What is considered a USEFUL degree?
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Original post by redferry
haha funny because everyone I know who studied languages agrees with me and it is only through being close to people who feel totally let down by there degree that I came to this conclusion.
Do they not know anything about languages or language learning?
I mean their French, Italian and Spanish degree isn't helping them collect their dole money...
Knowing a language = useful (for travel, working abroad, possibly interpreter jobs but you need to know the right ones/a lot)
Language degree = not useful (except for teaching other people languages)
Do they not know anything about languages or language learning?
I mean their French, Italian and Spanish degree isn't helping them collect their dole money...
Knowing a language = useful (for travel, working abroad, possibly interpreter jobs but you need to know the right ones/a lot)
Language degree = not useful (except for teaching other people languages)
Oh please, everyone you know - all of 6 people or something.
And how dare you suggest people that study languages end up collecting dole money. That is a disgusting, shallow attitude to have.
And, you need a language degree to be eligible to do the language jobs such as interpreting, it's not all just about language.
I hope one day you go travelling to foreign lands, get banged up and need someone with a 'pointless' language degree. Cannot believe your ignorance and stupidity.
Original post by TheBigJosh
- This is just absurd, I cannot even dignify this with a response.
Oh please, everyone you know - all of 6 people or something.
And how dare you suggest people that study languages end up collecting dole money. That is a disgusting, shallow attitude to have.
And, you need a language degree to be eligible to do the language jobs such as interpreting, it's not all just about language.
I hope one day you go travelling to foreign lands, get banged up and need someone with a 'pointless' language degree. Cannot believe your ignorance and stupidity.
Oh please, everyone you know - all of 6 people or something.
And how dare you suggest people that study languages end up collecting dole money. That is a disgusting, shallow attitude to have.
And, you need a language degree to be eligible to do the language jobs such as interpreting, it's not all just about language.
I hope one day you go travelling to foreign lands, get banged up and need someone with a 'pointless' language degree. Cannot believe your ignorance and stupidity.
I can only talk in my experience, but everyone I know who did languages has not got a job. Except one who did Russian and one who went to Oxford and has a totally unrelated grad job. Even she was unemployed for over a year.
I have already done far more travelling than you ever have I can assure you, I speak Italian and some French, and I have never had any issues. Managed to get from the Honduran Bay Islands to Costa Rica on my own with no trouble whatsoever, and I speak about 5 words of Spanish.
Original post by redferry
I can only talk in my experience, but everyone I know who did languages has not got a job. Except one who did Russian and one who went to Oxford and has a totally unrelated grad job. Even she was unemployed for over a year.
I have already done far more travelling than you ever have I can assure you, I speak Italian and some French, and I have never had any issues. Managed to get from the Honduran Bay Islands to Costa Rica on my own with no trouble whatsoever, and I speak about 5 words of Spanish.
I have already done far more travelling than you ever have I can assure you, I speak Italian and some French, and I have never had any issues. Managed to get from the Honduran Bay Islands to Costa Rica on my own with no trouble whatsoever, and I speak about 5 words of Spanish.
So you know a few people? They not be ready to use their degree yet, further study etc - so many options. Just you think you are so mighty, you can judge other people's degrees.
Oh and well done with conversational French, call me if you ever visit China and for whatever get arrested on suspected drug charges. See how far you get.
Original post by TheBigJosh
- This is just absurd, I cannot even dignify this with a response.
Oh please, everyone you know - all of 6 people or something.
And how dare you suggest people that study languages end up collecting dole money. That is a disgusting, shallow attitude to have.
And, you need a language degree to be eligible to do the language jobs such as interpreting, it's not all just about language.
I hope one day you go travelling to foreign lands, get banged up and need someone with a 'pointless' language degree. Cannot believe your ignorance and stupidity.
Oh please, everyone you know - all of 6 people or something.
And how dare you suggest people that study languages end up collecting dole money. That is a disgusting, shallow attitude to have.
And, you need a language degree to be eligible to do the language jobs such as interpreting, it's not all just about language.
I hope one day you go travelling to foreign lands, get banged up and need someone with a 'pointless' language degree. Cannot believe your ignorance and stupidity.
Self absorbed degrees like philosophy, languages and art are hobbies and have a very small chance of leading to a job in the real world
Original post by TheBigJosh
So you know a few people? They not be ready to use their degree yet, further study etc - so many options. Just you think you are so mighty, you can judge other people's degrees.
Oh and well done with conversational French, call me if you ever visit China and for whatever get arrested on suspected drug charges. See how far you get.
Oh and well done with conversational French, call me if you ever visit China and for whatever get arrested on suspected drug charges. See how far you get.
Have you ever heard of an opinion? There this thing that are formed from our life experiences, and they differ between different people.
I'm sorry that you are butthurt that I think your degree isn't particularly useful because 9/10 people I know who studied it regret it.
