Parental Financial Help in College Lowers GPA

[Deleted]

My point was that someone who gets a BSc in Physics (and nothing more) isn't going to be qualified to be a Geophysicist either. Just as a Chemistry major is not going to suddenly have a bunch of job opportunities in the field of Chemistry. The job opportunities for those people who stop after a BA/BSc are pretty much the same, with very few exceptions. The situation really only changes for those who pursue very "applied" courses in CS/Engineering or Business/Commerce. And they're exceptions because these degrees are often highly tailored to be job training.

Soon only PhD's will get employed :/

[Pendulous]

How the hell else is an 18-year-old going to get thousands of dollars to pay for college?

[poser765]

There are plenty of jobs out there that are technical and require either a specific degree or job experience. the other side is there are plenty of jobs that just require the box for degree to be checked.

it's kind of pedantic to list those that do require a degree.

[Reeve]

Computer Science (and to a lesser degree Engineering) are pretty much the only exceptions to that rule, though. In part because those fields are often tailored to be job training. It's one of the reasons why CS was originally (and still is, in some places) a controversial addition to the roster of many universities, as it was seen as a glorified training course vs. a pure academic pursuit. The same could even be said for most "Commerce" degrees. And this is why they tend to be treated with disdain and/or skepticism in academia.

My point was that if you get a major in just about anything and stop at the BA or BSc level, it really doesn't matter what you major in. Just about any advanced career in the Sciences or the Arts are going to require more than a Bachelor's degree. If you believe you're going to stop your academic career at the BA or BSc level, your best bet is going to be to focus on a subject you enjoy. This will increase the likelihood that you'll be engaged with the material and see your degree to completion. However, if your intent is to enter a more advanced field and progress beyond a BA/BSc, you should be very selective of what your end goals are and ensure that your choice of major lines up with those goals.

---------- Post added 2013-01-21 at 04:08 PM ----------



My point was that someone who gets a BSc in Physics (and nothing more) isn't going to be qualified to be a Geophysicist either. Just as a Chemistry major is not going to suddenly have a bunch of job opportunities in the field of Chemistry. The job opportunities for those people who stop after a BA/BSc are pretty much the same, with very few exceptions. The situation really only changes for those who pursue very "applied" courses in CS/Engineering or Business/Commerce. And they're exceptions because these degrees are often highly tailored to be job training.

We hire people with BSc's in physics as Geophysicists all the time. There's a whole floor full of them 1 floor below me.

[semaphore]

How the hell else is an 18-year-old going to get thousands of dollars to pay for college?

I took out a $70,000 loan.

Parents paying for more than the bus fare would've been nice, but it's not like it's impossible.

---------- Post added 2013-01-22 at 12:22 AM ----------

Choice of major only starts becoming relevant at the Master's level and beyond. And it's only releveant with respect to your track within academia. eg, if you want to become a nuclear scientist, you need an appropriate major that leads into that. But if your intent is simply to stop your education after the BA/BSc level, it's pretty close to irrelevant what you major in.

Well yeah if you're going to talk about BA. More technical subjects tends towards being more technical (though for instance there's engineers in finance, but that's not because their degree was irrelevant; it's because their degree made them sought after for finance).

[Catta]

I really wish I lived in the Scandinavians right now for free education.

Well - maybe i can become an exchange student to the US. Someone from america will take my place here. Soo....

---------- Post added 2013-01-22 at 01:57 AM ----------

How the hell else is an 18-year-old going to get thousands of dollars to pay for college?

Blue meth...?

[Pendulous]

I took out a $70,000 loan.

Welcome to adulthood. You're now $70k in debt.

K.....

[Catta]

Welcome to adulthood. You're now $70k in debt.

K.....

Thats a buckload of moolah...

[theredviola]

think of it like this

with out parental help

most would not be in college

ding ding ding.

You are correct sir. But the important emphasis here is "most." I did my undergrad with a few people who paid for their own education. To be fair though, they were older undergrads... 28, 30ish... they had been around the block and worked in the world for a few years so they understood the gravity of paying thousands of dollars on an education and not just pissing it away.

[semaphore]

Welcome to adulthood. You're now $70k in debt.

K.....

You asked how else one could pay for college. That's one answer for you. Not liking it doesn't make it non-existent.

[yurano]

My point was that if you get a major in just about anything and stop at the BA or BSc level, it really doesn't matter what you major in. Just about any advanced career in the Sciences or the Arts are going to require more than a Bachelor's degree. If you believe you're going to stop your academic career at the BA or BSc level, your best bet is going to be to focus on a subject you enjoy.

