Thanks Smartso. It has provided me with an education rather than job specific skills. I believe the degree is useful, but not in getting a good job. Either way, I would rather be paid a low wage in a job I love than make lots of money and despise it.
Hi Johnny...congrats on almost being finished the BA in Political Science...:smile:
At this point I can see several things you can do with your degree provided you have the grades and extra-curricular background:
1. Take the LSAT and apply to law schools across Canada to become a lawyer 2. Take the GMAT and apply to MBA schools across Canada to become a political business consultant/advisor 3. Go to teacher's college and become a teacher. 4. Continue on to the MA/PhD level and become a professor 5. Sign up with a youth political party and begin your political career...just don't run against me in the federal election...:wink: 6. Try to get a job with a think tank like the Fraser Institute or something that has to do with politics and social activism. Take additional education when necessary.
Not many people spend their college years thinking about this - they're too busy cramming for exams/papers and enjoy life. It's usually when you get your first job you start to wonder questions such as "what are my passions", "what is the meaning of life"....etc. There are always many options in life but it is important to do something you enjoy. Polichick summed it up well - what a positive thinker
Thanks Smartso. It has provided me with an education rather than job specific skills. I believe the degree is useful, but not in getting a good job. Either way, I would rather be paid a low wage in a job I love than make lots of money and despise it.
Johnny, I hear ya!
Useless BA and four years wasted. Not to mention feeling like an idiot with all those people in front of whom you acted all proud as though your life is going to amount to something. :)
So, as another poster said, your options are pretty much LSAT/GMAT/teacher's college/Grad studies.
I'm here to tell you forget that advice!!! It's nothing but a trap!!!
I should've listened to my bf three years ago when he said don't fall into the uni trap (he has a BA in polisci. Me, worse - lit). But no, I had to go try out for two out of the four options mentioned above, and guess what? It's a trap, as useless as your BA.
Get a job.
Sales, Consulting, Writing, anything. Just don't fall into the uni trap. You can't rectify a wrong by doing more wrong. 50% of PhD. have jobs. Lawyers are shysters. MBA programs are extremely competitive. And not everyone has the patience to teach. Forget uni. That part of life is over.
Just don't fall into a dead-end job. Get a part-time job until you get the career you're looking for.
Actually, Jennybronx, I agree with your advice. I dont think more school in and itself is not the solution. Thing is though, to get ahead, especially on your own without something like an MD or something, you need passion.
Although the education is great to have, you really need to focus on something more specific for work. I love going to university....it matured me and gave me great social skills. No regrets.
Sometimes I think majority of us will not have a sense of what career really means until we get our first job, walk in the first day overwhelmed with passion and find out it's totally different than what we expected - maybe then we'll realize what we really want out of life.
You were smart enough to survive 4 years of university, and I assure you my friend, you would be smart enough to get a good job, too. To be honest with you, I did Arts and looked for a job for sometime, too. Being unsuccessful, I began to feel that I had wasted my money and time, but it was not true; it has never been. Trust me, having a good education pays off. Just stay positive and stay far away from negative people. You are already far ahead of most people. Education gives you a certain level of impression and prestige, which without it, you could never have. People always envy you. Even if temporarily you have to flip burgers to make a living, on the inside, you will still feel different because you are, in fact, different from everybody else around you in your working place…you have the education to move up! Comparatively speaking, you will always be at a higher level.
I also will graduate at the end of this year, and find myself asking what will I do with my arts degree. I just want to let all those arts students out there know that it's not just us. I think most new graduates go through this...My boyfriend recently graduated with a masters in engineering, and even he is having difficulty finding a good job. Right now we're both kind of wondering what years of education have done for us... I think it's just going to take some faith and determination...you'll find something good if you really try.
eventhough you have not found a job Yet you have introduced yourself to a higher level of thinking and at the same time you have gained knowledge and eventhough it does not tie into a particular job you want to do you still better from it. Personally Business is the way to go if you want job ready skills, once you are done your degree
dude, i totally know what you're going through. i'm also gradding this year and i've added all that i can to my degree (Geo major, Cmns minor, plus 2 certificates).
i want to be an urban planner or related field, but everywhere i go Masters is the minimum standard. you need a masters to get a career, but you also need work experience to get a masters. like wth right?
