College

noffgurl

I have been toying with the idea of college. I really (obviously) want a higher income. On the same token, I don't want to spend alot of time and/or money pursuing a degree that will be useless. . . Suggestions on majors?

CuriousKiddosMama

This is a hard one because to me you also have to love what you do. I would start at maybe a community college for some career counciling and to see if they have an internship program or job shadow program- that way you can 'try out' a job you light get with the degree before you waste $ on the degree. The college should also be able to help you research job prospects in your degree field before you start.

allyld5

Girl I am right there with you.  I have had SUCH a hard time trying to figure out what I want to do with my life.  I've gone to community college a few different times and still don't even have my associates degree because I can't figure out a job that i would LOVE and make a nice amount of money to support my husband and i and the family that we want to start.  it's really hard trying to figure it all out and it doesn't help that the advisers at my college are useless.  they never help me with anything.

i have really been struggling with this and am going to look into getting a certificate or something. i really hope you can figure something out as well!

noffgurl

I get that, but what I would love to study (history, archaeology, paleontology, etc..) don't have many good, stable career prospects for one and for two if you are lucky enough to land a job it doesn't pay much, more than what I make now, but maybe not worth the time, money, and effort spent. On the flip side, I am good at, and actually really enjoy my current job (office assistant, but with extensive duties) and would strongly consider business, economics, accounting. . . I am just wondering where the good paying, stable (can make a lifelong career stable) jobs are? I have a friend who says she got a bachelors in business when she was my age but was never able to land a job in it and has since been working as cashier and cook.

hoffse

Well I probably don't have the advice you are looking for.  A liberal arts education has always been about getting educated, not getting a job.  Trade schools are about getting a job.  The people who go to college simply to get a job often find themselves disappointed.

Of course, some majors are more "practical" than others - you might find a job with a degree in business or accounting or something else of that nature.  The classic liberal arts probably won't land you a high-paying job in your field unless you further your education beyond the bachelor's degree.  Not saying it's impossible, just not as likely.

I triple majored in three very impractical subjects: art history, English, and political science.  

Art history I absolutely loved.  I came extremely close to going to grad school in it, and then I bailed at the last minute because I probably would have had to learn two foreign languages to study the time period/location I loved (French and Dutch...), and that prospect overwhelmed me.  I still regret that sometimes.

I majored in English primarily as an excuse to read novels in college - I'm not naturally good at it, but I enjoyed the subject material.  I also got to read some great books, many of which I probably never would have picked up on my own.  Example: I hate the move Gone with the Wind with a passion, and I never would have chosen to read the book.  Turns out the book is infinitely better than the movie - so good it lands on my personal top 10 list.

Political science I didn't like as much, but I kept getting seduced by the course descriptions.  I only had like 2 classes to finish when I realized I disliked most poli sci classes I took, regardless of the topic.  But I was so close to finishing that I went ahead and did it.  Having three majors landed me scholarship money to law school, so it was worth it.

My H double majored in music composition and clarinet performance.  Then he minored in anthropology because he thought it was interesting.  He also went to law school.

Law school is a trade school.  But you can't go unless you have a bachelor's degree in something.  So yeah, both of us went to undergrad for the education and law school to learn a trade.  We both felt like it was worth it.  We feel like we got the best of both worlds - education and trade.

Some of my favorite undergrad classes: "The Physics of Art and the Art of Physics" (taught by a guy who used to x-ray paintings at the Smithsonian), Southern lit, Jewish lit (LOVED), "Art and Power," and ok... "The Nature of War" was a pretty badass class, even if it was polisci.  

My H's favorite class in college was called, "Primate Evolution and Extinction."  His final exam involved identifying primates by their teeth.

Anyway, that's a liberal arts education for you... 

Wulfgar

My suggestion is to find what you like to do and pursue that.  I know maintenance people and welders make decent money with little additional education.  Some supervision type jobs require only an undergrad degree.

If you are good with math, you could become an accountant or get a finance degree.  If you like to design things and are good in math and science, you could become an engineer.

