Stop judging degrees.

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Some people on here are so ridiculous. Then again, this is TSR, what am I really expecting *sigh*

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Reply 81

madmorgss

This is the funniest thing I've read in my life.
I'm soon to be a Politics and Media student, and I can see why people think Media is piss easy. I mean, it is. It's why I'm doing it, I can't lie. But it's a growing industry man, I mean, I can imagine many artsy degrees can help with that but with our media/technology based way of living, it'd be good to have a Media degree. But again, it's common sense with a few theorists here and there.
I enjoy it, I think it's amazing and interesting. I prefer it, being bored ****less by equations and chemical reactions is not for me. I'd rather be happy and less well off than in a boring job and have a lot of money. But that is just me :smile:

Reply 82

Asolare

Original post by EatAndRevise

It was a fair assumption to make, if you're going to be so vague, don't get upset if people try to connect the dots.

The 'read a book' part of my sentence was about the poster who brought up philosophy, which wasn't yourself at all unless you said that somewhere not on the 1st or 2nd page.

I was replying to all the people who were taking the thread seriously with their 'STEM usefulz all u other studentz r dum' mentality.

Reply 83

lisamb

Original post by Wahrheit

I did Maths and will be going to study econ in September, and yeah I learnt a lot of great skills and hope to learn even more, and for sure these skills are better for certain professions. I'm not aware of what skills media could give though, and it would be unfair for me to say they don't learn skills which could be valuable in a multitude of jobs. Marketing, sales, HR represent a huge number of graduate jobs, and in fact where I work atm by far the majority of people there work in these departments. Sometimes logic isn't as useful as other skills, and not all jobs require it.

(Tangent: There's a similar snobbery with jobs, in fact. Being an accountant isn't a better job than being a waiter...it might pay better, but it doesn't make you a better person.)

That said, if you want a really high paying job it can't hurt...the skills you get from, for example, Maths are valued very highly by employers and it's reflected in the higher avg starting salaries for Maths graduates. It doesn't make them better people though.

I agree, nice to see that there are people on here with their eye on things more important than money and reputation. Sadly respect is something some people can't learn, but we'll all end up going the same way in the end.

There's nothing to gain in trying to force people to believe their degree won't be worth anything, there are people working harder than a lot of STEM students because they know that they're going to have to stand out a lot more to start their career. Get on with your own lives and remember the people who keep society going aren't necessarily your number crunching graduates.

Reply 84

The two eds

Original post by scrunkie

Why do people judge degree subjects when they've never studied them or even have any idea about what they entail, the opportunities available after completing them etc.

Why not just let people do what they want to do and not tell others they're doing **** degrees?

Every degree is worth something different, they all provide students with different skills- there's no need for people to be so childish about it 'oh hehe my degree is better than yours hehe'.

The only worthy degrees are those that are STEM- related. They should permanently make STEM subjects free while raising the fees on micky mouse courses like the ones you study.

Reply 85

King Boo

People have to study what is interesting to them and what they enjoy. Some might do art history, some may do music, some may do maths, and some may do history or engineering.

Every degree is an opportunity to greatly further your knowledge about a topic your interested in, so in that sense - every degree is equal. They all help you further your knowledge and broaden your intelligence about a topic you like. Good.

Now where the debate comes in. Its truthful to say, that some degrees are more useful than others.

STEM subjects are subjects which are generally more applicable to society than non stem degrees. Thus, they are more useful to society as a whole. Whilst a history student, or an anthropology student may learn transferable skills and lots about their relevant topics of interest, fundamentally, the knowledge that they have learnt on their degree, is NOT as useful in the real world than that of a STEM subject. Now that does not detract away from their degree, its still a degree, however its relevance is somewhat more questionable than the obvious relevance of STEM.

Obviously, non STEM subjects are 'useful', in the sense that you could write a paper that revolutionises history, however in the grand scheme of things, its not as useful as the biochemist / biomedic who went on to find a cure for alzheimers or cancer, the engineer who revolutionised the way we travel or make energy, or the economist who made our economy sky rocket.

So where people say they judge degrees, a degree is a degree, end of. The only questionable aspect to your subject is how truly (and honestly) relevant it is to society. Ask yourself this - if you didn't study your course, and every uni in the UK cancelled your course, would the UK really suffer if you had to do an alternate degree?

For STEM subjects (and law) yes, the implications are there, for other subjects..... not so much.

Reply 86

sticky0wl

The people in this thread who are saying that people shouldn't judge other degrees are more than likely those on what is considered a 'Mickey Mouse' course, like photography.

I can see why people get irritated by it though! If I was paying 9k a year and people kept taking the piss out of me for my course I think I'd end up being pretty miffed off, too.

Unfortunately, as much as you twist it, there are degrees which are regarded higher than others. And there is quite simply nothing you can do about it.

