Which Degree, and For Which Job?

[Leigh 87]

I am not able to do any other degree, therefore social work is a better career path than any non degree option.

 

PLUS - I LOVE bar work and waitressing, and I plan to do that a few nights a week to supplement my income.

 

I would do social work 9 - 5, and do bar work and/or waitressing a few nights a week.

 

After a year or two, I would get 50K for my 9 - 5 job, and get 20 - 30 K waitressing and bar tending.

 

All in all, I love working with people, I want a professional job rather than NOT getting a degree, and I really enjoy bar work and jobs I would love to do on the side.

 

I could easily get 80K with social work and bar work.

 

I think I would genuiely enjoy both jobs.

 

And Australians do not carry guns regularly, the neighbour hoods are not likely to cause me death or injury.

 

I would be more likely to die from getting hit by a car, than by walking from my car to the door, of a house, in a bad neighbourhood.

 

 

 

.....It is crazy you carry guns so much in the USA! no wonder the "bad? neighbourhoods are that dangerous.

[Leigh 87]

I am a positive person, and I am going to be happy about my predicament and job options.

 

At the end of the day, I will have a professional job, a degree, and will wake up feeling proud that I am earning a living.

 

If I live with my partner and go 50/50 in a small place, and go without a few things (not going out much, or buying new clothes at more than once a year)...

 

I believe if I save hard and work as a social worker, am prepared to move states to get a suitable job... that I will save money and even be able to travel every few years.

 

In the Northern Territory, you get paid well to be a social worker, with the aboriginals.

 

 

 

My good friend who is also doing the degree, says the case studies she has had to do were very rewarding.

 

She also said the women living above her is a case worker and earns good money (probabl through hard work, selling herself well, and being in the game for a few years)

[dasein]

You need to decide whether you are after a fun, easy factor in getting your degree or your future. If the latter:

 

1. Suck it up and take math and hard science classes. Companies are dying for women in technology. Study what other women avoid to get ahead in this world work economy that will likely continue for decades becoming more and more competitive. Every technology company has a HR, marketing, etc. less rigorous departments, and I can assure you they would prefer to hire people who can understand and relate to the company's business for these jobs than from the yard high stack of applicants with social science and humanities degrees.

 

2. Avoid worthless degrees in social sciences, humanities, nutrition, the days of waltzing out of college with any ole degree and getting decent job are over. Employers will be scrutinizing your transcript with a magnifier.

 

3. If you simply can't stomach technology, consider medical, a smidge less math and hard science required for basic medical functions.

 

If you are like many people, self included, you don't like math because you were never taught it well. Hire a tutor if need be. If I have one regret about my education, it is that I tossed out my calculus book after one week with a lousy teacher and moved into some weak ass psych class. Buckle down or drop out. The types of degrees and majors you are talking about are wastes of money, and more importantly your precious time and opportunity cost, and you are better off just going straight to work. Good luck.

[Leigh 87]

Sorry, I am not smart enough to pass math at college level.

 

And the pain and suffering is not worth doing math or science for years.

 

 

 

 

And I disagree that being a social worker is worthless.

 

You can earn a living from it.

 

I happen to love bar work, and if I did that on the side, I would be getting 80K a year.

 

I do not see anything wrong with that.

 

 

 

 

 

I believe getting a professional degree in the social sciences, and becoming a social worker, is a far better option than being a waitress your entire life.

[Leigh 87]

I find it incredibly insulting that you think being a waitress for my entuire life is better than getting a professional job, albiet a job that is not well paid.

 

You do not need hard math or science to earn a living.

 

There ARE other ways.

 

 

Like I said, I am pretty darn good with people; hence why I actually LOVE bar and waitressing jobs! Man, they are active, you deal with people all day, and I really really love it.

 

...... I am also prepared to re - locate to get work as a social worker. Which means I am very likely to get a job.

 

I truly believe I am more liklely TO get a job as a social worker, than to NOT get a job AT ALL out of the degree.

 

 

 

 

Average social workers who work hard end up with 50 K a year; because I love bar work, I would earn an extra 20 or 30 K a year on top of my 9 - 5 job.

 

 

 

 

I think I would enjoy social work, and the extra bar work would just be extra fitness and calories burnt standing all evening..

 

 

I do not see how being a 50K a year social worker, and doing bar work, and getting 80K if I work hard, is a BAD thing........

[Leigh 87]

So you know, there are no jobs that are rewarding or pay as well as social work, without a degree....

 

Personal training is luctative after years at it if your super sucessfull, you get about 70 K a year if your the small % of tr ainers who make something of themselves.

 

Child care is another course/ 2 year diploma option, but u do not get paid as much as social workers in the end.

 

So yeah, there are no other options that exceed the financial benifit and personal satisfaction of getting the social sciences degree, and becoming a case manager eventually.

