College Graduates Who Discovered Their Majors Were Useless In The Real World Share What They Do Now
The real world is a harsh place and we don't learn that soon enough.
When we're younger we believe everything is possible and whatever it is we want to do for a living is going to be a success. So we head off to school to procure that dream and in school we learn all we can and the dream grows bigger.
Then a little while after graduation, many people realize the dream is a fantasy and the major they chose may be more problematic than bountiful.
Not many companies are looking for experts in socioeconomic post revolution Russian literature.
Redditor Mahimahasked:
"College grads who discovered too late that your major is useless in the real world, what do you do now?"
Hospitality Days
Working in a job I could've done with my high school degree and that I hate. 💔
diner dancing GIF by Justin TimberlakeGiphyI feel that. I was doing restaurant work for a long time, then went to college, and then went back to restaurant work. I'm now back in college for another roll of the dice.
And given the state of the economy right now, I will probably go back to waiting tables once again.
Head Games
Not exactly realized it was useless, just realized I couldn't do it. I was in Psychology. I went back to work for a while then ended up taking Computer Engineering and I'm now a software developer. I went back to school. The went back to work thing means in between I wasn't in school and was just working
I should add that job is what made me realize I should take Comp Eng.
I did a site visit to a custom fabrication shop and they had a team of devs to program the machines for custom orders. I was fascinated, did some research, and here I am. I do make software for manufacturing even, just not doing that specific thing that got me interested.
The Writer
I write emails for the functionally illiterate. I'm actually a personal assistant which is all you need to know. The only reason they'd pay me is the college degree and its name. I literally do get paid minimum wage but it's in a place where I can make that work with roommates. I don't know what else to say except I'm in the same place as so many! So don't be impressed. :)
The Spotlight People....
Studied performing arts (film, tv and theatre) at a decent university.
Was working in theatre until Covid hit.
Now I make youtube videos about MMO games and twitch stream Runescape.
I actually manage to survive doing this.
acting jon lovitz GIFGiphyP & P
Degree in psychology with a minor in philosophy. Realized I hated research 4th year in but grinded through and finished it. Currently in management in manufacturing. Wouldn't say the degree was useless as it helps me in my interactions with my workers and building a good culture. Don't ever think a degree is useless just because you don't get a job in your field. You build learning habits and study methods which can be applied to anything in the future so just keep that in mind and be positive!
LIT....
English Lit Major.
I'm a gate attendant. Graveyard shift.
Have you considered writing content for websites? You know, the web pages that are really ads disguised as actual content that made the Internet a worse place. I hear the pay is OK, I would guess probably better than a gate attendants pay.
No Regrets....
I have a sociology degree! I don't think it's useless but many people do. I don't regret it. There's a decent amount of socially relevant marketable knowledge and skills.
I'm a healthcare worker and I love it.
I am also very good at it, and would not be if I didn't have my degree to inform my practice.
I plan on getting my masters or going to law school at some point because I'd like more prospects for upward mobility and I genuinely love school but I also do really love my job now.
Crap Start....
Psychology major, got jobs in my field right out of school, but pay was pretty crap and no real room to move up without more school.
Went back and got my RN, made six figures straight out the door.
Episode 4 Hbo GIF by Curb Your EnthusiasmGiphy3rd shift in....
Got an English/Film Studies degree, now I work 3rd shift as a deli stocker at a local supermarket chain.
I have the same degree. I'm a buyer and customer assistant for an independent hardware store.
When I was at school I wrote about film quite frequently. My English teacher told me I should pursue it as a career.
I had zero interest in going to university but I was told it was the easiest way to make connections in the industry.
Throughout Uni I attended every networking event I could, took unpaid writing gigs, and showed my portfolio to as many people as possible. As I approached graduation I still had no job lined up despite submitting countless applications.
After graduating I took a full time job unrelated to my degree while working part time as an unpaid writer. I eventually burnt out.
There was no point in doing the work if I wasn't being paid, and none of the paid opportunities I had dangled in front of my face ever materialised. I didn't see the point in trying anymore if the only thing I got out of it was disappointment.
I stopped writing. I stopped poring over media job sites. I took down my online portfolio. I bristle whenever someone asks me what I have a degree in because it's not hard to tell they're thinking "oh, you got one of those useless degrees." Yeah, mate. I know that now.
Teachers deserve more....
I was originally majoring in earth and space science with a minor in education.
walton goggins hbo GIF by Vice Principals GiphyThe goal was to teach secondary school earth science. That degree only lets you teach those subjects from an education stand point as for other jobs it qualified me for a tour guide or a museum worker. Changed majors to education which set me back about 3 semesters of course work. Now i manage at the local big box retailer for almost 15k more than the starting wage of a teacher.