For me, I enjoy my work most of the time as an engineer.

I have talked with and worked with a lot of people doing various things.  If you are good in customer service or sales, you don't always need a degree if you have the work experience.

als1982

If I recall, you're in an area that is fairly rural, so you may not have this luxury, but if I were you, I would find an entry-level job in a field that you have interest in that offers tuition assistance.  This way, you'll get some firsthand experience with what your future career looks like and what it'll take to get there, plus you won't have to add to your current debt-load to do it.

On a total side note, have you ever thought about the medical field?  If I could handle it, I would totally have gotten a BSN (Bachelors of Science in Nursing).  Jobs are always in demand, there's great variety of settings in which to work, and a ton of different shift/scheduling options.

noffgurl

Thank you all. I have seriously considered the medical field for the stability but I get queasy at the idea of cutting someone open but the more business side is something I might think about. Right now I'm getting a lot of experience in logistics which is surprisingly fun so I was think supply chain managementish but I don't see a ton of job openings, but maybe that doesn't matter and I should just go for it and see what happens.

CuriousKiddosMama

What about a paralegal? If you are good at office work and enjoy that type of thing, that may be a pay increase and something that you are good at.

Xstatic3333

Like others have said, I think it's wise to try to think about what you'd like to do all day, every day and then work backward.  For me in my career, that meant reaching beyond my interest (environmental science, which my degree is in) and thinking about the little job tasks that make me happy.  I like organizing people.  I like scheduling things.  I like desktop publishing and public speaking.  I like a mix of team and independent work.  Thinking about little things like that helped me find a job in my field that worked well with my personality and skill set.  

I think figuring out your interest in logistics is a great start!  Think about WHY you like it, and you may come up with other ideas, too.  It sounds pretty practical to me, although I'm not familiar with the field.  The paralegal suggestion is great too, from a practical standpoint.  In my area they are currently in demand and making fantastic money, and I believe it a relatively quick certificate program.  

I'll also say this about going back to school as an adult.  I ended up with SLs when I went for my Masters, which was a career-entry program for me.  They're just below that "less than my starting salary" cutoff that makes them non-life-crushing, and I don't regret them, per se, but I regret not trying harder to minimize them.  Some students in my program, for example, got tuition stipends for working on campus simply because they asked about opportunities like that, while I stumbled blindly into my first semester.  If you find the right program, ASK about ways you can reduce your tuition burden.  Most professors in a good program want you there if you're a hard worker and will try to point you in the right direction.  

maple2

If employment and income are your primary goals, here are a few articles that talk about the highest paying majors as well as the majors with the highest and lowest unemployment rates. These are national averages, though, so I don't know whether all of these majors would be employable or well compensated where you live. Or which ones would be the best fit for your skills and interests. While I attended a liberal arts college and had a wonderful, enriching experience that was about so much more than just getting a job, I don't think it's unreasonable to evaluate the financial pros (job!) and cons (cost of tuition, loss of income to focus on studies) of attending college, especially when you are older and may have more financial obligations.

http://www.payscale.com/college-salary-report-2014/majors-that-pay-you-back

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/25-college-majors-with-lowest-unemployment-rates/

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/25-college-majors-with-the-highest-unemployment-rates/

vlagrl29

You have to love what you do, so I wouldn't get a degree in something that pays well but hate doing.

hoffse

Be careful with the paralegal thing and make sure there's a need in your location before you do it.  Our corporate group (which is where I work) has one paralegal for our office.  He helps out 16 attorneys in our group and he is always asking for work. Paralegals usually have billable hour minimums that they have to hit - not as high as attorneys, but still significant to keep their jobs.  I'm always worrying about him when he asks for work constantly, because it means he's not busy enough.  Yeah... 16 lawyers aren't able to keep him busy enough to hit his hours.

