There’s been a disturbing amount of buzz lately about how college may or may not “actually” help anyone. We hear a lot about how it’s too expensive, or about how if you major in the wrong thing, you have little to no chance of finding a job. Contrary to popular belief though, getting a bachelors degree almost always pays off. In 2013 for example, fully 89% of Millennials who graduated college were working full time. And while college debt can be exorbitant and a huge problem, not going to college can end up costing you around $500,000 over the course of your life, when you take into consideration average wages lost as a result. Below are a few degrees that are commonly scoffed at, and what you might actually be able to do with them:
1. The Family Studies Degree
We spoke to a couple of people working towards a family studies degree both at the associate’s level and the bachelor’s level. When we asked what appealed about it, many said that it provided them with more flexibility on the job market than becoming a social worker, but still allowed them to use their interpersonal skills to help make families better. With a family studies degree, you could work in the following sectors:
-human resources
-adoption services
-social work (as an assistant or office administrator)
-victim assistance
-child advocacy
-intake counseling
-youth service coordination
2. The B.A. in English
The B.A. in English is met with more skepticism than a family studies degree and an art history degree combined. But don’t let the Avenue Q song fool you! In actuality, students of English language and literature have probably developed valuable transferable skills throughout the course of their degree. These skills include being able to read, analyze, and synthesize large amounts of information, write in a complete, interesting sentence, and understand the context of words. With a B.A. in English, you could work in the following sectors:
-technical writing
-grant writing
-legislative liaising
-market research
-public relations
3. The B.A. in Communications
This degree is often laughed at by other university students as “the easy major,” but we’re pretty sure that’s because communication majors just make it look easy. Just ask anyone who’s ever had to give a toast at a wedding how stressful it is, and you’ll get a sense of what we mean. If you have a B.A. in communications, you could work in the following sectors:
-event planning
-sales
-TV
-journalism
-radio
-real estate
-foreign relations
4. The Culinary Arts Degree
Word on the street is that this degree yields some of the lowest paying jobs on the market, but it doesn’t have to be that way! If you want to ensure that the boss cooking skills you learned in school are put to good and gainful use, maybe supplement some of your culinary courses with a few business administration courses.That way, you’ll be well poised to open your own restaurant one day and will have some transferable skills to fall back on. If you get a degree in the culinary arts, you can work in pretty much anywhere with a kitchen!