I don't think someone with a French and Spanish degree would fare much better in China somehow (you will note I said conventional European language degrees weren't useful)
Original post by redferry
Have you ever heard of an opinion? There this thing that are formed from our life experiences, and they differ between different people.
I'm sorry that you are butthurt that I think your degree isn't particularly useful because 9/10 people I know who studied it regret it.
I don't think someone with a French and Spanish degree would fare much better in China somehow (you will note I said conventional European language degrees weren't useful)
I'm sorry that you are butthurt that I think your degree isn't particularly useful because 9/10 people I know who studied it regret it.
I don't think someone with a French and Spanish degree would fare much better in China somehow (you will note I said conventional European language degrees weren't useful)
Not butthurt when you are just rude and uninformed, your opinion is just utter garbage. End of discussion as far as I am concerned.
Original post by TheBigJosh
Not butthurt when you are just rude and uninformed, your opinion is just utter garbage. End of discussion as far as I am concerned.
Who can spot the person studying a language degree?
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Original post by JackThommo
I already stated I studied languages, fantastic comment.
Original post by alicia2908
medicine, economics, PPE, dentistry, law, engineering
I'd agree with the above.
Original post by ermm
All of a sudden seen you in so many threads after the Cambridge 2014 Applicants page! It's strange, but I've agreed with everything I've read haha
Tried to rep but couldn't
Tried to rep but couldn't
Haha
It's the thought that counts
Original post by notthegreatest
We have the thread called "what is considered a useless degree?"
But what about useful degrees?
I would say medicine, nursing, forensics, law, teaching are very useful...
But what about you lot?
But what about useful degrees?
I would say medicine, nursing, forensics, law, teaching are very useful...
But what about you lot?
In my opinion, languages is the most useful degree in general, since you genuinely can apply it to everyday living. Plus there's a couple of mental heath benefits. Job-wise it doesn't compare to a science or a math, which can get a very highly paid job. But languages will open up way more job opportunities since you can work abroad. As a back up you can go into teaching or translation with a little extra study.
At the end of the day, there's no superior degree though. It depends more on what the person wishes to do with their degree and how relevant it is to them. I could have a medicine degree but it won't help me as much as the stereotypically 'mickey mouse' American Studies if I wanted to go into Politics. And vice-versa of course.
Engineering, medicine, dentistry, law, accounting are probably among the most useful in the sense of finding a high earning job.
Languages are useful in the everyday practical sense (I'd have loved to do a language degree but didn't think it would earn me cashdollars, same with going to art school) but I don't think there are that many jobs specific to needing a language degree. Just what I think.
Languages are useful in the everyday practical sense (I'd have loved to do a language degree but didn't think it would earn me cashdollars, same with going to art school) but I don't think there are that many jobs specific to needing a language degree. Just what I think.
Original post by redferry
I can only talk in my experience, but everyone I know who did languages has not got a job. Except one who did Russian and one who went to Oxford and has a totally unrelated grad job. Even she was unemployed for over a year.
I have already done far more travelling than you ever have I can assure you, I speak Italian and some French, and I have never had any issues. Managed to get from the Honduran Bay Islands to Costa Rica on my own with no trouble whatsoever, and I speak about 5 words of Spanish.
I have already done far more travelling than you ever have I can assure you, I speak Italian and some French, and I have never had any issues. Managed to get from the Honduran Bay Islands to Costa Rica on my own with no trouble whatsoever, and I speak about 5 words of Spanish.
The EU desperately want British language graduates to be translators. It's potentially a gold mine if you think about it. The EU translates everything into English, one of the main languages of the organisation. It will only hire EU citizens and native speakers, so only the British and Irish are eligible. There's a shortage of jobs already and in the next few years 60% of these translators will retire. The A Level take up in languages makes this is even more shocking as it shows there's little competition for potential applicants as well.
And with a lovely starting salary of €45000+ and civil servant benefits, it's certainly an offer not to be missed!
(edited 10 years ago)
Original post by redferry
but most people employed in these jobs didn't study media studies, which makes the degree not that useful as you can get the required skills elsewhere
I'm not sure if you're deliberately missing my point here.
a) media studies as a discipline is fairly new, just like most senior computer scientist academics studied physics or mathematics (because computer science wasn't a major discipline when the bulk of prominent people in these fields took their degrees.
b) you're assuming that everyone taking these degrees is doing so in order to get a job in the media
a media studies degree *possibly* qualifies someone for a job in tv/film criticism (just like an eng lit degree would only really qualify someone directly to become a lit reviewer). But, just like lots of people who want to write novels study eng lit because it lets them understand their media better, many people interested in a media career might chose a media degree.