The reality is that partners tend to use associates (young, non-partnered lawyers) for a lot of work that paralegals could probably do.  That's because our billable rates are higher, and we're licensed so the liability issue isn't as much of a concern.  Associate work requires less oversight on the partner's end than paralegal work.  As for associates, we are of the younger generation and sometimes have a hard time knowing how to use a paralegal or legal secretary in a way that's efficient.  Honestly, I have found that it's usually faster if I just do the work myself instead of having to explain it to somebody else and then carefully CAREFULLY check their work since they aren't licensed.  Don't get me wrong - both my legal secretary and our paralegal has bailed me out on more than one occasion... but most of the stuff I ask them to do is pretty mundane (make copies, make notebooks, pull an EIN, fill out a tax form, submit my mileage for reimbursement, etc).

Anyway my point is that I think legal secretaries and paralegals are sort of on the decline, at least at large firms.  I mean, there will always be a need for both to a certain degree, but the younger folks aren't as reliant on them as the older folks are, and technology is reducing the need to have multiple bodies doing the same job.  Our paralegal's primary job is to file things.  Well now he can do that online instead of standing in line at the courthouse.  Back in the days when he had to stand in line, we (supposedly) had 2 or 3 more paralegals to stand in line with him to make sure we were able to meet the deadlines for our clients. 

hoffse

I should probably add that I think legal secretaries might be more sought after than paralegals, at least in my geographic region.

We have 4 legal secretaries for the same 16 lawyers.  They all stay busy.  They don't have to bill, so we are able to give them work that we can't give to ourselves or our paralegal.

No client should be billed for making copies or notebooks.  But we need a lot of copies and notebooks.  We really can't bill a client for editing documents (unless those edits are legally substantive) or looking up things like their address for letters.  All of that we give to our legal secretaries.  The problem is that if we can't bill a client for that work, then our paralegal can't bill the client for that work either. 

noffgurl

So, I have looked around at some local schools and their programs. My thoughts are to go to the community college for Logistics and Supply Chain Management at the end of which I will have an associates degree, cert of completion in transportation management, and a cert of completion in warehouse management. Then I'm thinking I can go to the university in the next town over and get a dual bachelors in international business and business management. Thoughts?

hoffse

noffgurl said:

So, I have looked around at some local schools and their programs. My thoughts are to go to the community college for Logistics and Supply Chain Management at the end of which I will have an associates degree, cert of completion in transportation management, and a cert of completion in warehouse management. Then I'm thinking I can go to the university in the next town over and get a dual bachelors in international business and business management. Thoughts?

I think that sounds pretty good.  Do you have foreign language skills?  Obviously plenty of international business happens in English, but a foreign language would be a huge asset to that field (especially since Americans tend to be woefully behind in that area compared to the rest of the world).

Xstatic3333

I agree, I think that sounds like a really practical career path doing something you enjoy. Ditto @hoffse, I'd consider studying a foreign language, too. Maybe you'll end up with an employer who can help pay for your Bachelors.

formerlyGDaisy09

noffgurl said:

So, I have looked around at some local schools and their programs. My thoughts are to go to the community college for Logistics and Supply Chain Management at the end of which I will have an associates degree, cert of completion in transportation management, and a cert of completion in warehouse management. Then I'm thinking I can go to the university in the next town over and get a dual bachelors in international business and business management. Thoughts?

That sounds like a good idea...if logistics and supply chain management are interesting to you.  My H is sort of in the same boat as you, he wants to go back to school, but he isn't sure for what.  if you're thinking about trade school definitely be sure whatever trade you're training in is something you'd like to do before you invest time and money. 

earlier in the thread you mentioned medical (like nursing?) not all medical professions involve surgury/cutting, you could be a nurse in a primary care setting or medical specialty, there is plenty of need for nurses.  just be aware that the majority of facilities are now looking for BSNs (RNs who also have bachelor's degrees), The Joint Comission seems to be working to phase this into requirements for accrediting medical centers, it is not a requirement yet, but they're moving that way. The facility I work in seems to only be hiring RNs who are also BSNs, with the exception of travel nurses. 

als1982

noffgurl said:

So, I have looked around at some local schools and their programs. My thoughts are to go to the community college for Logistics and Supply Chain Management at the end of which I will have an associates degree, cert of completion in transportation management, and a cert of completion in warehouse management. Then I'm thinking I can go to the university in the next town over and get a dual bachelors in international business and business management. Thoughts?

