Howdy all!
Part 2 with Jorge Gonzales, a young man whose experiences nearly match everything warned about in "Worthless," who wanted to share his experiences with younger people out there so they can learn from his mistakes.
This episode focuses on the lack of leadership and guidance by parents, as well as other adults, when it comes to helping younger people choose the correct degree for them.
Sponsored by "Worthless!"
Great podcast! It is so nice to hear it from people who have lived it.
ReplyDeleteI think there is a core message that is not being discussed enough when talking about worthless degrees; that getting a worthwhile education doesn't mean that you have to abandon learning about something you're passionate about.
ReplyDeleteAs a software developer I have noticed that the vast majority of my fellow software developers fall into one of two categories; people who are single-mindedly passionate about computer, or people who are very active in other areas in their free time.
I've worked with some moderately successful semi-professional muscians and artists, and I know several people who graduated with double majors or second degrees in fields that would be considered worthless (and often seem like an odd addition to a computer-science or engineering degree). In a few cases the mixture of computer science with a worthless degree creates an odd synergy (sorry bout the buzzword) because it makes you relatively unique to fit into a niche in the market; for example, a guy I knew in University graduated with a computer science and music degree and has a very successful career developing a dynamic music application for a game developer.
I Agree with Bob. I'm enjoying these podcasts for that very reason.
ReplyDeleteYou've got a book aimed at people pre uni, a podcast with someone after uni. Have you done anything for people who wake up to find themselves halfway through, or nearing the completion of, a rather worthless degree? I've not seen anything, though I may have missed it. It's a situation I find myself in, though thankfully with no real debt (thanks Australian taxpayers, if you leave the country you don't have to ever pay the government 'loan' back, though I do feel tremendous guilt about doing that).
Also, enjoying the decline vs. forget 'follow your dreams,' get a bloody STEM degree, is there not some contradiction here?
Listening to these podcasts and reading the books, it's making me think about where I want to be, thanks for the relevant and insightful content.
I realized in my 4th year of an Education/Social Sciences degree that I wasn't going to be a teacher (nasty lot they are), and my social sciences degree would prove almost entirely useless. That said I still finished the degree. I'm in possession of a piece of paper that says I have a Bachelor of Arts with a Major in Liberal Studies. The degree did help me get a job, but it certainly wasn't a job I wanted. I did use my time at that job to get relevant experience for a career path I was actually interested in. I spent the next 6 years developing technical skills and obtaining useful training, and I'm finally now in a job that I'm happy doing.
ReplyDelete