anyways, if you want to get your masters or any relevant work experience i suggest trying to get anything. even if its volunteer or using an org that sends students abroad to get work experience (CITA i think its called).
ive asked around on what to do and how to get there, and everyone tells me one thing:
Dont ever think that you won't be able to find a job once you are done your degree (no matter what it is). There are lots of people who find successful careers without going to university at all...what sets them apart from you? They know how the real world works and they know how to handle people. Be headstrong and jump into life. Figure out what you want and you will get it. Having a degree only puts you that much more ahead. Whereas those highschool success stories will reach a point where they can longer get past (ie. manager)...you should always have the satisfaction of knowing that education can take you farther...there are endless possibilities you just have to believe that.
tip: talk to people who are older and have already walked through the mine field
I've found employers dont really care what you graduate with or from which university. Not that i'm down-playing education but work experience plays more of a role in getting a job and landing interviews. Grades mean nothing if you cant function in a real-world social setting. I was the first out of my group of friends to graduate and I landed a job easy-peasy but my BCIT friends are having troubles since they took 2 years off working just to go to school. Street smarts are always a good thing
Comments
What is my life going to be?
Four years of college and plenty of knowledge,
Have earned me this useless degree.
I can't pay the bills yet,
'Cause I have no skills yet,
The world is a big scary place.
But somehow I can't shake,
The feeling I might make,
A difference,
To the human race.:smile:
At this point I can see several things you can do with your degree provided you have the grades and extra-curricular background:
1. Take the LSAT and apply to law schools across Canada to become a lawyer
2. Take the GMAT and apply to MBA schools across Canada to become a political business consultant/advisor
3. Go to teacher's college and become a teacher.
4. Continue on to the MA/PhD level and become a professor
5. Sign up with a youth political party and begin your political career...just don't run against me in the federal election...:wink:
6. Try to get a job with a think tank like the Fraser Institute or something that has to do with politics and social activism. Take additional education when necessary.
Good luck in your endeavours Johnny!
personally. i just can't beleive that after four years of schooling or whatever you haven't found out who you are and what you want to do.
so here's some good advice. avoid FUD: fear, uncertainty and doubt.
Useless BA and four years wasted. Not to mention feeling like an idiot with all those people in front of whom you acted all proud as though your life is going to amount to something. :)
So, as another poster said, your options are pretty much LSAT/GMAT/teacher's college/Grad studies.
I'm here to tell you forget that advice!!! It's nothing but a trap!!!
I should've listened to my bf three years ago when he said don't fall into the uni trap (he has a BA in polisci. Me, worse - lit). But no, I had to go try out for two out of the four options mentioned above, and guess what? It's a trap, as useless as your BA.
Get a job.
Sales, Consulting, Writing, anything. Just don't fall into the uni trap. You can't rectify a wrong by doing more wrong. 50% of PhD. have jobs. Lawyers are shysters. MBA programs are extremely competitive. And not everyone has the patience to teach. Forget uni. That part of life is over.
Just don't fall into a dead-end job. Get a part-time job until you get the career you're looking for.
My two cents.
Although the education is great to have, you really need to focus on something more specific for work. I love going to university....it matured me and gave me great social skills. No regrets.
Sometimes I think majority of us will not have a sense of what career really means until we get our first job, walk in the first day overwhelmed with passion and find out it's totally different than what we expected - maybe then we'll realize what we really want out of life.
I think it's just going to take some faith and determination...you'll find something good if you really try.
dude, i totally know what you're going through. i'm also gradding this year and i've added all that i can to my degree (Geo major, Cmns minor, plus 2 certificates).
i want to be an urban planner or related field, but everywhere i go Masters is the minimum standard. you need a masters to get a career, but you also need work experience to get a masters. like wth right?
anyways, if you want to get your masters or any relevant work experience i suggest trying to get anything. even if its volunteer or using an org that sends students abroad to get work experience (CITA i think its called).
ive asked around on what to do and how to get there, and everyone tells me one thing:
be aggressive to get your passion.
tip: talk to people who are older and have already walked through the mine field
I was the first out of my group of friends to graduate and I landed a job easy-peasy but my BCIT friends are having troubles since they took 2 years off working just to go to school. Street smarts are always a good thing