That doesn't mean that they see their SOLE reason for taking the degree as a misguided attempt to host This Morning...it's because they understand that the media plays a huge role in society and is worthy of study IN ITSELF. I'm surprised that you would be so dismissive of a topic that is so important. Institutes like http://www.seejane.org/ and their UK equivalents are doing hugely important research into how society represents and entertains and informs itself.
[quote]I agree with this, but the degree isn't that useful as most of the best photographers taught themselves.
That depends on your definition of "best". Again if you're talking about photography as a fine art rather than a commercial enterprise then I'd disagree.
I didn't say it was worthless, I think they are worthwhile for enjoyment etc
still don't think they are as useful as most other degrees however.
still don't think they are as useful as most other degrees however.
See my comments above - I'm surprised that you're so dismissive of important topics like media studies (and that you would assume that anyone taking a degree in the topic is as misinformed as yourself on the content of the course).
(edited 10 years ago)
Original post by redferry
Have you ever heard of an opinion? There this thing that are formed from our life experiences, and they differ between different people.
I'm sorry that you are butthurt that I think your degree isn't particularly useful because 9/10 people I know who studied it regret it.
I don't think someone with a French and Spanish degree would fare much better in China somehow (you will note I said conventional European language degrees weren't useful)
I'm sorry that you are butthurt that I think your degree isn't particularly useful because 9/10 people I know who studied it regret it.
I don't think someone with a French and Spanish degree would fare much better in China somehow (you will note I said conventional European language degrees weren't useful)
Original post by That_Pretty_Girl
Self absorbed degrees like philosophy, languages and art are hobbies and have a very small chance of leading to a job in the real world
Original post by That_Pretty_Girl
Why are you so bitter? You were the one who chose to take a completely useless degree...
Is there any particular reason that you're attempting to hijack a thread on USEFUL degrees to belittle degrees you've decided are useless?
It doesn't show either of you in a particularly good light to behave like this towards other people and it is taking what has generally been a very thoughtful thread and turning it into yet another thread full of people bickering and putting other people down in an attempt to justify your own decisions.
I've said this repeatedly on TSR: you do not need to belittle or dismiss someone else's subject or choices in order to validate your own. When you do it does nothing but display your own insecurities.
Original post by TheBigJosh
Not butthurt when you are just rude and uninformed, your opinion is just utter garbage. End of discussion as far as I am concerned.
Let me guess, you're a first year language undergraduate?
Original post by PQ
Is there any particular reason that you're attempting to hijack a thread on USEFUL degrees to belittle degrees you've decided are useless?
It doesn't show either of you in a particularly good light to behave like this towards other people and it is taking what has generally been a very thoughtful thread and turning it into yet another thread full of people bickering and putting other people down in an attempt to justify your own decisions.
I've said this repeatedly on TSR: you do not need to belittle or dismiss someone else's subject or choices in order to validate your own. When you do it does nothing but display your own insecurities.
It doesn't show either of you in a particularly good light to behave like this towards other people and it is taking what has generally been a very thoughtful thread and turning it into yet another thread full of people bickering and putting other people down in an attempt to justify your own decisions.
I've said this repeatedly on TSR: you do not need to belittle or dismiss someone else's subject or choices in order to validate your own. When you do it does nothing but display your own insecurities.
I only brought it up because I was directly asked by another poster.
People need to get over it, I come from the runt of science degrees, all other sciences look down on us but I don't go around whinging about it I accept my course has limitations and make the most of it because I didn't course because that is what I ENJOY
(edited 10 years ago)
Original post by serebro
The EU desperately want British language graduates to be translators. It's potentially a gold mine if you think about it. The EU translates everything into English, one of the main languages of the organisation. It will only hire EU citizens and native speakers, so only the British and Irish are eligible. There's a shortage of jobs already and in the next few years 60% of these translators will retire. The A Level take up in languages makes this is even more shocking as it shows there's little competition for potential applicants as well.
And with a lovely starting salary of €45000+ and civil servant benefits, it's certainly an offer not to be missed!
And with a lovely starting salary of €45000+ and civil servant benefits, it's certainly an offer not to be missed!
Yeah they want them so desperately that my friend with a first from Oxford in French and Italian can't get a job with them as a translator.
They want eastern European languages and they only recruit within two or three languages each year.
Original post by illusionz
The world is not CSI my dear. You are quite frankly clueless.
I am well aware of what nurses do, I currently work for the nhs. Many jobs are equally important for a functional soceity but get no attention. Being a nurse is not that difficult.
I am well aware of what nurses do, I currently work for the nhs. Many jobs are equally important for a functional soceity but get no attention. Being a nurse is not that difficult.
Do you even nurse?
And to answer the OP's question, I'd say that any STEM subjects, medicine and related fields, computing and related (I'm not sure if the "Technology" in STEM includes it) and possibly economics, and maybe languages (usually if paired with another of the useful subjects listed), are generally useful subjects.
Original post by redferry
Let me guess, you're a first year language undergraduate?
3rd year
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