The awkwardness when an Arts student talks about their "future prospects" ‎

coffee_cake

Spacedog wrote: »

I pride myself of my ignorance of History, Art, Philosophy, Literature, Geography, Music, Film, and Psychology, because they have no value to my job, and are boring and stupid.

Ummm... right.

GTE

Killer Pigeon wrote: »

it's like they have some superiority complex. Now I'm not studying Arts but I have no problem with Arts students at all. They are just doing what they want to do; what they're good at.

So, what is the non-Arts student's problem with Arts students? Eh?
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In the same way you can have a joke about how many bassists it takes so screw in a lightbulb you have a joke about arts students.

Reason being is that arts degrees can be woefully easy to get into and that is a prime target for someone who doesn't know what they want to do in life, whether that's through their ignorance or if they have a genuine problem in figuring it out. To me I dont really care. Years ago there would have been so many graduates from these general arts degrees over saturating the market that you get that joke about an arts subject asking do you want fries with that but to be honest, we are all in the same boat.

Its a funny facebook group since its a bit of a laugh and all that but the seriousness of it all has been blown out of proportion by this thread.


You will always have this petty arguing between the areas and that can be fun most of the time. Just like that facebook profile.

Rebelheart

Doing Arts is brilliant for one major reason when you're 17: if you put, say, Arts in UCD down on your CAO form you are giving yourself the choice of choosing from 32 or so subjects when you arrive in September. That's a huge freedom considering most of us don't know what we really want when we fill out the CAO form.

In general I agree with the poster above who said he'd recruit somebody from any discipline if s/he achieved a 1.1. This is very true. It is also true to say that a degree in Commerce, Law, Engineering or Medicine are all general degrees. You do not become an accountant, solicitor, chemical engineer or gp by doing any of these degrees. Many people seem to be unaware of this.

Additionally, you can do a postgrad in a more specialised area after you finish your BA. That way you get the best of both worlds - the creativity of an Arts degree and the focus of a professional training. Just don't make the mistake of doing an Arts postgrad in the hope of getting an academic position or even improving your job prospects. In 95% of cases that is a waste of years.

Ficheall

I'd say non-Arts people are often jealous. I'm doing a non-Arts PhD at the mo, and have given serious thought to going back to do an Arts degree when I'm finished. There are plenty of decent subjects available through Arts. It's not like there are any jobs out there anyway - no matter what one's qualification...

Spacedog

The Waltzing Consumer wrote: »

Wow, and some person who studies economics, maths and languages through ARTS would have no benefit if they worked in the financial sector?

A bit of economics would have helped many bank managers too, ha.

That's right, I stand corrected.

Mardy Bum

lemansky wrote: »

So the information in science and engineering is spoon fed to students?

Obviously not? I didn't say it was.

I'm just answering a question about the low amount of hours. It is a lot more about your own work than anything else. Science and engineering is much more geared to lectures and labs obviously.

The Saint

I have a BA and MA in social/polical sciences focusing on international relations. I got a 1.1 in my MA. I'm now working for the UN in the Middle East in a job I love. So what I'd like to say to all the unemployed Science and Engineering graduates is: "yes, I would like fries with that".

Anyway, the facebook page is a stereotype of arts students but the best thing about steriotypes is that they're often funny. Anyone who takes offence from something like that instead of laughing along should stop taking themselves so seriously.

King John V

Killer Pigeon wrote: »

No, you should've put science down and specialised in physiology, pharmacology or biochemistry and then you'd have a way better change of getting into GEM.

Those are all great subjects, which do help with the GAMSAT and the first few weeks of the course, but having a degree in them isn't essential.

Some of my friends studying GEM have B.As in music, English and politics, drama, law, psychology etc.

holystungun9

Princess Peach wrote: »

Why do a course that you will almost never get a job out of?

They go and study languages and English and history, so that they can sound smart in conversations. And they will have many of these conversations with each other in the dole line

Ouch!

estadio

Compare The Arts block in trinity to The Hamilton building and you will see the difference in lifestyle e.t.c. Arts degrees may not be easy as some might claim but then again they are not that useful. Many people claim they did a degree in Arts and are now successful in their chosen career. They are successful because of their communication skills, Time management skills e.t.c not because of their arts degree.

The Waltzing Consumer

estadio wrote: »

Compare The Arts block in trinity to The Hamilton building and you will see the difference in lifestyle e.t.c. Arts degrees may not be easy as some might claim but then again they are not that useful. Many people claim they did a degree in Arts and are now successful in their chosen career. They are successful because of their communication skills, Time management skills e.t.c not because of their arts degree.

Nothing to do with the subjects then? Because no arts student has even done maths, business, computing, law, pyschology, languages, geography etc., and have those subjects help them in their careers, nope it is all their communication skills :rolleyes:

ValJester

estadio wrote: »

Compare The Arts block in trinity to The Hamilton building and you will see the difference in lifestyle e.t.c. Arts degrees may not be easy as some might claim but then again they are not that useful. Many people claim they did a degree in Arts and are now successful in their chosen career. They are successful because of their communication skills, Time management skills e.t.c not because of their arts degree.

And surely skills in communication and research are developed through the study of the humanities?

ElBarco

The Agogo wrote: »

Well funnily enough I got a teaching post in Poland come January

Ded

Mardy Bum

estadio wrote: »

They are successful because of their communication skills, Time management skills e.t.c not because of their arts degree.

Is that meant to be a joke?

What does one attain from a degree?