Trade
Get into a trade. Only high school education required and you can get in as someone who's only job is to sit on a bucket and make sure the welders don't catch crap of fire starting out at 18/hr. After that the next position can be anywhere from 18-20/hr as a helper and perdiem comes in. An extra 70-100 a day tax free for your hotel and stuff. I've been in construction for 4 years and I average 28/hr and 100 a day perdiem. Average weekly check of 1500+ and only a high school education baby.
PhD
Serious answer: I have a bachelor of science in psychology. It is truly useless as a lot of bachelor of science degrees are if you're not going for a Masters or PhD. I interned in a medical lab and got a technical degree, MLT, which I think nowadays technical degrees are 150% more valuable than a non-technical 4 year degree. I'm working on turning my MLS at the moment.
Next Year it is....
So not me, but my husband. His first bachelor's is in entertainment engineering and design and he worked for a minute in his industry.
Pop Tv GIF by Schitt's CreekGiphyHe was getting to the highest position he could with that degree before COVID and got furloughed and then laid off. He's going back to school now for electrical engineering and will graduate next year hopefully.
Find Friends
I have a BA in political science. I run a data science and analytics team. Didn't figure out what I liked until I was 28 and 6 years out of college. The library and community colleges are your friend.
It's all a mess...
I work in my dad's business and live with my parents. In my culture is not that unusual to live with your parents in your 20's but it still sucks. The money they pay me is not nearly enough to be independent either, but at least I'm not homeless and try to take care of them. The future is uncertain. I couldn't get a job in my former career before the pandemic, and now the job market and the economy are totally messed in my country.
educators...
Not me, but my brother has a history degree and couldn't get a job in his field. So he went back to school to become a teacher and now he's teaching history at the university he got his history degree at. He hates teaching.
Season 3 Running GIF by The SimpsonsGiphyBest of Luck...
I did my major in mathematics, and without much of a plan going forward, other than one very specific idea that ended up falling through. I did temp work for a little while and ended up doing some self-taught programming to improve the efficiency of my work there. That led to me getting noticed and promoted by the IT team leader, and now (years later) I'm in a leading software developer position. So it all worked out in the end, mostly through sheer luck.
Choices
Work in a grocery store and languish in my poor choices.
But for real though, I wouldn't trade the experience I got in college for anything. I got a Bachelor of Arts in Interactive Media Design. I've been working on small projects off and on since graduation but the actual industry, if you don't want to try cutting your teeth as an indie dev, is a meat grinder. There's a lot of uncertainty in employment, exploitation, false expectations of advancement.
You're either a dynamo and get hired into a good position/get noticed or you slog through QA with a minuscule chance of getting promoted. Turns out the industry has a crappy life/work balance and I refuse to deal with that.
Research the Plan
If you're in a country with strong unions, do consider vocational roles like a plumber or electrician. Some of them do pay well.
If you're ok with it, joining the army is ok as well.
Alternatively, upskill through online courses.
Anthro...
Anthropology degree. I do IT Helpdesk at a University. Anthro helped give me a good understanding of different people and cultures. Made my customer service skills waaaaay better knowing that people can see things so differently.
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Hard as we might try, not everyone is meant to be friends with one another.
Sometimes, people have just basic compatibility issues that prevent them from ever becoming particularly close.
Which doesn't mean they necessarily dislike each other... most of the time.
In some cases, people find others so resistible that the word "hate" comes swiftly to mind.
When asked why people hate certain individuals or types of people, however, they find themselves at a loss for words as to why.
Likely owing to the fact that they don't have a single justifiable reason.
"Who do you irrationally hate for no good reason?"
...Oxymoron?...
"Nobody. I have good reasons for everyone I irrationally hate."- PrudentOwlet
You Meet All Kinds...
"People at the airport."- slapmewithabrick
Might Pose A Problem In The Office
"Sandra from HR."- Waste_Drop8898
Feedback Hr GIF by Wintershall DeaGiphyThere Were Literally Two Possible Answers!
"People that make an easy yes or no answer into a long conversation."- Gods-little-mistake
Driving Too Slowly Is Also Dangerous...
"People who walk or drive slightly slower than my preferred speed."
"Especially if they cut me off first."- Dragon_wryter
All Those Years In Bed, He Could Have Been Working...
"Grandpa Joe."
"I hate him."
"And not just because he went to the chocolate factory."
"He was an a**hole from the beginning to the literal end of that movie."
"Every chance he had not to be a d*ck, he was a d*ck."
