Arts Degree

Gleeson90

So I chose the BA in Arts cause I thought it would be a good idea cause I hadnt a notion what to choose when choosing my courses on the CAO and Im begining to regret choosing this degree.

Anyone know any career opportunities for someone who is majoring in Economics and History?

El Siglo

Gleeson90 wrote: »

So I chose the BA in Arts cause I thought it would be a good idea cause I hadnt a notion what to choose when choosing my courses on the CAO and Im begining to regret choosing this degree.

Anyone know any career opportunities for someone who is majoring in Economics and History?

First off, this is exactly why I chose arts. It was either this or science and I wasn't keen on failing calculus in first year.

Secondly, it's an arts degree: there are no career options, welcome to the recession. Honestly if you want a specific job, do; Pharmacy/Medicine/Nursing/Radiography/Accountancy but do not do arts.;)

Third, there's a whole three years that you have to get through, don't be worrying about jobs. I'm doing a masters and haven't a notion of jobs yet! Enjoy the course, do it because you're interested in it not because of jobs.

Gleeson90

El Siglo wrote: »

First off, this is exactly why I chose arts. It was either this or science and I wasn't keen on failing calculus in first year.

Secondly, it's an arts degree: there are no career options, welcome to the recession. Honestly if you want a specific job, do; Pharmacy/Medicine/Nursing/Radiography/Accountancy but do not do arts.;)

Third, you haven't even started the course yet there's a whole three years that you have to get through, don't be worrying about jobs. I'm doing a masters and haven't a notion of jobs yet! Enjoy the course, do it because you're interested in it not because of jobs.

Should have mentioned, just finished first year of the degree! Freshers week welcomed me with 'Arts Degree's-are they worth the paper their written on' ha

And with regard to doing what your interested in, I am, but with the way the country the way it is, is it worth staying in college at all, as in, is droppping out and working my way up the chain in some retail shop/ open my own business/ do FÁS courses worth considering?

IrishKnight

Couldn't help myself...

dyl10

Gleeson90 wrote: »

Anyone know any career opportunities for someone who is majoring in Economics and History?

What was said above.
However, if someone wants to know, your degree assuming you work in it, will open doors in teaching, accountancy, post grad, conversion courses and a range of other things and that's generally not exclusive to specific subjects.

El Siglo

Gleeson90 wrote: »

Should have mentioned, just finished first year of the degree! Freshers week welcomed me with 'Arts Degree's-are they worth the paper their written on' ha

And with regard to doing what your interested in, I am, but with the way the country the way it is, is it worth staying in college at all, as in, is droppping out and working my way up the chain in some retail shop/ open my own business/ do FÁS courses worth considering?

Let me rephrase what I just said...

There are no jobs, nothing, absolutely nothing.

My brother spent seven months on the dole before he got a job (he's got a BA MSc HDip Ed) in China as a TEFL teacher. My sister spent nearly a year on the dole before she got subbing hours. There aren't any jobs in this shit hole of a country.

You're idea sounds great and I'm sure Bill Cullen would love you, but you wouldn't even get the start-up money, it's nearly impossible to get a small business loan. Do you have experience of running a business? These chaps couldn't get funding from Enterprise Ireland, what hope do the rest of us have?

In the "before time" (pre-'08) you could have got a job in something, but when you now see qualified engineers, architects etc... on the dole then you know things are bad. Don't quit college, it's free-fees and you'll regret it. There's nothing as sole destroying as getting €60/week because you're under 25. FÁS is only good if you've been on the dole long enough, other than that it's pretty useless.

Normally, when these threads came along ("thinking of dropping out" etc...) I would be fairly balanced and supported an op (do what you feel is right etc...). But honestly, a little bit of cop is in order. You've two years left and more than ever that time will fly, it doesn't seem like it now but it will and it's worth sticking out to the end.

convert

Arts degrees are very broad and you can choose where you go after your degree, regardless of your subjects. For example, a friend of mine did economics for their undergrad, then did a masters in economics, is now doing an LLM and preparing to take the FE1s. Three people from my history class opted to do law, too, and are doing fine having had no legal background. Other people who did arts degrees are now working in banks, teaching, pursuing further studies, etc.

I also know lots of people who did social science, a supposedly focused degree, who are now working in business. So it doesn't matter what you do for your degree, it's what you do with it after that matters.

A degree shows that you can analyse, argue, write properly, etc. and when things start to pick up in this country again, these skills will stand to you. You are actually at college at a good time - things are bad, they can't get much worse, and hopefully by the time you've finished your degree things will be looking much better and there will be more jobs and you will have a better chance of getting a good job with a degree rather than a FÁS qualification.

Also, as someone else mentioned, you've got free fees - so make use of it while you can as it's something that probably won't be around forever the way things are going.

dan_d

OP what convert says is true, you can do almost anything with an Arts degree.

BUT.....I wouldn't agree with "don't think about jobs, just do what you like". You have to think about jobs to a certain extent. Which you are doing - and that's good.

I have found a lot of people I know that did Arts love the subjects and have a great time in college, and then final year comes around and suddenly they are saying "but what AM I when I graduate?" And these people are across the board - Maths and French, Politics and History, even Astrophyiscs.

Stick with your subjects, as long as you're happy that you've no particular career path in mind, and you're open to trying out anything once you finished. There are another 3 years to go for you, a lot can happen in those 3 years and you'll probably find that you change a lot as a person in those 3 years too. But if you've something in particular in mind as a career, and you need a particular course to do it, then now's the time to change your mind on it.

Finally STAY IN COLLEGE!!!!!Education gives you the best opportunity to get a job in the future. Believe me, when times were good a Leaving Cert would suffice. Now, employers want a degree at minimum. I've a friend with 6 years experience behind him and a 2 year cert, who's unemployed. He can't even apply for a manager's job in Lidl, because they want someone with a degree. He's effectively ruled himself out of any small chance he might have of getting a job. Believe me I'm job hunting - things are not good, but they're twice as bad if you've no education, unless you've got superb experience, catering to exactly what a prospective employer wants. There's no point even sending in your CV.

Gleeson90

Cheers for all them replies!! Help is greatly appreciated! I think ill argue my case to stay in college so,. Seems to be the most advised thing to do, plus college are meant to be the best years of your life, cant be missing them

Killer Pigeon

El Siglo wrote: »

Pharmacy/Medicine/Nursing/Radiography/Accountancy

Less than 10% of the country are in those type of careers, how about the other 90%

El Siglo

Killer Pigeon wrote: »

Less than 10% of the country are in those type of careers, how about the other 90%

How many unemployed; Pharmacists, Doctors, Nurses, Radiographers or Accountants have you ever met? I was trying to make a point to the op that in comparison to these job types and related courses, an arts degree is not exactly as employable (i.e. if you're in college to get a job specifically, do a specific course like these). Jesus fucking Christ.:pac:

noodler

I did said subjects in my BA, found history and especially Economics to be more useful than most of the others.

Stay in school.

Handsome Bob

As with every degree, do your best and get a quality final grade, if you do that the career opportunities will be endless. A degree, be it Arts or Medicine or Science, is only worth nothing when you do shit.