Skills?

estadio

OK i admit "skills" was not appropriate. What i meant was technical skills specifically related to the job as i am doing an engineering degree and will attain those skills along with technical expertise to further my career

Mardy Bum

estadio wrote: »

OK i admit "skills" was not appropriate. What i meant was technical skills specifically related to the job as i am doing an engineering degree and will attain those skills along with technical expertise to further my career

What do you reckon does who go on to be teachers learn?
What about those with a degree in economics?
What about those who decide to become historians archaeologists etc?

Ignorance is bliss.

polkabunny

I find this page funny, and have liked it, even if there is a strong chance of me having to do arts next year :P
The truth is, with, let's call them "proper degrees", the lecturer's don't give a **** if you turn up, but with arts, you need to go to your tutorials or you fail.

Mardy Bum

polkabunny wrote: »

I find this page funny, and have liked it, even if there is a strong chance of me having to do arts next year :P
The truth is, with, let's call them "proper degrees", the lecturer's don't give a **** if you turn up, but with arts, you need to go to your tutorials or you fail.

:rolleyes:

mahamageehad

polkabunny wrote: »

I find this page funny, and have liked it, even if there is a strong chance of me having to do arts next year :P
The truth is, with, let's call them "proper degrees", the lecturer's don't give a **** if you turn up, but with arts, you need to go to your tutorials or you fail.

ammmm..... i think you've gotten this backward to be honest!

AnonymousPrime

Mardy Bum wrote: »

What do you reckon does who go on to be teachers learn?
What about those with a degree in economics?
What about those who decide to become historians archaeologists etc?

Ignorance is bliss.

Most of the teachers I know didn't study arts to become a teacher, they became a teacher because they studied arts.
Wanting to become a historian is like wanting to become a rock star (in terms of career prospects), it certainly doesn't seem like a sound investment of €10,000 from minister Coughlan.
The less said about economists the better.

Ignorance is bliss

ValJester

AnonymousPrime wrote: »

Most of the teachers I know didn't study arts to become a teacher, they became a teacher because they studied arts.
Wanting to become a historian is like wanting to become a rock star (in terms of career prospects), it certainly doesn't seem like a sound investment of €10,000 from minister Coughlan.
The less said about economists the better.

Ignorance is bliss

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2TbQrkk-wk

Mardy Bum

AnonymousPrime wrote: »

Most of the teachers I know didn't study arts to become a teacher, they became a teacher because they studied arts.
Wanting to become a historian is like wanting to become a rock star (in terms of career prospects), it certainly doesn't seem like a sound investment of €10,000 from minister Coughlan.
The less said about economists the better.

Ignorance is bliss

I was talking about skills. Skills people learn from doing an Arts degree. I never mentioned job prospects. Take a look at what I quoted before typing please? :rolleyes::rolleyes:
Your first comment about teachers seems to agree with me.
Your comment about historians follows the tone of the whole post- Idiotic.
What do you know about economics either? SFA I'd guess

AnonymousPrime

Mardy Bum wrote: »

I was talking about skills. Skills people learn from doing an Arts degree. I never mentioned job prospects. Take a look at what I quoted before typing please? :rolleyes::rolleyes:
Your first comment about teachers seems to agree with me.
Your comment about historians follows the tone of the whole post- Idiotic.
What do you know about economics either? SFA I'd guess

And how useful are these skills is the question posed by this thread.

I don't agree with you about teachers but its probably not a good idea for me to argue the point as I am quite bias against them ("I am in the if you can't, teach" camp).

Your comment on my comment on historians shows you didn't understand the comparison. Possibly my fault but no matter. How many professional historians are there vs history graduates over a 40 year period?

As an average irish person I have graduated from the RTE school of economics, so I know a small amount. My comment was a quirky remark, no need to attack me personally. I do know that MANY economists are physics graduates, not economics graduates.

Mardy Bum

AnonymousPrime wrote: »

And how useful are these skills is the question posed by this thread.

I was replying to the below. I think you may have got your wires crossed.

estadio wrote: »

OK i admit "skills" was not appropriate. What i meant was technical skills specifically related to the job as i am doing an engineering degree and will attain those skills along with technical expertise to further my career

That should answer the rest of the post.

Also if you graduate with an economics degree you can do other things than become an economist just so you know eg. in banks, fund managers or in bond sections.

sponsoredwalk

A thread like this makes you depressed for humanity, you'd swear this
country was full of Bolshevik's with this absolute mandate that work of
a specific kind is good while anything else is just a bourgeoise waste.

epgc3fyqirnbsx

There's a lot of nonsense being spouted on this thread.
I did Arts and have landed the dream job. Who hasn't hoped and prayed to be in telesales some day?

neaideabh

Mardy Bum wrote: »

What do you reckon does who go on to be teachers learn?
What about those with a degree in economics?
What about those who decide to become historians archaeologists etc?

Ignorance is bliss.

Some people just can't take a joke!!

ValJester

Skyla Gentle Pigeonhole wrote: »

There's a lot of nonsense being spouted on this thread.
I did Arts and have landed the dream job. Who hasn't hoped and prayed to be in telesales some day?

I'm doing Arts.It's a good dry run for being on the dole.

JohnathanM

neaideabh wrote: »

Some people just can't take a joke!!

They picked up the degree didn't they?

longhalloween

Ah sure its all a good laugh. I did my arts degree and I still dont know what i wanna do!

In fairness my first essay (archaeology) was 'Upper Paleolithic Art is best interpreted in terms of Shamanic trances'. Beat that shizzle!