"Smoking while your family eats cabbage water?"
"Complaining about cabbage water?"
"A kid falls into a river of chocolate or turns into a blueberry?"
"F*ck that get 'we getting all that chocolate.'"
"Got caught for stealing, and his solution is to go to Slugsworth."
"I mean everything this dude did was so f*cking selfish."
"I have been ranting about this for 20 years and can through the movie point by point."
"All the f*cking around he did and this dude NEVER found out."
"Nah he just got to live on a chocolate factory, still smoking and still rent free."
"I hate him with a burning, fiery passion."- Strange-Courage-8602
willy wonka and the chocolate factory fainting GIFGiphyIs That The Only Speed They Come In?
"People who talk really really slowly."
"No idea why but it SCRATCHES MY BRAIN to the core when someone talks slowly or takes FOREVER to get to the point of their story."
"Need a fkn fast forward button."- Kittypie01
They're Probably No Better At Wordle
"Wheel of Fortune contestants who buy the last vowel 'I’ll go ahead and buy the A'."
"Why, you dummy?"- firematika
Sidewalks Are A Shared Space
"Slow walkers or group walkers, like move you fkn idiot."
"Ppl have places to be."- Heretoconfirmrumors
Walking Boss GIF by Ariana GrandeGiphyNot A Word
"Those who say 'irregardless'."- TaxidermiedToddler
Either No Self Worth, Or Way Too Full Of Themselves
"Nearly everyone on any of these shows."
"Married at first sight."
"Love Island."
"Big Brother."
"Bachelor / Batchelorette."
"Nearly everyone called an 'influencer'."- Loose_Sun_169
Old Grudges Die Hard...
"It started a long time ago, but that doesn't matter."
"Just thinking about him still pisses me off."
"Dan from 8th grade."
"Maybe it was just his hair, or that stupid look on his face."
"I don't think we ever said one word to each other."
"Doesn't really matter."
"FU, Dan! "
"I hope your cats attack you and your dogs are all incontinent."
"I hope geese angrily flock to your every approach."
"I hope your wife likes spicier food than your soft weak midwestern palate can comfortably tolerate."
"I hope you get a mild case of food poisoning every time you travel so that you become subconsciously averse to the idea of traveling beyond whatever sad little town you call home."- PeteyMcPetey
Scream GIF by OriginalsGiphySome people are just impossible to comprehend, for reasons we just can't quite put our fingers on.
But rather than try and figure it out, sometimes it's easiest just to say "I hate them", and leave it at that.
Sometimes we can all be a little oblivious.
The signs are there, and so are the red flags.
For instance, women are brilliant at throwing out subtle hints.
I feel like it's actually an art form they've mastered, and I've studied for my own villainous choices.
But for anyone interested in getting to know a woman, Reddit has got your back.
Redditor Sleepwithsockson7 wanted all the gents and ladies to fess up to the signs they were oblivious to, so they asked:
"What was the most obvious hint a girl gave you that you missed?"
I'm bad with signs.
I always miss them.
Think Hard
Think Winnie The Pooh GIFGiphy"She said that she was feeling different about me and that she couldn't stop thinking of me."
"My answer was 'Are you mad at me?'"
NotCopernicus
No Thanks
"I was on a hiking trip with my college, you paid like $40 and they gave you all the equipment and you spent a week or so with 15+ people and a few guides. We went to a hot spring, my tent got ripped, the guides had a spare but we hadn’t set it up yet. A lady sat in the hot spring with me, at night, and decided to go naked while I was in the spring with her."
"She then asked if I wanted to stay in her tent rather that put up the spare one. I said 'nah I can put up the spare one, I’m okay.' Took me 3 months to realize that she was literally naked and asking me to sleep with her."
Woodhouse_20
Oh Rochelle
"Back in college I was working with a girl named Rochelle. We both got off work around three am. I always walked her out to her car. One night she invited me to come to her apartment for 'pancakes.' Told her I appreciated it but I wasn't hungry. I didn't understand the weird, hurt look she gave me until years later."
JacksEmptyWallet
"It's 3 am after a long shift. I wouldn't have blamed you for being kind of dumb from tiredness and just wanting to go home after that."
LazarusKing
Broken
"I had this little penis dinosaur thing a friend 3-D printed. I had a girl over for dinner and she was playing with it and broke the tail. I was like 'you broke my penis!' And she said 'if only there was another one I could play with' she finished dinner, I walked her to her car, and I went inside. The moment my head hit the pillow I realized."
peter_piper_pecked
Seriously?
Los Angeles Hello GIF by LA ClippersGiphy“'You know, I’ve never kissed a man with a beard.'”