I'm going to go against the grain here and say that unless you're willing to commit to also getting an MBA, MHA or MPA, I wouldn't pursue a business management degree. Coming out of college, holders of that or similar are a dime a dozen. Most of my classmates who got those, but stopped there, are in sales. While there's nothing wrong with that, it doesn't seem like what you want.

brij2006

als1982 said:

So, I have looked around at some local schools and their programs. My thoughts are to go to the community college for Logistics and Supply Chain Management at the end of which I will have an associates degree, cert of completion in transportation management, and a cert of completion in warehouse management. Then I'm thinking I can go to the university in the next town over and get a dual bachelors in international business and business management. Thoughts?

I'm going to go against the grain here and say that unless you're willing to commit to also getting an MBA, MHA or MPA, I wouldn't pursue a business management degree. Coming out of college, holders of that or similar are a dime a dozen. Most of my classmates who got those, but stopped there, are in sales. While there's nothing wrong with that, it doesn't seem like what you want.

All of this!  I have a bachelors in business management and am an insurance agent(sales/service).  If you want to get into the business field, then I would recommend finding a company you like and starting out from the bottom.  Start as their secretary, do great work, and move your way up.  I work for a small company, but out of 12 employees (included 2 owners), only 2 of us have bachelors degrees (the owners have associates).  The business industry is built on your skills and qualities, not a degree.  You do not need to spend $40k on a bachelors degree in order to get into business.  Start out small in a company and if they like you and feel that you need a degree to move up, then they will put you through school.

Also, I'm going to play devils advocate here.  But I would not go back to school right now if I were you.  Unless you can pay cash for it and know exactly what it is that you want, then do not do it.  Instead, get caught up on your bills, pay off your current debts, and in the meantime apply for places that you think you may want to try.  

Also, read the book Start by Jon Acuff, to help you figure out what it is that noffgurl really wants to do and be. 

vlagrl29

brij2006 said:

als1982 said:

So, I have looked around at some local schools and their programs. My thoughts are to go to the community college for Logistics and Supply Chain Management at the end of which I will have an associates degree, cert of completion in transportation management, and a cert of completion in warehouse management. Then I'm thinking I can go to the university in the next town over and get a dual bachelors in international business and business management. Thoughts?

I'm going to go against the grain here and say that unless you're willing to commit to also getting an MBA, MHA or MPA, I wouldn't pursue a business management degree. Coming out of college, holders of that or similar are a dime a dozen. Most of my classmates who got those, but stopped there, are in sales. While there's nothing wrong with that, it doesn't seem like what you want.

All of this!  I have a bachelors in business management and am an insurance agent(sales/service).  If you want to get into the business field, then I would recommend finding a company you like and starting out from the bottom.  Start as their secretary, do great work, and move your way up.  I work for a small company, but out of 12 employees (included 2 owners), only 2 of us have bachelors degrees (the owners have associates).  The business industry is built on your skills and qualities, not a degree.  You do not need to spend $40k on a bachelors degree in order to get into business.  Start out small in a company and if they like you and feel that you need a degree to move up, then they will put you through school.

Also, I'm going to play devils advocate here.  But I would not go back to school right now if I were you.  Unless you can pay cash for it and know exactly what it is that you want, then do not do it.  Instead, get caught up on your bills, pay off your current debts, and in the meantime apply for places that you think you may want to try.  

Also, read the book Start by Jon Acuff, to help you figure out what it is that noffgurl really wants to do and be. 

Totally agree with all of this!  I do have a friend that is taking 1 class per semester because that's all she can afford and doesn't want to go in debt with it which I totally understand.  Given the situation you are in with your DH, I would work on your money goals first before you throw in school in the mix.