How many of you are working in the field you studied for?.

[Chihiro00]

Went to a party on Saturday and a few parents were disappointed with the path their kids took. Some paid full for their professional tuition and they ended up in a totally different field. Same with some of my friends would say close to 50% are not working on what they studied for.

Curious to know about you, your kids or friends that you know.

I am fortunate to be working what I studied for and happy.

 

[Bananaz!!]

Well I think it depends on how directly you are trying to draw the line.
Many university majors dont have a specific field in the real world, unlike nursing, pharmacy, law, engineering which do.
I would say my background studies have an influence on my current work, but I am not directly working in the field (as I would have needed a phd or some such to really be directly employed)

Have plenty of teen family members around me now, just starting to think about what to study in uni. Its hard to advise them on something that will have a direct application to the work place. Suggestions, maybe college should be considered too....

 

[A person you dont know]

You have to adapt to the world around you.
University teaches you to how to learn, it shouldn't be seen as strictly job training.

 

[Godsend]

I fully agree, still at like 75k for 4 years of tuition books housing meal plans etc. It better learn you real good:he:

I never considered a BA or Bsc to be career training, but it seems the costs have risen sharply (relatively speaking)since I was a lad.

The thing I find a bit underhanded in uni these days is that alot of kids aply for say a BBAdmin or business degree but are in general arts programs until 3rd year when the compete to switch to the business program, those who dont make the cut I suppose finish with BA s in english or psych or whatever. Seems like a slightly sneaky way to keep the arts programs filled.

Maybe its just me

 

[Mrsjvb]

Then there are the kids that are missing one or two credits and say Mom, Dad I will take it in the Summer time or next semester.

Then they get a decent job and forget about it because of the easy cash flow that comes in.

 

[Los Ojos]

Seen that all too often.
Shame to be 90% completed and not finish it off whether it be high school college or uni.

I watched alot of my friends get part time jobs and summer employment at a particular unionized company, and the big (in our minds) bucks lured them away from university, all was well and good until the economy slowed, hours were cut, and second pay scale added and new lower payed employees meant overtime was zilch. The company even reduced salaries in future negotiations.

Not to say they would have done better had they finished their degrees, just that the lure of easy money can vanish.

Of course the flip side is the guy who drops out of uni or whatever, invents a better mouse trap and can buy and sell me a thousand times over.

 

[Busters Mom]

I think kids are told to decide their life-path when they finish highschool and choose a direction for post-secondary education. However, I know almost no one who has truly followed that exact path over the course. How many of u knew what was your passion at 16? Life changes. People change. The world changes.

Many people discover they DON'T want to do what they chose and they learn that in university. In the day & age, the average person makes massive careere changes a few times in their lifespan. Long gone are the days of 45yr-long employees.
I'd tell ur friends to be happy they have kids that follow their ambitions.

 

[Lyn badz]

At 16 my passions were sports and gettin' into cheerleaders panties! At 42.8 years, my passions are sports and gettin' into the 19 SPs panties. I may be predictable, but I'm consistent and successful in enjoying my passions! If I change careers, my passions will be the same, just maybe in another city, province or country! Keep the options open!

 

[armygirl]

Just 19 of them? I think you may have exceeded that number a few times over! LOL :

To answer the question though, no, I'm not. Back when I was in school, my "field" didn't even exist yet.

 

[Zane]

I attended the school of hard knocks and it seems every year I upgrade taking new courses.

 

[Darby T]

I did 4 years of premed. By 19 I was completely burned out, done with trying desperately to please my parents who would have only been satisfied if I could have managed to go back in time and be born a boy. I never wanted to see the inside of a classroom, lab, lecture hall ever again. Started working as a PA....loooooove my job!.... After a break for a couple years, I've started taking courses again but this time around it's purely for fun. I don't intend on making a career out of it...just become a person with more substance. I like helping people and spending my time serving others and I'm already doing that in every facet of my life.

 

[Enjoy Life]

You started on your medical degree at 15? When did you do 4 yrs of highschool, between 11 and 15?

Just tryin' to get the numbers right......

But to answer the OP: When I worked in the corporate world I knew plenty of people who got uni degrees and weren't working in their field. One had a degree in (what is commonly called) a Librarian. (the technical term escapes me) We all asked him: wtf were you thinking, spending all that money to be a librarian?

I knew I'd never get anywhere when I had worked for the company for 8 yrs, applied for a position I was 100% qualified for, could do blindfolded, and had the experience to do it well....but lost out to a western U grad who had ZERO qualifications but because he a) knew the VP of the department and b) had a degree.

I've actually changed professions, 5 times? maybe 6? Each time doing what I enjoy doing as opposed to what I was train(ed/ing) for......

 

[La Don Akela]

If she is from an European or Latin Country it is known to happen.

 

[Lore]

hence why we have doctors from those countries driving cabs and working at Mickie D's

 

[o batido de leite]

The answer's simple.....I didn't do 4 years of high school

 

[baller]

So, you went into pre-med at 15?

Are you mensa?

 

[Ron Tellem]

The math just doesn't add up does it?

 

[Zip Zipper]

Let her be


Matters little if she were 19 or 23 when she left.

Only thing that matters is who she is now

 

[Joel F]

Maybe our sweet Amy is even better at written exams than oral! arty:

 

[Peppe]

Lol if I were that gifted life would have been easier for me. No... Filled with a family of doctors...We travelled a lot when I was young. Transferring through all the different school systems etc ended up working out for me. HS is extremely easy to whiz your way through if you test well and they're practically throwing credits in your face for all the money thrown back in theirs. It's an icky feeling when you know you haven't really earned what you have.... I'm happy and content being a nobody in the world. I'm a somebody for the few people that really matter.