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Original post by geoking
Very, very wrong.

What would be better is to spend a third of the money on getting actual business qualifications such as Prince2 and Six Sigma. That would be worth infinitely more on a CV than "English lit" or "Psychology".


Those look boring af.

Far better to get a good grade in a subject you love and risk a slightly lower salary or at worst, unemployment, than to take one of those courses, where you will likely fail due to lack of interest and thus go unemployed anyway, and even if you pass you gain 50 years of work in living hell as your dreams are crushed by a job you never wanted in the first place. Life isn't about money, it's about happiness. Sometimes money can buy happiness, but if making money requires crushing your passion, it's probably not worth it.
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by jessyjellytot14
Psychology isn't a useless degree if you actually get a job in the psychology field afterwards or progress onto a PhD or something such as a DClinPsy. Most jobs in this field require at least a bachelors degree in psychology. You can't just rock up to a job interview for being a psychologist and be like "Hi I have no degree in the subject even though you require one but hey, I have some business qualifications!". However, if you do a psychology degree and then don't do anything with it then it probably is useless.


A very, very small percentage of Psychology students enter the field. Psychology must be the most over-saturated course ever. Most end up in the usual business roles, especially Marketing.
Original post by loveleest
Film production. I honestly think I am wasting my time and money.

I would rather do an apprenticeship/internship but I just feel as if there aren't any...


Well no degree is exactly useless since graduates earn more than non graduates,but for something like film production,your right in that an apprenticeship/internship might be better,especially considering the fees are going up due to inflation.
However,your kind of work feels niche,so I have no idea.Maybe you wanna try at the BBC,I believe they have programmes specifically for young,especially people from BME backgrounds who are not well represented in the industry at all.
Original post by Lemon Haze
A very, very small percentage of Psychology students enter the field. Psychology must be the most over-saturated course ever. Most end up in the usual business roles, especially Marketing.


Psychology is very useful for marketing though. If you know how people's minds work, you know to appeal to the masses in the best way. I'd say you're more likely to get into marketing through psychology than through anything else.
Original post by Kadak
Well no degree is exactly useless since graduates earn more than non graduates,but for something like film production,your right in that an apprenticeship/internship might be better,especially considering the fees are going up due to inflation.
However,your kind of work feels niche,so I have no idea.Maybe you wanna try at the BBC,I believe they have programmes specifically for young,especially people from BME backgrounds who are not well represented in the industry at all.


Thank you, I am actually trying to find some apprenticeships/internships, but it's a lot harder to find one than I thought.
BBC centers more around TV production instead of film production. So it's not something that I am that interested in.
Considering you don't seem to have any experience of what Arts and Social Sciences are like at university, you're talking BS.
I kind of agree with you OP.

Im studying a degree in Food and Nutrition.
I went for it because I have a very high interest in food choices, nutrition and healthy eating.
I just finished my first year and my exam results did not go well at all. Kind of lost a bit of motivation due to outside of uni problems.

I feel that it will be very unlikely for me to get a high grade once Ive finished but Im still doing it because of an interest in Nutrition and its interesting and helpful info. However, this course is going to cost me heck load of money. I will be paying it back but it will take a chunk of my wages. It is what it is.
I think OP is missing the fundamental point about a university education. The subject does not matter much, it's expanding your mind, researching, critically evaluating evidence and - frankly - for many it is about learning for learning's sake. University is about creating knowledge ... that's what research does. It doesn't matter if that's about space travel or what William Shakespeare thought about things. You sound bitter and narrow minded because you see only a limited number of subjects as being relevant but this is only from your viewpoint. Others would disagree.

I imagine you think History majors become historians, or Tudors, that French language students become French and that all engineering graduates get jobs as engineers. They don't.

If you don't want a degree then that's great, but it means you have closed the door to all graduate entry posts. End of. Companies like people with degrees in any subject to fill graduate trainee posts and anyone with a degree can switch subjects with the right conversion courses: once you have a degree you can open doors to other opportunities.

If taking an apprenticeship is good for you then I am pleased, but you are attacking people who might one day be the graduate trainee accountants, sales managers, researchers and decision makers in your chosen field.
Original post by TimGB
Psychology is very useful for marketing though. If you know how people's minds work, you know to appeal to the masses in the best way. I'd say you're more likely to get into marketing through psychology than through anything else.


I agree, that's why I mentioned Marketing
Original post by loveleest
Thank you, I am actually trying to find some apprenticeships/internships, but it's a lot harder to find one than I thought.
BBC centers more around TV production instead of film production. So it's not something that I am that interested in.


