Undergrad uni degrees. Boring one or fun one?

Originally Posted by Calculusaurus

This is a question you can only answer yourself.

I'm getting a degree in physics, and there aren't tons and tons of physics jobs out there.

But guess what? I like physics, so I'm majoring in it. That's what school is about for me. It's about learning, not some tool you use so that you can find a job later on.

I also like challenges. The fact that I will have to go to grad school for any hope of a decent job is exciting. Grad school is just another way to challenge my mind--so it's good in my book.

Some people like to go the path of least resistence in life. These people tend to get "normal" degrees like business or computer science--that is, degrees where there's a clear, obvious job market for. These people don't like making big, life-changing decisions. They like the world set out for them.

A lot of these people go for pre-med degrees. They think, "Oooh, I want to be a doctor." They realize that there is a clear job--doctor--waiting for them once they graduate, and it makes lots of money to boot. Many of these students change their minds once they realize that the academic pre-med route is... wait for it... challenging!

So ask yourself, why are you going to college?

If you are going for a degree to land you an easy job, then realize that and choose accordingly.

If you are going to college to learn and live passionately through your academic career, then realize that and choose accordingly.

I'd rather live courageously and passionately than living with a fear of what degree offers more employability.

I recommend having that mindset, but I can't choose for you. Some people really like the false comfort of employability.

I laughed a little when I read this. Talk about elitism.

'False comfort of employability'?

Tell that to all the students who try, try, and try again to get into med school. The ones who did a BSc just so that they could get into med school because they wanted to help people. The ones who get a masters degree, try again, and still don't make it. Most of them probably don't even like sciences! Woo, comfort.

Ok, business. Broad category there. Yeah, there are people who go into Marketing, or end up franchising a Starbucks. There are also those who take huge gambles going into Investment Banking, Trading, Private Equity, or Hedge Funds. The people who get degrees in the same field as the guy in Marketing, but after graduating slave away in analyst positions doing 100 hours a week. But no, this isn't sweatshop labour. These guys worked their asses off to get the job and went through maybe 10 interviews with one employer before they got it.

After their two year contract? They might work for a bit, go from an IB to a PE firm for another 2-3 years. Where do they end up though?? Wait for it...

Graduate school. Like you.

Of course, after that there's no guarantee that the Private Equity firm or Hedge Fund will even hire them again. It's not as if those jobs are minimal risk, everyday operations either. Traders are essentially spending millions of dollars that don't belong to them. Any shit that comes from it is on them. The PE firms put immense stress on the associates because they're investing billions of dollars into companies. I mean, since when has Investment Banking been known for job security?

Job Market and Job Security may not be identical, but in the end come down to the same basic point.

Judging by your post though, I'm going to assume that you're trying for a doctorate program (anything less would sort of contradictory to that passion for learning not worrying about a job point of view) and hoping to be a professor. Besides, advanced degrees in physics can get a person a wide variety of jobs. The most successful hedge fund is run by a Physics PHD (who now happens to be a billionaire).

Jam it back in, in the dark.