Did anyone major in something completely useless in college?

[SPAGo 98]

something that right now seems really interesting but completley non-applicable in life?

(just wondering)

 

[becka]

Well not exactly but I did get my undergrad degree in math. It has been useful as a programmer in some ways (i.e. logic) but not with much else.

The really useless part would be if I decided to pursue a graduate degree. I would love to really concentrate on number theory and/or geometry. Number theory is certainly useful in areas such as encryption, etc. but overall spending 2+ years of my life getting into the study of prime numbers is not going to be very useful. Fun but not useful.

 

[coqui]

Technically yes.

Computer Information Systems.

You can't get a job without 10 years experience anymore.

That and all they teach you is programming (which I don't do and don't have any plans on ever doing)

 

[GEM]

No. I actually majored in theater (which a lot of people would think would be useless) but I've been supporting myself quite well as an actress, director, and acting teacher since the day I graduated.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Ah well, I do have a BS in Agriculture with my emphasis in Horticulture. I wouldn't say it is useless but more of use for a hobby at this point in my life.

 

[helenabear]

Yep, I have a BA in Communication... I don't do anything at all with my degree and unless I plan to teach or be a family/couples councelor I won't ever use it.

 

[SPAGo 98]

i ask because i was flipping through the handbook when one concentration caught my eye - germanic languages & lits, specifically scandinavian studies. i'd take swedish language and other assorted courses. it seems so incredibly interesting but so totally useless.

 

[gina2000]

Hey....I was a Russian language major. Totally useless because the fall after I graduated the Russians invaded Afghanistan.

There went THAT career!

Oh, and for the record.....if and when I go back to school....it will be for something else totally useless.

 

[Sharon A.]

Oh I win this prize for sure. It actually isn't as bad as it sounds, but it sounds LAME. I majored in Social Ecology.

The only reason why it wasn't as bad as it sounds is because inside the major, you specialized into one category. I mostlyl took the classes I needed to become an elementary teacher (classroom management, psych classes etc.) and those classes were pretty good.

The few lower division Social Ecology classes were vaguely interesting, but completely worthless.

 

[Nikole]

i'd take swedish language and other assorted courses. it seems so incredibly interesting but so totally useless.

Well Spags you could always go translate for the Women's Sweedish Swim Team (or whichever team of gorgeous blonde women that is)

 

[Simba's Mom]

When I saw this thread, I said "I hope DS doesn't answer this in 10 years." He's majoring in Jazz studies, which doesn't seem too useful to me, but I did meet a performer in MK who'd been a Jazz Studies major.

 

[Mermaid02]

Yes- his name was Matt.

 

[Robinrs]

My Mom thought I did at the time... English Comp Lit and Speech and Theatre...

But I've been in radio now for 22 years so I guess it wasn't THAT useless....

I think just being a college graduate offers so much more than expertise in a particular subject. It makes a child into an adult who can make legitimate choices, the kind they will have to make for the rest of their lives.

Even if they major in Astrology they will leave with at least that....

 

[HugsForEeyore]

I have two useless degrees - I got my bachelor's degree in Computer Science. It sounds good, but like a previous poster said, it was hard to get any job without years of experience. So many tech people out there, and it's hard to compete. And your skills become useless so quickly.

My second useless sounding degree is my masters - in Library and Information Science. A degree to become a librarian - most people laugh when I tell them - they think I am getting such an outdated degree! But I am concentrating on the tech/database part, so I am somewhat hopeful I will eventually get a job!

At my undergrad college, the majors considered useless were communications, english, and especially psychology. But I am glad to see some posters here did well with those degrees!

<img src="http://home.att.net/~disneysue/hugsmall3.gif">

 

[danacara]

HugsForEeyore: I was in the Mendham Library yesterday getting some studying done. What a coincidence that the poster above me on this thread is a librarian from Mendham.

I majored in Operations Research and Financial Engineering. It has been tremendously useful so far - lots of math, systems modeling, economics. I think there is a lot of value in the writing skills you can develop doing something like Slavic Lang & Lit. You also get a tremendous amount of attention in departments as small as those - and Harvard has the best in the nation (sigh, we hate being second to Harvard in anything )

My boyfriend is the only geoscience major in Princeton '03. The department has thirty professors, including the guy who came up with tectonic plate theory, a humongous building chock full of resources, a full set of dinosaur bones, and one senior. The amount of attention he's gotten has been incredible. This week he's in Albuquerque with some of his professors to look at hot springs and an extinct volcano. Companies have flown him out to interview. He's going to law school next year, but I know he has loved his tremendously personal and mostly useless major.

 

[Sonya]

Someone told me I should apologize to my parents for majoring in French. HA! I am now teaching and translating.

However my minor is in photography. Can you tell I wanted to travel for a living? I use it now to take really really good family pictures.

 

[SuiteDisney]

Well, Gene majored in psychology, but I guess he needed that to be married to me.

 

[supercarrie]

I haven't been to college (you already knew that though lol) but my brother majored in studio art. I talked to him about it recently, and he said that he hasn't felt it has helped him at all. He said that if he wanted to live in NYC and paint for a living, it probably would help him, but since he wants to do photography (which he taught to himself basically) all people care to see is his portfolio, not whether he graduated from a 4 year university.

 

[smilingmouse]

I can relate to all of the previous posters. I'm a dual major in French and Anthropology......

I may not get a job, but I'm sure having fun

SmilingMouse

 

[DocRafiki]

I went into college knowing that the goal was to find a job when I got out. I only considered majors aimed towards a career. I took some fun classes along the way and can't wait until I can go back to take some more fun classes on my days off.