BS Majors have value for all STEM majors. I would go further to say that some accounting/economics majors are focused enough to be relevant.

Your assertion that major is unimportant only applies HSS majors, but thats because HSS BS isn't exactly the most valuable degree.

My point was that someone who gets a BSc in Physics (and nothing more) isn't going to be qualified to be a Geophysicist either. Just as a Chemistry major is not going to suddenly have a bunch of job opportunities in the field of Chemistry. The job opportunities for those people who stop after a BA/BSc are pretty much the same, with very few exceptions. The situation really only changes for those who pursue very "applied" courses in CS/Engineering or Business/Commerce. And they're exceptions because these degrees are often highly tailored to be job training.

Actually, science majors do have career opportunities in 'restrictive' fields. You need a Biology or related degree to become the lowest ranked research scientist just out of college at a biotech firm. I'm sure the same logic applies to Physics and Chemistry.

[Grizzly Willy]

You asked how else one could pay for college. That's one answer for you. Not liking it doesn't make it non-existent.

Shouldn't have gone to school then, obviously.

[poser765]

Thats a buckload of moolah...

It all relative though. If she can get a well paying job in her field after school it's kind of moot. Look at Doctors. TONS of debt, but when they are done with school they can reasonably expect to pay it back easily. Aviation degrees on the other hand can cost up to 150k for a four year program with a chance to get a shitty 19k a year job after graduation.

[notorious98]

Who cares? GPA rarely comes into the conversation when it comes to finding a job. You got the Bachelor's? Good enough.

[Catta]

It all relative though. If she can get a well paying job in her field after school it's kind of moot. Look at Doctors. TONS of debt, but when they are done with school they can reasonably expect to pay it back easily. Aviation degrees on the other hand can cost up to 150k for a four year program with a chance to get a shitty 19k a year job after graduation.

Hmm, I am in Med school. Nothing prevents me from going to the US to make the big bucks when im finished. With much less debt. And even if i just stayed at home my salary would be substantial and the debt still small.

[poser765]

Hmm, I am in Med school. Nothing prevents me from going to the US to make the big bucks when im finished. With much less debt. And even if i just stayed at home my salary would be substantial and the debt still small.

Different countries. Baby doctors around here come out of school massively in debt. But they also make a salary commiserate to their debt. So in that case, their debt is not really all that big... comparatively speaking.

My degree is junk, cost a lot of money, and prepares you for an occupation with shitty entry and mid level pay. Thus my debt would be a LOT worse.

Yeah fuck you, high school guidance councilor.

[muto]

Who cares? GPA rarely comes into the conversation when it comes to finding a job. You got the Bachelor's? Good enough.

A high GPA gets you scholarships if you want to further your education.

[Itisamuh]

My parents helping out with my college funding actually inspires me to try harder because I don't want their money to go to waste. I think these kinds of studies are a bit silly. Not everybody is the same. I don't plan on having children, but if I did, I'd feel responsible for helping them get off on the right foot in the world.

This. Believe it or not, some people actually care about their parents, and value their help rather than take it for granted.

[Annapolis]

Hmm, I am in Med school. Nothing prevents me from going to the US to make the big bucks when im finished. With much less debt. And even if i just stayed at home my salary would be substantial and the debt still small.

Nothing prevents you, but it's not just a transfer. You'd need to apply to some commission thing, take step 1, step 2, join the match to find a residency, take step 3, and finally complete residency. You'd have less debt maybe but adding on all of the time to do that in the United States as compared to people in the United states who did it while you did your years in medical school it would probably equal out.

[notorious98]

A high GPA gets you scholarships if you want to further your education.

But, if someone wants to further their education, wouldn't they be more likely to put in the extra time and effort in order to get accepted into a graduate program to begin with? And if their parents are willing to foot the bill for a graduate program on top of regular college, does it really matter if their grade point average is lower? I mean, really, that's what it all comes down to. What difference does it make what the grade point average is if someone is capable of earning their bachelor's? At that point it becomes a matter of personal pride, does it not? Especially for those that have no interest in going on to a graduate program.

---------- Post added 2013-01-21 at 09:09 PM ----------

Hmm, I am in Med school. Nothing prevents me from going to the US to make the big bucks when im finished. With much less debt. And even if i just stayed at home my salary would be substantial and the debt still small.

Not every degree is recognized by United States employers. I know people who have gone to college (or university) in foreign countries only to come here and work menial jobs because nobody gives a shit about their foreign degree. That may not be the case with where you're from, but it is for many other places.