What's the best degree to have?

131spanner

I'm about to start year 3 out of 4 of my Arts degree. Bang a two year post grad onto the end of it and I'll be heading for a job with very good employment prospects, which will also allow me time for the second job I want to go at part-time. Not too shabby for Arts

Clandestine

131spanner wrote: »

I'm about to start year 3 out of 4 of my Arts degree. Bang a two year post grad onto the end of it and I'll be heading for a job with very good employment prospects, which will also allow me time for the second job I want to go at part-time. Not too shabby for Arts

What degree are you getting?

Mully_2011

Clandestine wrote: »

What kind of science degree? Its a pretty broad field

Environmental.

131spanner

Clandestine wrote: »

What degree are you getting?

I'm doing Liberal Arts in Mary Immaculate College, Limerick. The end degree will be awarded by UL though so a UL Bachelor of the Arts degree is your answer, I guess!

Dowl88

Mully_2011 wrote: »

I've a Science degree and can do f*ck all with it so I'm going to start making beer.

Watch Breaking Bad and but that science degree to good use!

DS86

Philosophy degree major, smartest person in the dole queue.

WeHaveToGoBack

Third

longhalloween

DS86 wrote: »

Philosophy degree major, smartest person in the dole queue.

Not if you chose philosophy.

conorh91

DS86 wrote: »

Philosophy degree major, smartest person in the dole queue.

That reminds me of my unemployment experience.

My one brief experience with unemployment came after college, and the dole office wanted me to describe the "reasons for unemployment".

I am a fairly well educated guy, no more than yourself, and I wrote "non useful degree, dismal employment prospects due to economic situation" because I felt that my unemployment was not purely a personal decision.

Anyway, my dole application was rejected, because, from those statements, the Officer deemed my inability to find work not to be genuine.

This from a faceless public servant who has probably never had any understanding of the real-world employments prospects of recession.

Anyway, as it happens, I didn't have to appeal her decision, but it still leaves a sour taste when I think of well-educated graduates seeking unemployment assistance through no fault of their own.

_Redzer_

Mully_2011 wrote: »

I've a Science degree and can do f*ck all with it so I'm going to start making beer. Tried getting a proper job and your just out gunned.Tried the internship route and while the experience is good its ****e craic trying to pay rent and food on 200 euros a week and most employers are still looking for three years experience.Getting "unskilled" work isnt easy and theirs some amount cowboys out there had a lad offer me 4 days unpaid training for a porter job and done a one day trial for another cowboy who is trying to f*ck me over by not paying me for an honest days work.

Would I do it all over again....yes I never done Science in school and blood sweat and tears went into it but I enjoyed what I did and I wanted.I want to go on and do further studies in that field.

I'm looking at going making beer and going self employed. Theirs a bit of Science to it and it looks like good craic at worst you'll have an interesting hobby.

That's my experience of being a recent graduate.

Do what you like,work hard and hope for the best

Most science degrees are useless unless it's highly specialised from the start, or you build on it with a masters, studying in one particular area.

DEFTLEFTHAND

A LLB.

MultiUmm

I love how people try to simplify education in these threads. "Do a business or IT degree, they have the highest employment rates and therefore every other field of study and degree is invalid and useless." The logic behind this doesn't make much sense to me.

Not everyone is suited to studying and working in these industries. Society needs people who are educated in English, music, history, theatre and other subjects/ fields that are perceived as "useless" by a lot of posters on here.

Variety is the spice of life and we'd live in a very dull and uninteresting world if everyone choose to study finance, BIS or commerce.

I'm not saying those degrees are bad, if anything they're quite good but if we boil the value of education down to how can you make the most money out of it then we've lost the meaning of the word somewhere along the way.

Da Shins Kelly

longhalloween wrote: »

Women's studies with Philosophy. The job opportunities are endless.

Funnily enough, in the US a philosophy degree is considered a decent prerequisite for getting into law. Ethics and all that jazz.

I also knew a girl in college who did her MA in Women's Studies and was looking at a job in the UN. That course also allows for great opportunities to work with the rape crisis center, which I imagine is quite rewarding work.

A degree is what the person makes of it. If you study something with an end goal in mind and with the intention of getting into a particular line of work, any degree can be useful. It depends what the person wants from it.

Mint Aero

diomed wrote: »

Something that deals with people: brain surgeon; dentist; anaesthetist, priest.
Everything else will be replaced by computers, and robots, and stuff.
And you can't specialize and get big pay, and also be able to cross over to loads of other areas.

Funny all those examples could easily be replaced by a computer.

conorh91

Mint Aero wrote: »

Funny all those examples could easily be replaced by a computer.

eh?

