What do you wish you'd studied?

[CountDeMoney]

Wages are higher, working conditions are better, your employer won't disappear or be bought by another company, and working for the government is PSLF eligible.

My private sector equivalents make far more than I do.  I work in a building from the 30s that was remodled in the 70s.  They work in brand new offices.

Who gives a shit;  tell you what: I'll trade you your less-than-private-sector-equivalents salary and 1930's office for my private-sector-equivalent new-building-smell severance letter.

[Savonarola]

The alternative for me was medicine. Instead I studied information systems and now work as IT project manager.
Not sure if medicine would have been better. Definitely worse work hours, but maybe more interesting? No international travel, but more meaning to my work? Less money now, but bigger chance to become self-employed later? Hmm.

My alternative was physics; I could have been an adjunct professor.  Thank goodness my high school guidance counselor talked me out of that.

[Ideologue]

I read a pretty good article today by an adjunct professor, but it was on Slate so everyone hates it, and it was about how to make rational changes to required liberal arts classes (do away with essays that no one puts any effort into writing or professionalism into grading), so they hated it even more.

You could have also gone into finance.

[Jacob]

I read a pretty good article today by an adjunct professor, but it was on Slate so everyone hates it, and it was about how to make rational changes to required liberal arts classes (do away with essays that no one puts any effort into writing or professionalism into grading), so they hated it even more.

You could have also gone into finance.

A friend visited us on the weekend with her husband. He's got a Ph.D. in physics and works in risk management for a big Canadian Bank. She works in finance too, but got into it through actuarial studies.

... though there are a lot of Engineering Ph.D. holders in finance as well.

[crazy canuck]

I read a pretty good article today by an adjunct professor, but it was on Slate so everyone hates it, and it was about how to make rational changes to required liberal arts classes (do away with essays that no one puts any effort into writing or professionalism into grading), so they hated it even more.

You could have also gone into finance.

A friend visited us on the weekend with her husband. He's got a Ph.D. in physics and works in risk management for a big Canadian Bank. She works in finance too, but got into it through actuarial studies.

... though there are a lot of Engineering Ph.D. holders in finance as well.

Physics and Engineering require a command of mathmatics that would likely prove very useful it that line of work.

I will tell J to keep that in mind

[Sheilbh]

The alternative for me was medicine. Instead I studied information systems and now work as IT project manager.
Not sure if medicine would have been better. Definitely worse work hours, but maybe more interesting? No international travel, but more meaning to my work? Less money now, but bigger chance to become self-employed later? Hmm.

Yeah. I'd still probably be heading for law but looking back on three years of study in a serious academic setting I think I'd have got more out of history.

I read a pretty good article today by an adjunct professor, but it was on Slate so everyone hates it, and it was about how to make rational changes to required liberal arts classes (do away with essays that no one puts any effort into writing or professionalism into grading), so they hated it even more.

90% of my marks overall came from essays

But I think that'd be losing most of the advantages of a degree. That stuffs the basis of saying you can research, formulate an independent though and express it decently in future job applications.

[Ed Anger]

I read a pretty good article today by an adjunct professor, but it was on Slate so everyone hates it, and it was about how to make rational changes to required liberal arts classes (do away with essays that no one puts any effort into writing or professionalism into grading), so they hated it even more.

You could have also gone into finance.

Oh, I loathe essays. Which is why I give multiple choice tests. You are there to learn the basics of the Supply Chain, save the Analzing for the classes higher up. That I'm not teaching.

Hate to read essays. Blech.

[Caliga]

Hate to read essays. Blech.

Don't bother reading them and give everyone an A.  Everyone wins except for society.

[mongers]

.....
Yeah. I'd still probably be heading for law but looking back on three years of study in a serious academic setting I think I'd have got more out of history.

Not to pick on you Shelf, but what is it with people here on Languish, a history nerd's exile if there ever was one, all saying I wish I'd taken history instead of X. :

We know it's all but useless, but please you could have done it, regretted it and Then become accountants/lawtalkers et al. 

[The Larch]

I'm happy with my educational choices, wouldn't change them if I had the chance. My alternative to Biology was Marine Sciences, which would have made me much more miserable and less employable, so I think I made the right choice.

[The Larch]

I did not go to University. I should have continued in that path & do an electrical engineer degree.

Electrical Engineering.

I wish I had not gone into Electrical Engineering. Or uni at all. If I had to do it all over again I'd just study for civil service exams (maybe IT tech). I'd be set for life in my late teens. Having a job for life would mean access to cheap credit when home prices and interest rates were at their optimum alignment. Having paid my home by now, I would be worth a lot more than I am today and get home every day at 15:30 from a job with no stress and no responsibility. Not to mention a job where I would actually meet women.

And you'd be bored out of your mind after a few months.

[Eddie Teach]

I'm happy with my educational choices, wouldn't change them if I had the chance. My alternative to Biology was Marine Sciences, which would have made me much more miserable and less employable, so I think I made the right choice.

Marines can't even add, let alone do science.

[CountDeMoney]

I read a pretty good article today by an adjunct professor, but it was on Slate so everyone hates it, and it was about how to make rational changes to required liberal arts classes (do away with essays that no one puts any effort into writing or professionalism into grading), so they hated it even more.

Yeah, the Jesuits figured that one out a while ago, but hey.

[grumbler]

Just say you are from the future and had the choice of killing Hitler or preventing the 9/11 hijacking.

Oh.  It was Hitler.  I was from the future and killed that Adolf Hilter guy and it didn't seem to make any difference.  Oops.

[Ed Anger]

I'd go back and save Hitler.