My literal response was 'Yeah, me neither.'”
_Bearded_Dad
Wow. Really?
Perfect Loss
Let It Flow Fran Healy GIF by TravisGiphy"We were at a sleepover and she played with my hair for like an hour and I woke up in her arms."
aUwUreliyasss
Just a Smile
"She ran after me to introduce herself at the end of class. The only interaction we had before was an across the room smile. I'm such as idiot."
"Also, during my first job, the boss made me check that the restrooms were clean. Well, one of my female coworkers decides she wants to 'help' me. She entered the men's restroom with me, making sure we were alone."
"I fumbled both times. Both of them were cute too."
Avix_34
Idiot
"I used to drive this girl to school. She lived on the other side of the district. Had to go past the school to pick her up everyday. Prom was coming up. She kept ‘complaining’ that she didn’t have a date. I told her not to worry, that she was really pretty, and someone was bound to ask her. I’m an idiot."
drink-beer-and-fight
Comfort Level
"Went to her place after a night out at the bar with a big group of friends. I thought she was just being nice and offering me a place to sleep closer to the bar, as it was winter and my house was far away."
"'Are you sure you wanna sleep on the couch? My room's more comfortable.'"
"'I'm good on the couch.'"
"Stupid me..."
PreviousTea9210
Figures
"Ages ago I was looking for a rare action figure and I asked this really hot goth sales clerk if they had it. She was totally into the line of toys as well and told me they usually get one per shipment so call on their delivery day to see if they got one. We then spent like 15 minutes talking about various comic and anime things before I had to leave."
"She stopped me and said 'if you call the store you might not get me so call me directly' and gave me her phone number. This was before cell phones so it was her home number and clearly would be useless for having her check if something was in stock.
"I found the figure the next day at a different store so I never called her."
DeaddyRuxpin
It's ME!
Pick Up Hello GIF by The Drew Barrymore ShowGiphy"One day, in class, a girl I was friends with told me there was a girl in her class that was into me."
"She said if I could guess who it was, she’d tell me. I proceeded to list just about every girl in her class before she caved and said 'Me! It’s me you idiot!' Maybe a normal person would have caught on before naming the 15th girl, lol."
TheCyrcus
Oh people. Open your eyes!
Have you ever missed a super obvious hint? Let us know in the comments below.
People are crazy on dates.
The words I have heard uttered could send shivers down a dead person's spine.
Which is so mind-boggling.
Shouldn't we be putting our best foot forward?
Or maybe it's best when they just give you the whole crazy upfront to weed people out.
Is there such a thing as being too comfortable too soon anymore?
Redditor batmanstitty asked:
"What’s the worst thing a person has said to you while on a date?"
I once had a guy tell me he owned me.
Because of a Cosmo and a steak.
It wasn't even the temp I wanted.
You Know
Brits GIF by BRIT AwardsGiphy"'I don't mind that you're... you know.' Waves hand vaguely at my body."
StrangersWithAndi
Flawed
"'I can tell you are an only child because you have major personality flaws.'"
OliveVizsla
"OH MAN. My parents had just the 1 kid. But to some ppl, I guess that marks me as some kind of socially demented freak. I don't think I'd be wrong in saying that is the very start of the very social problem they're talking about--and those vain pieces of trash are welcome to stay out of my orbit."
myflippinggoodness
Just 2?
"Wistfully after 2 wines... 'God, you are so amazing, such a shame you look like that.'"
bonjelascott
"I don't understand why people go on dates with people they aren't physically attracted to. Hell I don't understand why anyone stays in a relationship with someone they aren't physically attracted to."
juukkkkekr
"Blind dates, tinder dates where they don’t look like their pictures, dates where you love the personality so much that you assume over time you won’t care about physical attraction anymore."
S7WW3X
Over
"We had a fun night having a personal date and then we pull up to his house for his birthday party, where I’m about to meet his family for the first time. He turns to me and says, 'Oh btw my parents don’t like Mexicans.' I am Mexican."
"I was like, What do you want me to do with that information? He was like, just be yourself. I was like, no sh*t. I can’t be anyone else?? It was wild. They were polite but patronizing AF. Needless to say, that ended quick."
LosNava
"Been there before. Her dad looked at me like I was gonna rob the place. Didn’t last long, turns out it was just a rebound thing."
tuotone75
Maybe after dinner...
Bye Bye Peace GIF by Cappa Video ProductionsGiphy"'So, aren't you going to invite me to your place? I bought you lunch. You kind of owe me.' from a guy I met ONCE and had breath so bad I am surprised it didn't melt the fork."
randommusicfan
There is no lunch that requires payment after. Bye.
