'Mickey Mousers' Society

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Reply 20

cpj1987

Bubblebee

Can I be an honourary member? I'd love to be doing Surf Science right now but am stuck with English :frown:

Ooh I'm going to try and make it into a society, and yes, you can be a member. :biggrin:

Reply 21

ChemistBoy

BA or BSc - it doesn't matter, btw. People get BAs in maths and natural sciences you know - it's a totally arbitrary decision made by the university and is of absolutely no consequence.

The wierd thing is that when I was an undergraduate I was firm in the belief that my degree (chemistry) was much harder than most and that people doing 'mickey mouse' degrees were wasting time and money. Since I became a postgraduate student and now a researcher my opinions have changed quite considerably, and you know why? Because I've actually met a lot more people who have graduated from so-called 'mickey mouse' degree programmes who are a) doing good jobs, b) earning more money than me and c) (most importantly) very good at what they do. I've also realised that there is more to degrees than just graduates - academic departments live and die by undergraduate teaching provision and a lot of interesting research goes on in 'mickey mouse' fields.

Reply 22

beach surf babe

I'm gonna be doing Public Relations- I don't know if thats a mickey mouse subject or not (who cares) but if it gets me a good job (and there are very good jobs in PR) then I'm happy :biggrin:

As for other so-called mickey mouse subjects-if you want a career in tv production/journalism/whatever...then a degree is as good a place to start as any. You've got to learn somewhere, haven't you?

Reply 23

cpj1987

beach surf babe

I'm gonna be doing Public Relations- I don't know if thats a mickey mouse subject or not (who cares) but if it gets me a good job (and there are very good jobs in PR) then I'm happy :biggrin:

As for other so-called mickey mouse subjects-if you want a career in tv production/journalism/whatever...then a degree is as good a place to start as any. You've got to learn somewhere, haven't you?

Ooh PR, cool! Any ideas what specifically you wanna do, or are you just looking for any job in that career?
:smile:

Reply 24

beach surf babe

Not sure what I wanna do specifically, ask me in a years (or 5 or 10 or... :biggrin:

) time

but something in PR or similar hopefully...

Reply 25

cpj1987

beach surf babe

Not sure what I wanna do specifically, ask me in a years (or 5 or 10 or... :biggrin:

) time

Haha fair enough!

Reply 26

lucho22

beach surf babe

I'm gonna be doing Public Relations- I don't know if thats a mickey mouse subject or not (who cares) but if it gets me a good job (and there are very good jobs in PR) then I'm happy :biggrin:

As for other so-called mickey mouse subjects-if you want a career in tv production/journalism/whatever...then a degree is as good a place to start as any. You've got to learn somewhere, haven't you?

Well maybe in Britain your subject would be considered by some a 'mickey mouse' (principally because it's not generally offered by the older universities) - but in the US it's quite a respected subject - My cousin just graduated from the University of Georgia (UGA) with a summa cum laude double major in PR and French. Now she's currently interning at a massive consultancy firm on the Champs-Elysées doing global communications. She also worked in the Head Office of Coca Cola for a year... So I would say that outside the U.K. there are very good opportunities for PR graduates.

Reply 27

beach surf babe

Wow!! I would love to get an amazing placement like that... :biggrin:

Reply 28

apotoftea

You've even got the support of Boris Johnson:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml;jsessionid=IXVUDJNHCHCXNQFIQMFCFGGAVCBQYIV0?xml=/opinion/2007/08/23/do2301.xml

Reply 29

Dionysus

vickytoria77

You've even got the support of Boris Johnson:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml;jsessionid=IXVUDJNHCHCXNQFIQMFCFGGAVCBQYIV0?xml=/opinion/2007/08/23/do2301.xml

I think what good ol' Boris is saying is that the vocational nature of the courses is useful, and I think most people agree with that. The problem is that these 'degrees' are taught in universities and people are duped into believing that they are working towards a degree that will put them at the very top of their profession, whilst in reality it is a very expensive method of training to enter the industry at a very low level. It is also important to distinguish between these sorts of degrees. Something like Graphic Design has a real point to it and it is impossible to become a graphic designer with a more generic degree, whilst at the same time there are laughable courses in 'Wine Studies' and 'Boxing'. Find me ONE respected wine expert or a professional boxer with a degree in either of those subjects! It's simply a waste of money both for the individual and the taxpayer, to achieve nothing that couldn't be achieved on the job.

