Joe's Advice to Incoming Liberal Arts Degree Seeking College Freshmen
Dear Freshman,
Welcome to college! Here are a few tips on how to make your college experience not be a complete waste of time and money.
1. Realize that it DOES NOT MATTER WHAT YOU MAJOR IN!!! College students seem to be obsessed with picking the right major, because they crave some shred of individuation and because they do not understand the job and grad school markets.
Here's why it doesn't matter. For jobs that require real skills, you won't get enough training in class to be able to do them. For most other jobs, the skills required would be so specific to that particular job that no class would prepare you for them and instead, you would learn on the job. For those jobs, an employer will probably look favorably on your degree, but they will not care much about what you majored in or your GPA.
So, what should you do? You should acquire skills while majoring in something you find interesting. So, go ahead and major in art history or philosophy or english or biology or whatever interests you, but take as many language, computer, and math classes as possible. As much as possible, use college to acquire skills that you would not otherwise be able to acquire. If it's possible to really get qualified for specific jobs with an undergraduate education, it's gonna come from these skills, not from the name of your major.
So, in other words, worry about your real skill set, not about what it says on your diploma. If you have these skills, you will be better positioned to pursue grad school in whatever subject interests you, cause grad school is increasingly useful.
2. Do a lot of stupid shit.
3. Call your mother
4. Don't get addicted to anything.
5. Do study abroad.
6. Don't waste your summers! Take the time to find internships, apprenticeships, or something that increases your stock of skills. Or, at least something cool. I.E., don't work crappy restaurant jobs or something.
Well, that's about the sum total of my wisdom on this subject. Good luck, young freshman. Don't get V.D.
Sincerely,
An Old Guy
posted by Joe @ 11:44 AM
4 Comments:
Why not just go to a decent state school spare yourself decades of debt or let your parents have a nice retirement or donate the difference to the charity of your choice?
Sounds good to me. Unless you're lucky enough to profit off the depression of others (like I was) and have a large pharmaceutical company pay for your education.
Anyway, I think my advice applies to any 4 year degree, except for, like, engineering or teaching or nursing or some job-specific track.
Shouldn't you encourage kids to get V.D.? After all, isn't V.D. just one of God's methods of punishment and revenge?
I like this post. I agree: majors do not matter. My only advice to incoming undergrads would be to take classes on subjects you enjoy. That's what undergrad should be about. Especially the first couple years. Don't even stress over requirements at the beginning.
And internships. Learn what jobs are going to be like in your major. Use your summers to dip your toe in the bleak reality that is the real world.
And be intellectually honest: if you are an english major, you'll be going to law school. Art history? Teaching or Ph.D. Almost all majors are gateways to graduate school. And with that in mind, just take enjoyable classes you'll do well in. GPAs matter for graduate school. Majors don't. You can major in English and go to med school. Or play the flute and get an MBA.
And what the fuck is wrong with acquiring a V.D.? Like you say, most women deserve them anyway. Nothing better than puttin a little itch in a bitch, if you ask me.
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