lot of people because of the burnout.

 

"There is a lot of literature out there that talks about the high incidence of suicide rates in social workers, high turnover rates in employment, high rates of burnout, and disruptive symptoms to personal lives resulting from traumatic stress (Figley, 2002; McCann & Pearlman, 1990; Meyers & Cornille, 2002; Pryce, Shackleford, & Pryce, 2007; Valent, 2002)."

 

I would never encourage anyone I cared about to go into such work, helping to clean the gutters of society.. nope.

[Leigh 87]

oh no, not hard! But everything in life has been so easy

 

 

 

I am prepared to work hard! By all accounts, I look forward to the sense of acomplishment I will feel through doing so, I think it is necessary for me to get a degree mostly FOR that reason... although getting a good paying job is sadly a huge factor too.

 

 

 

The thing is, I would rather do a HARD degree part time. I would rather work full time and only study part time for the harder degrees. That is just me, and what would work best for me.

 

There is no need to throw yourself into a difficult degree full time, not unless you HAVE to. I will be perfectly happy working a low paid job whilst I only study part time for a year or so.

 

I will do at least one year full time though, just while I am getting familiar with a very hard degree and the materials I need to learn, I will nto throw myself in the deap end.

[Leigh 87]

wow, really guys? I thought majoring in in social welfare would be very rewarding?

 

I would so love to HELP kids, kids like I once was, get back into school and turn their life around.

 

I really wish I had an outside source tell me " look, get your arse into gear NOW so that you are not studying at 26!!!!.." or " take the time to pick your career if need be, but please, let me direct you to a place where you can further your skills and get a job in the meanwhile" and " if your not in college, please quitt sitting around doing nothing, I will tell you all the reasons WHY working and earning an income is way more fullfilling than what YOUR currently doing.."

 

I would like to give people access to the tools and support that may help them get their lives on track, and help lobby for more government help, since people at rock bottom can often not get into paid work once they mess their lives up to a extent (no skills, no money to get skills, etc etc)

 

I wanted to get into social work, to make a difference to peoples lives, in a positive way.

 

 

Unfortunately, it is not always well paid at all. But that said, you can progress up the career ladder, and SOME majors do pay well!

[Leigh 87]

I am thinking of going back and doing a nutrition degree, too.

 

I am going to seriously consider what degrees lead to a good paying job; if I am to study hard for 3 plus years, I WANT a high paying job in the end, somewhere down the line.

 

Some people say it is simply a privvilage to GET a degee to begin with, and a high paying job should NOT be a driving factor.

 

I disagree that money is not a factor for me and many people; I sure as hell won't study my butt off for a 40K a year job for the rest of my life!

 

If I am to study, why not do a degree that is hard but rewards you with a lotta cash at some point?

 

I will hate studying nutrition for the most part, but if the pay is good at the end, I will do it.

 

 

 

Hence why I would only stud part time, so as to BARE the disgusting element of studying math and science; I can ONLY handle it in SMALL doses.

 

When there is a will there is a way, if I want a high paying job, I WILL do the work, but small bursts would work better for me, than to study full time on a very difficult degree.

 

I am proud I even got into nutrition, exercise science, and dieteticts ( you need 93% which I GOT just)

 

 

 

Primary school teaching is another option; I doubt I would need to do math for more than one year for that, seeing as your teaching KIDS lol.

 

I think you get about 70K as a base rate for teaching.

[Leigh 87]

HELP PLEASE.

 

 

Here are my current options I am considering:

 

Primary school teaching, food science ( to become anything from a food researcher, to a nutritionist, among MANY things), exercise science, or........................... still considering social work/social sceinces.

 

Hmm. I want the best paying job, that also is a growing industry with plenty of jobs to be had...... I am thinking a food science degree would pay off, as there wer many options you could choose as a career, and since most people are total fat arses these days, the industry is growing and expanding.................

 

Yes that;s right, money is a driving force here. I am not a person to study for years at a time for sh8ts and giggles; I want a GOOD PAYING job.

 

Waitresses get about 30 - 40 K a year., for working full time. Why the hell would I get a "degree" just to be a social worker, who starts out on 30K? (albiet the pay DOES GO UP rapidly)

 

*sigh* I do not need a bloody degree just to prove I am "smart" enough. I know I could pass a hard degree if I applied myself.

 

Man, surely OTHERS here want a good paying job, and pick degrees with such promises and opportunities?