Reply 30

cpj1987

I think Boris' opinion on this matches mine. That 'Mickey Mouse' courses are worthwhile, and are useful, but that with so much pressure on people to go to university, a lot of people go in without researching, or without thinking about what their degree will mean to them in the future, or thinking they've picked an 'easy' subject, just to adhere to social pressures.
Those of us who are doing, and working hard for, an 'MM' degree and have plans for the future though and a real view of what our degree will mean, and what it will do for us, good on us. My response to Boris' article has just gone onto the Telegraph website, I've put it below, shows what I mean better:

Spoiler

Reply 31

Lolly-88

beach surf babe

I'm gonna be doing Public Relations- I don't know if thats a mickey mouse subject or not (who cares) but if it gets me a good job (and there are very good jobs in PR) then I'm happy :biggrin:

As for other so-called mickey mouse subjects-if you want a career in tv production/journalism/whatever...then a degree is as good a place to start as any. You've got to learn somewhere, haven't you?

I was going to do that...i really wanted to get on the bournmouth course but i changed my mind. The course seemed really interesting though.

Reply 32

beach surf babe

You're right-it pays to do your research and think about where your gonna go after your degree and how useful your degree is gonna be in your chosen career. If your degree could potentially lead you directly to a job at the end of the course then its got to be good. I intend to have a career in PR or something related and whilst I don't necessarily have to do a PR degree to get a job in PR, its gonna provide me with a good solid foundation of knowledge which I hope will help in getting me a job. My degree has a years work placement and with any other degree thats in a more traditional subject, I wouldn't be getting that. That placement will be invaluable if I get a good place and hopefully I'll get my foot firmly in the door...

I wish there wasn't all this rubbish about MM subjects-but then we'll be laughing when we're in good jobs whilst people with traditional degrees are wondering what they're actually gonna be doing after their degree :p:

Reply 33

beach surf babe

Lolly-88

I was going to do that...i really wanted to get on the bournmouth course but i changed my mind. The course seemed really interesting though.

Yeah, its a good course and some of the placements people had were amazing (L'Oreal was one of them!). I had an offer and considered going there but it was a bit too close to home and I needed to escape! :biggrin:

What course did you choose instead?

Reply 34

Lolly-88

beach surf babe

What course did you choose instead?

I chose psychology in the end...it's the only subject i'm really passionate about. Plus i knew i would really love a career in advertising, marketing, PR or as a psychologist and the most suitable degree which allows me the chance to keep all those options fully open is psychology which is why I went for it.

Reply 35

strawberry_wise

I do Screen Studies, and I love it.

Everything that we study is so interesting to me. I have learnt all about the history of film from its invention in 1895 to the contemporary landscape, from Hollywood to independent film to world cinema. Every essay is a joy, as sad as that sounds. I'm just about to go into my third year, and am currently doing preliminary reading for my dissertation, in which I am going to write about science-fiction films from the 1950s and their contemporary remakes, looking at aspects of communism, postmodernism and the historical, social and political contexts of these films. Very exciting!

I used to think that when I finished I would go into production, but the things that I have learnt (the course contains a 15% practical element) have made me want to go into post-production or become an academic.

When I was selecting unis I had a few teachers take me aside and give me a hushed talk about "the kind of university you should be going to". Now, as then, I hear their sentiments echoed in the right-wing press and on this forum. And, whilst I appreciate the concern, I made my decision after careful research and consideration, and I haven't regretted it for a moment.

I vote yes to a soc!

Reply 36

SFC_FOREVER!

I'm just about to start my second year in Sports Science. Was going to do Physiology or Phsiopheraphy, but went with my heart, and I love it.

Want to be a secondary school PE teacher.

Reply 37

cpj1987

Have applied for a new society but not sure how long it'll take to hear back or whatever.

Reply 38

cpj1987

strawberry_wise

I used to think that when I finished I would go into production, but the things that I have learnt (the course contains a 15% practical element) have made me want to go into post-production or become an academic.

Wow your course sounds really interesting. :biggrin:

So do you enjoy the theory part more, or the practical? Assuming the theory since that takes up a majority of your course?
What kind of post-production would you go into if you were to do that?

Reply 39

strawberry_wise

cpj1987

Wow your course sounds really interesting. :biggrin:

So do you enjoy the theory part more, or the practical? Assuming the theory since that takes up a majority of your course?
What kind of post-production would you go into if you were to do that?

Thanks, it is! :biggrin:

I enjoy both bits for different reasons - practical is a nice change from lectures but it does involve standing in the rain a lot (as I'm sure you've experienced!) and the people I work with let me down a lot last year so it got pretty stressful.

I'd love to be an editor - we use Avid at uni but I'd love to try my hand at some real-life celluloid editing! :biggrin:

Do you get to do studio-based stuff on your course? Because mine is more of a film studies course we don't really get to do much tv stuff and this is the only thing that I feel like I'm missing out on!