Which Degrees are pretty 'pointless'?

[DreadLock]

Just starting to look at courses with DS. So many choices. BUT I am sure there are some which are not particularly going to lead to much. Employers - what do you look for on a CV and what would you avoid?
And any other 'views' are welcome.
DS not even sure if he wants to go to UNI so we are having a good look into stuff.

[exoticfruits]

Now that everyone ends up with a first or 2:1, AndAnother, I think you would have to.
DS got his job because he had to show them what he could do- not tell them what he could do- often 2 different things!!

[MagratGarlik]

Chunderella, I know one science teacher at a private, selective all girls school who has a 2.2 in a non-science discipline. This person is a recent graduate. I know another maths teacher with a non-maths based (actually humanities) degree at 2.2 who is also a recent (last 3 years) graduate who works in another highly selective private school. I'd say they are pretty 'plum' jobs as teaching goes. These people are teaching up to and including A'level.

(The name, BTW is Magrat, not Margret )

[fussychica]

Magrat _ how on earth did they secure such positions? Have they close connections with the schools?

[MagratGarlik]

No. Shortage of people with good degrees in sciences and maths who want to do those jobs. Many with good degrees in those disciplines (by no means all) will get better paid jobs elsewhere. Consequently, maths and science becomes even less commonly chosen at degree level and so the cycle perpetuates. Of course, this is not all science and maths teachers, but current figures are that only 50% have a good degree. Most that are qualified with a good degree are biology specialists. Around 30% of physics specialists do not have a physics degree.

[fussychica]

I understand the shortage - I know about the bursary scheme for shortage subjects at PGCE, I just couldn't see how you would apply for a post in a different discipline in the first place. Perhaps they applied for their subject area but due to the shortage of suitable science/maths applicants were taken on for science/math posts.
I just can't imagine how someone teaches a subject to A level that far outside their specialism.

[MagratGarlik]

They applied for those shortage areas and trained in those areas (after a quick < 1 year conversion course).

[MagratGarlik]

When I say trained in those areas, I mean got maths/science PGCE after a short conversion course, not trained as in doing another degree.

[ItsaTIARA]

Having studied at a high status uni and then a much lower status institution for my post graduate vocational (externally examined) course, and hence hung out with both sets of students. I'd say that the only real waste of time degrees are a) something that you won't be motivated to work at so you'll end up with a third b) a traditional subject from a non-traditional institution. I don't think an Eng Lit degree from London Met is going to impress anyone.

It's a shame that your DS doesn't like maths OP, but if he is money-motivated I think you should impress upon him that he should work like stink to get the best possible A level result. An A* in Maths A level, especially if he does a pure arts degree, is a very useful safety net for any kind of finance-related job. As an employer, having suffered from many admin assistants with flakey numeracy I would always put someone with a good numerate A level at the top of the heap. The other thing I do is google schools and mentally calibrate A level results accordingly - 4 As from Eton gets a shrug, 4As from Tower Hamlets Academy gets an interview.

[RussiansOnTheSpree]

Magrat And me. That's probably why we agree!

[RussiansOnTheSpree]

Chunder (great name ) It does depend what the career you want is, though. Being great at maths but unable to string 5 words together in a sentence, is not an attractive selling point.

[LaFataTurchina]

I think the £9000 tuition fees are such a shame.

My friends and I were probably amongst the last bunch who still thought right I'll just do a tradtional subject that I enjoy at a redbrick/older uni for three years and then tada! I'll get a graduate career (graduated 2010).

While it didn't work out that way, (what with graduating into a depression), and we've all had to go into further study or into non-graduate careers initally I feel so lucky that we got three/four years doing something we enjoy, and learnt to live away from home in a safe sort of environment before being chucked out into the real world.

Things just seem to be getting harder every year for young people, and they are having to make important decisions at a much younger age without really getting any breathing space

[MagratGarlik]

I think though that those of us born in the '60s, '70s and '80s had the luxury of being able to use university as a chance to have fun, grow up and explore life without responsibility is something which was not available to previous generations and nor is it available to current generations. Being a graduate from a 'good' university is not enough any more, because graduates from 'good' universities are ten-a-penny. Choosing a career and then choosing appropriate training to get you there are pretty much the way things are going and yes, that means young people have to make decisions sooner than in previous times.

