RSC - Blog-135 http://www.collegeprepexpert.com Blog-135 Tue, 21 May 2013 12:32:00 +0000 http://www.collegeprepexpert.com/ en weekly 1 Blog Posting Liberal Arts: What to Do When College Is Really About Knowledge http://www.collegeprepexpert.com/blog/career-prep/liberal-arts-what-to-do-when-college-is-really-about-knowledge http://www.collegeprepexpert.com/blog/career-prep/liberal-arts-what-to-do-when-college-is-really-about-knowledge#comments 2012-04-04 06:00:00 What’s a liberal arts major to do in a world demanding grads with a STEM degree? That questions been plaguing college students for two decades now.
 

The answer: Counter those demands with your own career plan.

 

Consider these facts:

 

·        Only 15% of students major in STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering, or math). 85% of college students pursue something else.

·        40% of STEM students leave their major because it’s too difficult. Some leave college all together; some transfer to liberal arts.

·        STEM majors need liberal arts classes, too, in order to improve their communication and critical thinking skills. You can’t be a tech writer if you can’t write.

·        A STEM degree is no guarantee of a job either. There are plenty of unemployed engineers, and architects have the highest unemployment rate of any college degree.

 

The Practical Approach to a Liberal Arts Degree

 

If you’re sure you don’t want an in-demand STEM job, take these steps to improve your career opportunities:

 


  1. Examine jobs ahead of time. Long before you declare your college major – that is, while still in 8th or 9th grade – examine a career’s job growth, salary expectations and educational requirements. Find a major that will be in demand when you graduate college.

  2. Don’t overdo loans. That’sgood advice for any major, but liberal arts grads tend to make less than scientists and engineers. Don’t take out more in loans than you can possibly repay. Get help with grant money and gift aid if you need it.

  3. Specialize. Find an area you’re passionate about and then concentrate on it. You’ll have both the broad appeal of a liberal arts degree and an angle with which to market yourself. If you’re a journalism major interested in West African affairs, take history or political science classes in that area, too. Or combine political science and a foreign language, marketing and video communication, English lit and business classes, etc.

  4. Consider grad school. A master’s degree generally makes you more marketable, particularly if you’re competing in a field filled with bachelor’s degree recipients. But again, don’t overdo the student loans.

  5. Be flexible. You may not get the exact job you want, but your classes should prepare you to handle a variety of opportunities. Consider it an entry-level position as you target your chosen job. Better to be working in a field related to your major than not working at all.


 

Ironically, the push for STEM majors has coincided with the push for a well-rounded education. Liberal arts gives you that. It exposes you to literature, philosophy, and college traditions going back centuries. It opens you to new and challenging ideas. If a liberal arts degree is truly what you want, pursue it. You’ll find plenty of support on campus, and with the right planning in high school and college, a job waiting for you when you get out.

 

For more on how to plan for your future, review our college prep program.


 


 
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