 

My friend and I, we both did well in school, yet we could not even pass a food science degree, doing it PART TIME.

 

The science and math was simply too hard for us.

 

If we did manage to scrape through PART TIME, which we prob would not even with our BEST EFFORTS, it would take us 6 years to get through a science based degree, seeing as we are only smart enough to handl eit part time.

 

 

 

 

 

I am planning on doing a masters on something interesting like crimanology.

 

 

Look - yes you CAN enjoy your degree AND get a job and earn a living out of it.

[dasein]

Sorry you were insulted. It was not my intent. But it's plain from your posts you could use some pointed advice about degrees.

 

IMO, you'd be better off learning a trade than wasting a degree on some of the fields you mentioned. If that sounds harsh, it's because I know many people who have spent four years on such and can't get a job of any type. They dread the student loan bills in the mailbox. Better to just go straight to work and build work experience, skill and contacts.

 

If OTOH, you really want a valuable degree, reconsider my advice. Doing well enough in math or science is not as much a factor of intelligence as it is practice and persistence. It is more learned via rote than grasped. If the assignment is 30 problems, get another book and do 50. I don't doubt at all that you are capable of succeeding at it.

[Leigh 87]

Sorry you were insulted. It was not my intent. But it's plain from your posts you could use some pointed advice about degrees.

 

IMO, you'd be better off learning a trade than wasting a degree on some of the fields you mentioned. If that sounds harsh, it's because I know many people who have spent four years on such and can't get a job of any type. They dread the student loan bills in the mailbox. Better to just go straight to work and build work experience, skill and contacts.

 

If OTOH, you really want a valuable degree, reconsider my advice. Doing well enough in math or science is not as much a factor of intelligence as it is practice and persistence. It is more learned via rote than grasped. If the assignment is 30 problems, get another book and do 50. I don't doubt at all that you are capable of succeeding at it.

 

 

 

 

I hear that if you have a good personality and can sell yourself well, many people who are eager to be a social worker can.

 

I seriously do not see why I could not be a social worker if I tried hard.

 

And what is wrong with being a social worker who works at bars on the side? I would enjoy it.

[Leigh 87]

but it would take me 6 years to do a 3 year degree; yes I know myself and part time hard science degrees are my ONLY option!!!!!!!!! I CANNOT pass full time.

 

 

 

 

WHY do you think any degree that is not super hard is useless?

 

 

Being a social worker is not some doomed lifestyle - you CAN make a living off of it.

 

 

Math and hard science is not the ONLY way to get a degree and then a job.

[Mme. Chaucer]

Honestly, Leigh, I think it might be a good idea for you to stop writing about this topic on LoveShack for a while. You are just spinning … nothing has changed in your life in the past 24 hours and you have gone from "disliking" the nutritionist program to thinking you will do it.

 

You really need to get yourself grounded in order to be able to approach questions like these in a productive manner.

[Leigh 87]

Actually, a LOT has changed....

 

I have thougth a HELL of a lot, all day, talking to people in the field..

 

 

I thought about doing nutrition.

 

I am doing the RIGHT thing, here. I am really considering my best options.

 

So far, my best friend is in the exact same boat as me; she wanted to be a nutritionist since year 8, as did I since I was about 10.

 

UNfrotunately, the food science degree was too hard for us by a long shot, so she went on to do social work...

 

I will probably go down the same path; we both did well in school, yet simply cannot cope with a science or math degree. Not even part time. It is beyong our ability.

 

I am doing the right thing here; consdering my best options very carefully.

 

 

 

 

I have come to a conclusion now, thanks to people getting me to think about what I want and what I am willing to sacrifice.

[Bridgey]

Just make sure you're choosing social sciences over food sciences for the right reasons. If you think you will enjoy the career path more then go for it. But don't choose it simply because it is easier. This is a major life decision, you don't want to go through 4 years of university only to realize you don't want to be a social worker.

 

4 years of your life is a pretty small investment in the grand scheme of things. You may struggle with school a lot in those 4 years, but it can really pay off. Think about it this way: Which would you rather do for the -rest of your life-?

[Leigh 87]

I have researched about both career paths.

 

I realise there are major drawbacks to being a social worker, but what sounds like hell to some people actually appeals to me.

 

I don't mind trying to help out rough people in rough neighbour hoods. It would humble me, as I believe we are ALL EQUAL, and I believe I will find some good in a lot of people that have it tough in life. They are not all the stero types, and the ones that are can change.

 

If anything, I would come home feeling very greatfull for me "sh*tty, low paid" job.

 

I would enjoy a lot about the degree, and be able to get ajob in all likely hood, because I am a positive and passionate person about the things I choose to do.

 

What's more, probably my best friend is doing it, and is helping me out a lot ; telling about the uipcoming work, and the case studies you eventualy do in 2nd year that are very rewarding apparently.