[Mumzy]

I think a gap year would be a very good opportunity to find out what type of work might suit. For example Volunteering for 6 months in a healthcare setting then 6 months in a law firm enables you to see the jobs warts and all. However you need to be proactive to get the opportunity and have dps who can afford to keep you for another year. I agree its sad this generation will not have the luxury of doing a subject just for the pure joy of it without the need to think about employment prospects. However its either limiting university to the most academic 10% of the population which the taxpayer supports as in the 'old' days or expanding up to 40 % of the population which has to paid for by the individuals themselves.

[78bunion]

It is worth remembering that when I went to university many many of us did not get the "full grant and unless our parents were rich or kind enough to make the money up plenty could not go to university at all. It was not a totally free education (although it is true there were no fees). There was still an expectation parents would pay unless the parents were not very well off and still the problem that some parents chose not to pay and others did pay. There were also no loans at all and jobs were not always that easy to get. It was not a brilliantly easy nirvana.

I agree that in careers like law if you are Oxbridge working class as all the internships etc are fully paid and fees are paid for your professional qualifications in the big firm (and banking etc etc) it is very different from those working class graduates wanting to get into fashion, media etc but on the other hand they will never make much money in fashion, media etc so perhaps it is a good bonus that they are put off those lower earning careers women have far too often been pushed into where you earn pin money on the whole. Perhaps the absence of paid internships in jobs which do not pay women well is a blessing in disguise for the Oxbridge working class person made good.

[RussiansOnTheSpree]

I have several friends making an absolute fortune (in anyone's terms) in media jobs.....

[RussiansOnTheSpree]

Chunder try being working class Oxbridge educated and in possession of a not widely understood disability. :( Although actually, I can't really complain since things have worked out OK. I suspect had I not had Cambridge on my CV though, with the other strikes against me I'd've found it rather more difficult to succeed...

[78bunion]

It is lawyers who will sort this out of course... as if you are just watching or shadowing you don't get the minimum wage. If you're doing work you should be as the test cases are showing.

[MaddAddam]

I read Philosophy. Which has to be the meeting point between Utterly Pointless and still academically respected - graduates tend to have good job prospects.

It gives you the skills to write whole essays on what the term Pointless might mean.

I loved it.

[mathanxiety]

My exBIL did Philosophy and now writes software for the aeronautics industry (in the US). When he first applied for the job he got an offer over the phone, no interview whatsoever.

[Want2bSupermum]

Exotic I agree with you on some points. It was my Dad's advice and for where I was at the time it was good advice to give me. The world has changed and keeps on changing. I think the expectation of the world in the future will be to combine studying and work throughout your career. This is how things have worked out for me and I see many of my cohort following a similiar path.

For professions the basic degree gets them started and I think the only focus should be on where employers recuit from. If your child(ren) are not sure what they want to do I would suggest your child does some research and finds out which universities companies such as Unilever, General Mills, P&G etc hire from. I would also be pushing my child to go get work experience. When a child is curious most adults want to help. I have had about 15 kids shadow me this summer. One child was as a favour to the parent I am friends with but the other kids approached me themselves. It wasn't paid because they were shadowing me and two came back and asked about getting work experience. I pushed for both of them to be offered internships and they are coming back in January to complete paid 12 wk internships that will give them 9 college credits.

The other kids that shadowed me learnt that they are not interested in a career in accounting. That is fine and I explained that it isn't for everyone but they should think about what they want and call me as I might know someone within the firm I work for or at a client they could shadow.

[DalmationDots]

My DD is doing a non-mainstream degree with a title which makes is almost off putting.. think a mix of education/social policy/psychology/family law... but with a title which badly tries to capture it all
When she went into it we were anxious whether it would be recognised or lead anywhere as it is the kind of degree where you could reach a dead end with employers just not understanding. But she knew reading the course content it was perfect and everything she is interested in and would be very beneficial for the career areas she is interested in - Educational Management/writing policy/maybe teaching/setting up a school eventually.
She took the risk, the course is at a Russell Group and it turns out her department was rated top this year. She has got a job offer for when she graduates next year already and has absolutely loved the course and studying it with 29 other very like-minded students.

IMO someone doing say History with no clue what they want to do after or ambition is far worse/more pointless than someone doing Disney Studies with plans to go on and be a manager/designer/marketing at Disney world!