Avoid Useless Degrees

The Degree Doesn't Limit You

Let me say that you can study whatever you want, and that tons of people have been successful in spite of their worthless college studies and useless degrees. On that note, understand that even with the best degrees in STEM, the progressive requirements now necessary to get into any field today renders many of these degrees not worth the hassle.

Experience and connections will always be the name of the game, and this is ever more clear nowadays with the sheer lack of opportunities present.

A Bachelor's degree is never enough. Employers will always demand experience in every field. The progressive hoop jumping, credential attaining, and money pit just to even qualify for a job is just not worth it in most instances.

You are just 1 applicant of thousands of others. Millions graduate college every single year. Tens of thousands will graduate form your alma mater every single time May rolls around.

This is one reason why many young people decide to not get any education, or pursue any employment whatsoever.

I will never advocate that you do nothing. What I do advocate is that you think outside the box, look at other degree options, and pursue training from employers rather than any college institution.

Associates Degrees: Most Underappreciated Degrees in History

Forget Bachelor's Degrees. Everyone is so focused on getting a 4 year degree that they completely overlook Associate's Degree programs that actually qualify you for a job paying $25+ per hour. Yes, the top end of the pay scale in those particular fields may be upwards of $40 per hour, but that is far better compared to the dead end call center and retail gigs giving you around $20 per hour.

These Associates Degree programs will be much less competitive, much more affordable, and much quicker to complete than a traditional 4 year degree program.

Medical tech jobs like Xray Techs and Medical Assistants have very good employment prospects post-Covid. You'll make less money than a nurse, but getting into Nursing School is extremely competitive and Nurses leave the field altogether more than you would expect.

Find every community college in your area and research every single program they offer. You may find a program that fits your personality and interests. If it doesn't work out, you only committed 2 years and very little money compared to a traditional 4 year college program.

Making money in a field that interests you with no debt and only with 2 years of commitment is the name of the game here.

What to Actually Study at the Bachelor's Level

The only fields that will pay a high wage ($30+ per hour) for a Bachelor's degree while not necessarily requiring much experience from graduation are the following:

Engineering
Computer Science
Nursing
Accounting
Pre-Medical and Allied Health Fields

I didn't include science degrees because you can't do much at just the Bachelor's level without connections or tons of experience.

Absolutely go for Engineering and Computer Science if you're interested in those fields and you're capable of getting a 3.5 overall GPA for your prerequisite courses. It's gotten so competitive to get into the engineering majors now where just skirting by with a 3.0 GPA will never be enough for the majority of schools out there.

Likewise, you'll need practically a 4.0 GPA in perquisites to get into Nursing school in most states. If you cannot get A grades in Anatomy and Physiology, then forget pursuing Nursing as it has become that competitive.

Accounting would be the most practical, achievable, and least competitive option on the list. It is by far the most boring subject on the list with a highest turnover rate, but it is stable employment. Be advised on the requirements to even sit for the CPA exam now in your state and all of the hoops it would take to eventually advance your career in the field. Studying Accounting at the Bachelor's level can be one of the easiest ways to get you to $30+ per hour with little experience required apart from your typical internship.

With all of that said, the competitiveness of these fields and the sheer cost of education nowadays makes me urge every single one of you to think long and hard if you are both capable and interested in pursuing college in these fields.

Ultimately, pursue what you want to pursue. Know yourself and know the practicality of these degrees and if they are fields you can see yourself in for 20+ years.

STEM Will Not Solve All Your Problems

The often touted STEM answer for what to study that everyone and their grandmother recommends isn't going to work anymore post-Covid.

Experience is literally going to be your stumbling block for most fields, period. That's why you MUST get a degree that offers you a skill. Studying general science and math is not ultimately going to get you a job.

This is not to say studying Math and Science won't help you get into a good field, but the experience benchmark to get into those jobs will be high for entry.

Put it this way: Any job looking for a math or science background will always want experience on that job ad.

All of the science fields including Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Environmental Science, Geology, etc. are all highly saturated, and you can't do anything now with a Bachelor's in those areas. Now you need Master's and Doctorate degrees to get into those fields, and there's never a guarantee you can get in.

Want to work in a lab with a Biology or Chemistry degree? You need experience that you can't get anywhere unless you have connections. Better get to brown nosing your professors then. Want to work a job utilizing GIS software with your Geology degree for an employer? You need experience for that as well, there are no entry level jobs for that.

If you only want to get a Bachelor's degree, then this is why you should go for one of the 4 fields mentioned above. To get that higher paying position, you ultimately need to be flexible to move and take any opportunity in the field within any industry.