I wouldn't worry about that- experience is experience. The BBC has tonnes of great programs for people looking for experience, all year around. The only difference between TV and film is one shoots for months and has a greater budget whereas the other shoots for weeks. It's still the same process and technique.
Look up the programs because the BBC have a wildlife documentary internship, a Horizon (a science show) internship and many more.
Original post by HelpusPleasus
I wouldn't worry about that- experience is experience. The BBC has tonnes of great programs for people looking for experience, all year around. The only difference between TV and film is one shoots for months and has a greater budget whereas the other shoots for weeks. It's still the same process and technique.
Look up the programs because the BBC have a wildlife documentary internship, a Horizon (a science show) internship and many more.


Thank you! I will consider :smile:
Original post by slee551
I have to agree with you! A lot of the degree courses are rather pointless and a waste of money. Majority of people I know just do a degree for the sake of having a degree. In September I hope to study psychology which is a pointless degree if that's the only level you reach to. I'm hoping to do a doctorate in clinical psychology or a PhD after my degree. But to be honest, many that just do a degree won't really get anywhere unless they have a solid plan or goals to do further study or a specific career.


Psychology grads go into other graduate careers too you know, (even some where psychology does help like HR and Occupational psychology) it's not do a psychology to become a clinical psychologist or die.
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by Canterbury bloke
I think OP is missing the fundamental point about a university education. The subject does not matter much, it's expanding your mind, researching, critically evaluating evidence and - frankly - for many it is about learning for learning's sake. University is about creating knowledge ... that's what research does. It doesn't matter if that's about space travel or what William Shakespeare thought about things. You sound bitter and narrow minded because you see only a limited number of subjects as being relevant but this is only from your viewpoint. Others would disagree.

I imagine you think History majors become historians, or Tudors, that French language students become French and that all engineering graduates get jobs as engineers. They don't.

If you don't want a degree then that's great, but it means you have closed the door to all graduate entry posts. End of. Companies like people with degrees in any subject to fill graduate trainee posts and anyone with a degree can switch subjects with the right conversion courses: once you have a degree you can open doors to other opportunities.

If taking an apprenticeship is good for you then I am pleased, but you are attacking people who might one day be the graduate trainee accountants, sales managers, researchers and decision makers in your chosen field.


I second everything in this post, spot on.*
I think you could say some are useless when used for different careers.

For example, I studied English and graduated last year with a fairly decent grade (a 2.1) from an ex-poly. But it turns out, unless I decided to go into teaching - or go back to uni. No one cares about my subject grade. Some parts of my current job I put my degree to use - but do I think it was worth the overdraft? Loan? And lack of work experience at 22? No.

I went to University in 2011 (had to redo a year due to illness) when fees were just about to rise. Apprenticeships were suggested to be for the dumb kids who didn't do A levels, if you didn't go to university why do a levels? We were filled into our heads University was the only option to excel at yourself and find yourself. We were sold the experience and a certificate as some package deal you were stupid to miss out on - because you'd never really notice the loan! And back then - no one was selling the student loan books to private companies...

Evidently my redoing a year meant I fell under the 9 grand bracket. But by that point I was already in the system.

When I got my first grad Job, a 2 year apprentice got taken on full time on the same salary as me. No debt, no overdraft and 4 years younger than me.

So yeah, in the real working world, some degrees get you nowhere. But 18 year old me excitedly packing my bags for uni was told you wouldn't even notice the debt, it was all worth it. So it's something you only really realise when you leave.

It's shocking to see that's it's still fashioned as the only option. I mean it's pretty clear graduate life is bloody hard - yet thousands of students still go every year. It's a money scheme really.
unless ur doing STEM or a pointless degree at a top university then ur wasting ur time
Original post by Tsrsarahhhh
What a closed minded way to think. Did you ever think that money isn't the driving force of everyone's decisions, some people study a subject because they are interested in it and they want to learn. It may be useless to you as there isn't a determined job available at the end of it but knowLedge gained from a degree is priceless. Not to mention the skills you acquire during a degree, you may not have a fixed job at the end but if I was an employer I would value someone with any degree Over someone who has done nothing, if you're willing to commit yourself to one subject for 3 years and work hard that indicates you are a hardworker etc etc.


I wouldn't say it's priceless, more like £9000 a year.
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by Princepieman
Psychology grads go into other graduate careers too you know, (even some where psychology does help like HR and Occupational psychology) it's not do a psychology to become a clinical psychologist or die.


Yes I do know that, I was only stating that I want to do clinical psychology. My point is the degree alone won't get you into areas such as occupational psychology, you have to specialise.
What if it's a STEM subject at london met? :007:
It really depends on the job you go into.

As someone who wants to go into teaching a degree in education is useful. However I know people who has done a degree in law and even STEM but isn't in a career that is related to their degree.
Agreed! And i actually did a social sciences degree...18 year old me made some poor life choices :K:

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