None of the four professions mentioned (anaesthetist, brain surgeon, dentist, priest) are / have been replaced by computers…

If it were "easy' to replace them it's reasonable to assume that someone would have already done so.

Richard Hillman

longhalloween wrote: »

Not if you chose philosophy.

Or did philosophy choose you? That is the question. Or is it?

fatknacker

I've an Arts degree, I went back to get it in my late 20's. And now I'm living abroad with it having a grand old time. I lived abroad without a degree before and found out having a degree is definitely more beneficial.

Buona Fortuna

The Cunning Linguist wrote: »

Jesus Timmy, that's probably the nicest thing anybody on boards has ever said to me. I feel like a horrible cnut now.

This would be a solid candiate for the best retort thread - certainly beats all the made up ones

Aidric

Commerce with German and a passport.

Tail Docker

Anyone mentioned a degree of insouciance yet?

Sugar Free

_Redzer_ wrote: »

Most science degrees are useless unless it's highly specialised from the start, or you build on it with a masters, studying in one particular area.

Or if you get out of a lab based career.

OP I think a lot of people are talking about career paths e.g. investment banking as a result of getting a maths/finance oriented degree rather than what is the best degree based off the criteria you gave.

To attempt to answer your question directly I would say medicine or pharmacy. Decent earning potential simply staying within the profession, good employment prospects and huge cross over potential into industry - primarily the pharma industry.

In terms of outright earning potential it would have to be investment banking but it seems to take a very specific mentality and level of comfort with risk to succeed there that just won't suit a lot of people, regardless of how numerically competent they are.

Mint Aero

conorh91 wrote: »

eh?

None of the four professions mentioned (anaesthetist, brain surgeon, dentist, priest) are / have been replaced by computers…

If it were "easy' to replace them it's reasonable to assume that someone would have already done so.

Excuse ME?! Where did I say "are / have been replaced by computers…" Where did I allure to "If it were "easy' to replace them it's reasonable to assume that someone would have already done so."
That's right! Nowhere!

Everything else will be replaced by computers, and robots, and stuff.

The bold is what I was replying to. Excuse me but can you try reading this again thanks. Or...oh wait, has EVERYTHING ELSE ALREADY BEEN REPLACED BY COMPUTERS!!!!!!! NO!!!!!

Jesus stay smart AH. :rolleyes:

anaesthetist: are you telling me a robot won't someday be able to do this? hah laughable!
brain surgeon: funnily enough I think they actually use robotics for surgeries like these now, ye know with the whole steady hand thing. A robot will easily carry out this work someday.
dentist: not dentist per se, perhaps we won't even require them in the future. Look into bionanotechnology my friend.
priest: LOL we already have the pope twittering like, it's only a matter of time

Good day.

Dr.Sanchez

Never got a degree. Have a pretty good job in the Oil and Gas industry...

steddyeddy

generalmental wrote: »

Hopefully the one that you want!!

This. If everyone did the most profitable degree we would run out of experts.

Banjoxed

What's the best degree?

Easy. 37.2 Le Matin

_Redzer_

I think it's foolish to chase a degree purely because it's currently popular and there are plentiful jobs at the minute. Things change massively over time. I remember commerce and law degrees were extremely popular a few years ago, then the recession hit.

Industries can shift and become massive over night, some new ones can form and there can be cross-overs with certain degrees. Likewise, some industries can shrink.

You really can't bank on any degree to be guaranteed a job and a load of money, so you're better off following a degree that is most tailored to your skills and interests. At least then you're in a strong position to succeed in a position like that verses a person who only entered a similar profession purely for job security and money, because their heart won't ever be in it as much as yours.

beks101

A degree is as useful as its owner's work ethic

bnt

dr.bollocko wrote: »

Not everyone who does an arts degree ends up working at Mc. Donalds. Part of the boards mentality to dis all arts degrees and it just ain't the truth.

There's nothing wrong with being an Arts graduate. I'd love the freedom to do a degree in History, for example. But that wasn't the question the OP was asking.

The "problem" with Arts graduates is that there are so many of them, far more than the economy can absorb. Like any commodity of which there is a surplus, their value is lower. Conversely, graduates who can do Maths are in demand.

caustic 1

numnumcake wrote: »

Do something that you like and have a genuine interest in! Don't just pick a course because you think you'll get a job out of it. You'll find it very hard to study something for four years if you have no interest in it.

All very nice in theory, however not much point in having a degree in something you love if there is no work available in that field.

Mully_2011

_Redzer_ wrote: »

Most science degrees are useless unless it's highly specialised from the start, or you build on it with a masters, studying in one particular area.

That's true but IMO its madness to go from a BSc straight into an Masters with nothing inbetween.