I do Aeronautical and Aerospace Engineering at University of Leeds, and I actually think for the equipment and facilities in the workshops and robotics lab we have at my university are of such a high standard, you can actually SEE where the 9k a year goes, and 9k suddenly feels reasonable.

If I was paying 9k a year for a lesser course which doesn't get anything like what we have in our school, I would feel pretty sick to my stomach right about now.

Try not to let it get you down, you're doing what you love, so who the **** cares?

Reply 87

tazarooni89

Original post by scrunkie

What difference does it make to you whether other people are judging degrees or not?
Unless they're your future employer or something? :s-smilie:

Reply 88

midnightice

I bet over half of these 'STEM master race crew' members on TSR will graduate with **** work experience and terrible interpersonal skills. Good luck not getting on a decent grad scheme.

Reply 89

entershikari

people who judge degrees enough to categorise them as 'useful' or 'not useful' are pretty damn pathetic. i'm glad to be studying one of your 'not useful' subjects if the type of people who study the 'useful' ones are this childish hahaha. I say everybody should do whatever they want to do and stop feeling like they're better or worse than others (even if they are more academically inclined)

another thing i'd like to add is that there is a place for the arts. if there were no graphic designers, musicians, fashion designers etc in the world i'm sure a lot of you would miss them.

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 90

Sgt.Incontro

Original post by Kash24411

How is having a history degree more useful than Geography?
Just curious.

Good point, I'd rate both as somewhat useless, but Geography is more useful than History in my opinion.

Reply 91

TheStudent18

Original post by sticky0wl

The people in this thread who are saying that people shouldn't judge other degrees are more than likely those on what is considered a 'Mickey Mouse' course, like photography.

I don't think the degree I will be enrolling on is a 'Micky Mouse' course. I just want to speak up for those who have decided on courses which are perhaps a little less respected. In my Sixth Form I saw quite a few people who were made fun of for their choice of degree and whilst they laughed along with it, you could tell that it was upsetting them. No one has the right to put doubt into a persons mind for choosing something they enjoy.

The moral of this thread though is that everyone has different interests. There's no point studying for a degree that you can't stand as opposed to learning something that really interests you.

The last part of your post also pretty much sums up my view! Haha

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 92

RavenclawPolly

Original post by isthatmatilda

Are they really though? Unless you're going to become a linguist or a translator, then what is a degree in Shakalakumkum going to do for you?

Well minority languages maybe not so, but you'd be surprised how valuable languages are to big companies. Languages have a pretty high rating of getting employment after graduating. Plus its a good skill to have and because they're hard and not too many people do them they are sought after. Any skill that is sought after by employers sounds like a useful degree to me.

Reply 93

username1495504

Original post by grassntai

That's a cute excuse. Tell me what jobs you get from being a Geography graduate? And no colouring maps is not considered a profession.

The reality is Geography is a silly degree for those who have no idea what they wanted to do but did well on the subject at a level so decided to take it as a degree.

Posted from TSR Mobile

Colouring maps? You mean GIS lol. For example, Google Earth can be used as an incredibly basic form of GIS.

http://www.theguardian.com/careers/careers-blog/experts-view-why-are-certain-grads-less-likely-to-be-unemployed

http://m.huffpost.com/uk/entry/5020334

You obviously don't know what you're talking about hahaha.

Reply 94

Johnflight

I don't want to put anyone down, if you have a great passion in life you should pursue it, and study a course which will get you there, whether its history, geography media maths or engineering. BUT You have to be realistic about what kind of career you are going to have with certain subjects. Maths, sciences, economics, business, computing, they lead to good well paid careers; a lot of subjects don't. The problem in the UK is that too many people just do what they consider the easier degrees because they don't know what else to do. If someone is really passionate about sociology, media or geography, they should go for it, but if they couldn't care less about it, its a huge waist of money, and worse, time, right when you should be developing the skills which will set you up for life

Reply 95

soanonymous

Original post by Johnflight

*waste

At the end of the day, there are a LOT of graduate jobs who do not even specify what degree they want you to have, just that you must have a degree. I know someone who got into a finance company with a classics degree, over the guy with an economics degree. Yeah maybe his degree was better suited, but just because you do a 'good' (whatever that is) degree, doesn't mean you can walk straight into a job. It's all about personality and experience as well which many people overlook.

Reply 96

DJKL

Original post by grassntai

Well:

Chartered Surveyor (RICS)
Chartered Town Planner (RTPI)

Two career paths following a Geography first degree and them a relevant Msc (which usually needs a Geosciences first degree as entry to the Msc)

You never know, with all these houses every party is pledging to build might be a bit of a boom for both.

Re money, well may not be investment banking (albeit a fair number of surveyors manage property funds for the life offices with reasonably good remuneration- I have met, over the years, some seriously wealthy surveyors-I even work with one)