Lies
Will Smith Smh GIF by The Academy AwardsGiphy“You know that cancer is a hoax perpetuated by big pharma and the government preying on the uneducated, right!?!?' He says to me, a cancer survivor who’s life was f**king derailed by cancer."
AccomplishedCow9133
No big deal...
"First date from a dating app. I could tell he was maybe a touch too desperate based on the texts we exchanged. However, he was also whip-smart and almost finished with grad school, so I still agreed to go out. We didn’t have a spark, which I noticed immediately. On the other hand, he was oblivious to it. No big deal. Then, he suggests a walk after dinner. I agree like an idiot."
"On that walk he proceeds to tell me that his ex girlfriend cheated on him, that he thinks he’ll always love her, even though she cheated on him with his best friend, and she gave him an STD. And the worst thing I ever heard on a date was, 'But don’t worry- it’s one of the ones that clears up on its own.' NOPE."
thedivinemissemm
Trash Talk
"Not exactly a date, but at a dance when I was a teenager, I sat down for a breather after I'd been dancing for a long time. Right then a slow song started, and a couple girls came up, one of them introduced me to her friend and asked me to dance with her because nobody had asked her to dance yet."
"I felt really bad for her and said heck yeah, everybody deserves to dance. She spent the whole time talking about how I'm such a piece of garbage for sitting down when there are girls like her who haven't been asked to dance. I kept trying to change the subject, she just ignored me and kept trash talking me, so I walked away mid-dance."
ParkityParkPark
Wow, romance certainly as easy as they make it look in the movies!
Do you have any stories to share? Let us know in the comments below.
People Explain What They Would Do If They Instantly Got $30,000
Many of us have come into financially hard times, especially since the pandemic hit and the economy took a turn.
"Depression food" and "suffer food" have become popular topics on social media as people attempt to do more with fewer ingredients, and that's for good reason.
It makes perfect sense that people would want to daydream about what they would buy or invest in if they suddenly came into some money.
Pondering, Redditor positive-oceans asked:
"What would you do with $30,000 cash right now?"
Feel the Relief
"Get eight full hours of sleep."
- iDrGonzo
Looking Forward to That Taco Bell Order
"Pay off my credit card loans and maybe go get fast food for the first time in five years."
- Cautious-Marker-3131
Care for a Mother
"I'd help my mom out so she wouldn't be losing her home."
- Randyh524
A Slight Indulgence
"Buy 30,000 worth of bean burritos."
- Disastrous-Purpose-8
Back in Order
"Sadly, erase all my debt and move to a cheaper rental house. Yeah, that's pretty much all it would take to set everything back in order."
- SuperJohnBravo
Finally Debt-Free
"I have roughly 30k in debt between my car and student loans so that amount would be pretty awesome for me. I’d be debt free for the first time in my adult life."
- silverr90
Beat Cancer
"Get a reliable vehicle, stock up on stuff for the house, and not worry for a bit while I beat cancer."
- sugarandspice27
A Perfect Balance
"$15,000 on my mortgage, $10,000 into my savings, $5,000 on petty indulgences."
"Invest, save, treat yourself. A perfect balance."
- TheMightyGoatMan
Private Home Care
"Pay off my house and pay for a nurse for my dad who is dying on a ventilator so he can come home."
- DickeTittenn
Keep It Simple
"Save it."
- ZiggyStardustEP
Time to Downsize
"I'd put new windows and siding on my very large, 100-year-old house, sell it and buy a much smaller house. I live alone in this place and I never even go in half the rooms."
- OrwellWasRight101
Financial Security
"Pay off my debt and put 5K in savings so that I can finally be financially comfortable and never make the same financial mistakes (that I made in my twenties) ever again."
- DrewDiggles
Providing for Children
"Give it to my son so he can pay off his debts. The kid never had a break and he deserves it."
- Jealous_Resort_8190
Dental Makeover
"Get a dental makeover, had an accident as a kid and broke several grown teeth and while I don’t look too bad I still feel self-conscious about smiling."
"The current crowns that I have were put on in Guatemala, I know that traveling to Latinoamérica is cheaper but it’s hard especially when you have two little ones and a full-time job. Maybe when the little ones are older and more independent, I will give it another go in Guatemala, funny enough the dentist I saw there was a USC graduate."
- PauPauMoe
While it's fun to talking about winning the lottery and buying a million-dollar mansion, most of our needs and wants are far simpler.
Based on this thread, people just desperately want some financial security, less debt, a little more sleep at night, and maybe some occasional tacos or burgers.