 

I cannot see WHY I would not get a job as a social worker - there is enough work out there for it, a career councellor told my good friend who is doing it.

 

In terms of a food science degree...

 

I simply cannot hack a full blow food science degree - the only option would be to do it part time, take TWICE as long to get the degree ( 6 years total) ,

 

AND I would need a LOT of tutoring, which I could not afford on a studet allowance, and my parents would not even afford to help, as tutors are VERY expensive! About 30 bucks an hour...

 

 

I would need to see a tutor twice a week at least.....

 

 

 

And nutritionist are not paid well anyway, you would need to go on to get a masters in pharmacy, according to an America guy doing the degree.

[TheBigQuestion]

A degree in social work sounds about as useless as a law degree. I would know, I'm (regrettably) pursuing the latter.

 

Don't listen to "career counselors." Most of them are first-class charlatans.

[tman666]

Leigh, have you considered looking at getting an EMT certification?

 

My opinion is that the cost of a university education these days needs to be VERY carefully weighed against the payout. You have to view it as an investment. It's good that you sound like you are viewing the decision this way, but consider the fact that obtaining a 4 year degree (at least at this point) may not be the best investment of your money and time.

 

There is absolutely nothing wrong with going to trade school or obtaining certifications versus going to a university. In fact, I would argue that the former route is the more prudent one for many people.

 

When I was in high school, the mantra (extolled by my teachers and repeated by my peers) was that in order to reach the highest levels of education, enlightenment, and socioeconomic status (HA) was that we should have our sights set on attending smaller, private, liberal arts colleges. What stupid, shortsighted advice this was...

 

As a result, I saw many of the "star students" apply, get accepted to and attend such places to pursue degrees in things such as literature, or English composition. Guess what? They're all baristas at Starbucks. A "lucky" couple of them are now middle school teachers. Now, don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with making coffee for a living or being a teacher. In fact, my own mother was a teacher and I believe it to be a highly noble profession, but that's another topic.

 

The point I'm trying to make is that these people are going to be paying off debt well into their 40's for degrees that very well may have "enlightened" them, but aren't really worth a whole lot on the market.

 

In some ways, the demise of their investment in their college degrees wasn't entirely their fault. They were being guided by the advice of people who hadn't been in the job market for probably 30 years, people who came from an era where having a liberal arts degree from an expensive, private university might have meant a lot more.

 

If you really want to do social work for a living, by all means, pursue social work. However, if you're looking to maximize your job and earnings prospects while minimizing the front end investment in terms of $$, consider that going to a university might not be the best choice. It just depends on what you want to do.

 

On a side note: don't sell yourself short with the math classes. I never considered myself to be good a math until I got to college. My strengths tended to be centered around writing and language arts. I have a degree in civil engineering, which as you can imagine, is a degree very heavily weighted in the math and science camp. I had to learn a different way of thinking to be come proficient at the math/science I needed to take, and it wouldn't have been possible without getting external help in the form of tutors, extra study sessions, office hours, etc. As soon as you admit defeat, you're truly done for. Simply writing yourself off as "not good a math" until you've truly applied yourself is selling yourself short. If you really want to pursue food science, accept that you will have a major hurdle with regards to comprehending the math side of things, and adjust for it by spending MORE time and devoting MORE resources to it than you would have to with other subjects.

 

Whooooo. And I'm spent.

[Hawaii50]

 

....70% of people fail stats.

 

 

 

yes!!!!!! ^

[dasein]

My opinion is that the cost of a university education these days needs to be VERY carefully weighed against the payout....

 

Says better and much more diplomatically what I was trying to say. My entire college education cost 12k, not so today, and the cost of postsecondary education has butted right up against, and maybe even surpassed its value generally... unless the student is very careful and diligent in choosing and walking a certain path. It used to be that all paths led to the same place where college was concerned, no more.

Edited November 1, 2012 by dasein

[123321]

The people who have consistently scored good jobs in my experience have been those who participated in courses that encouraged intern placement.

[Hawaii50]

Says better and much more diplomatically what I was trying to say. My entire college education cost 12k, not so today, and the cost of postsecondary education has butted right up against, and maybe even surpassed its value generally... unless the student is very careful and diligent in choosing and walking a certain path. It used to be that all paths led to the same place where college was concerned, no more.

 

As I've said before, an economist would tell you it's a bad investment, no ROI.

[GorillaTheater]

As I've said before, an economist would tell you it's a bad investment, no ROI.

 

I agree with Tman and Dasein, but I don't think this is true as a general statement. I know a young guy who recently graduated from a top-tier public university as a petroleum engineer, and started out at close to 80K. Amazing. I was in the work force for a long time before I started to make that kind of money.

 

There's good value out there for the money; you just have to be wise.

 

Also nothing wrong with the trade/certification route. One of my sons, 18, was just taken on as an apprentice by a guy who owns an HVAC business. Given my son's interest, I'm very supportive. But despite my stand on the issue, I'm a product of my time and upbringing, and still am a little regretful he's not planning on going to college. Rationally though, I know he's making a good decision.

[Abystarswoman]

Trust me when I tell you that statistics is 100%, pure, unadulterated MATH. I just finished a statistics course for my degree and I can tell you now that my head is still hurting just thinking about all of those damned formulas. Ugh.

 

If you want a food science degree, I'm sorry, but math is most definitely a requirement. I don't even see how you can get through the course curriculum without it. You think you have problems with college algebra? Try calculus - because that's a requirement for a LOT of food science degrees here.

 

From the University of Massachusetts:

Food Science and Technology

This option is designed for students who wish to pursue industrial careers in research or technology development or who wish to enter graduate school. Students take a combination of courses in basic and applied sciences. Required math and science courses include calculus (MATH 127 and 128), general chemistry (CHEM 111 and 112), organic chemistry (CHEM 261, 262 and 269), analytical chemistry (CHEM 312), biology, physics, microbiology, and biochemistry. Food Science requirements include food processing, food chemistry, food microbiology, food engineering, and nutrition.

 

Even a degree in social work requires math courses. From the University of Texas at Austin:

The Bachelor of Social Work degree includes 125 hours of coursework, with an emphasis on academic/theoretical material as well as skills and practice experience. Students begin the program as pre-social work majors and complete area requirements in language arts; social and behavioral sciences; math and natural sciences; and the humanities.

 

You're asking for the impossible here. If you want to pursue a college degree, that's great - but you're going to HAVE to take at least one math course in order to get it. There's no way around that.

 

By the way, I wouldn't recommend social work. I work in the criminal justice field and I see so many cases of social worker burnout, it's not funny. They go in thinking like you do - that they can make a difference - and they walk out 5 years later looking 20 years older. It's not worth it, and especially not financially. Social workers here don't get paid squat.

 

Just saying.

[sweetjasmine]

I agree with Tman and Dasein, but I don't think this is true as a general statement. I know a young guy who recently graduated from a top-tier public university as a petroleum engineer, and started out at close to 80K. Amazing. I was in the work force for a long time before I started to make that kind of money.

 

There's good value out there for the money; you just have to be wise.

 

Agreed. I got a liberal arts degree from a university in the top 3 worldwide for less than $10k, and my record got my foot in the door at a top graduate program. I had no debt hanging over my head, so I was able to leave that program when I realized it wasn't ever going to work out. Out of school, I was hired pretty much right away in an unrelated field and am now working my way through a career change into another area. Without that initial degree, I would've never had so much flexibility and probably would've gotten stuck in my pursuit of this second career. Having degrees hasn't made job offers magically land on my lap, but it certainly has opened up some doors that would've been shut otherwise.

 

Some of my friends are having a very hard time in this market, but it's nothing compared to the problems those who didn't seek additional education/training/certification are facing. I've seen some family and some friends get passed up for the full-time position or the promotion in favor of someone with a degree.

[Leigh 87]

I think I can easily get a job as a social worker, and earn a living out of it, and even save for overseas travel if I cut costs in my daily life.

 

 

Look people, that is all I want here:

 

- to get a degree, as I would be proud of it, and with minimal math (social sciences in AUS has NO MATH hahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!)

 

But it has a LOT of reading so I bl00dy deserve a degree without doing math, because my friend works hard in her social sciences degree, was top of her class in high school, but simply failed math and therefore SHE DESERVES to get a degree based on her HARD WORK, and dedication.

 

F8ck those of you who do not think my good friend has a RIGHT to earn a degree, when she was top of her class in EVERYTHING but math.

 

 

- To enjoy studying a degree

 

- lastly, to do a degree that will LIKELY going to get me a JOB.

 

Social work will more than likely, 90% likely, get me a job if I look hard, and am willing to relocate for it if I Cannot find one quickly in my current location.

 

 

[Leigh 87]

If I do social sciences, I will:

 

Enjoy studying, get satisfaction from studying hard and meeting deadlines constantly, get far better at my written English and my vocabulary would improve,

 

... I would get a job if I wanted to be a social worker. I cannot see WHY a bubbly, personable women like me, would get overlooked and NEVER get a job as a social worker!!!!!!!!!!

 

I will probably get a job based on the current climate here in AUS, and be able to at least earn a living and save a little for occasional overseas travel.

 

 

 

That is really all I want, thanks people.

[Leigh 87]

By the way - I think just getting a degree will open doors for me, as I am going to seek work that is to do with working closely with people every day, and I am great with people and can sell myself well.

 

I really think I will get a job, even out of a mere "social sciences" degree.

 

I am taking interviews fro menial jobs and will have money saved up while I study anyway.