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butterfly105 t1_jd9d3kp wrote

Reply to comment by fireside_blather in Penn State, PSU, Temple and Lincoln say a tuition hike is needed, even with a 7% increase in state funding by Mrstucco

And get rid of worthless degrees. Why do we need a degree in philosophy again? Come on it’s common sense. Communications? Unless there is a specific career path tied to a degree, I’m sorry, but these colleges have to cut the fat.

Keep the downvotes coming! Cmon people we can study philosophy and communication, but we do not need separate departments for both. I can’t believe this is even a serious discussion. I absolutely agree with cutting bloated administrative costs, but there has to be a better way to educate students, other than basically useless departments and majors.

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hexopuss t1_jd9ggze wrote

Philosophy degrees are extremely useful for going to law school. I’ve heard some lawyers argue it’s better than pre-law at preparing a student for law school.

Communications is useful for marketing, corporate work, and similar applications

Just because it doesn’t have the job title in the name, doesn’t mean it isn’t a desirable education that employers value.

I’m not even getting defensive from the perspective of someone with a degree in one of these fields (I have a science degree). They aren’t useless at all unless you don’t know what you’re looking at. That’s the thing about “common sense”, it can be any bullshit that anyone believes; common sense is just a lovely buzzword to make people look stupid for even trying to challenge it.

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ILikeMyGrassBlue t1_jdawko4 wrote

Philosophy majors also make more than non-college graduates on average. If I remember correctly, it was even more than welders, which is a classic suggestion for “go to trade school instead.” Not shitting on trades here; college isn’t for everyone. But I love that philosophy is always the degree people shit on lol.

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Semi-Hemi-Demigod t1_jdani72 wrote

I got a lot of value out of my college philosophy class. Learning how to think about thinking and how you fit in the world is good mental training.

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GraySparrow t1_jd9f2ah wrote

I've been told this a few times since I moved to the USA. I have an undergraduate degree in philosophy, so I'm obviously biased on this, but critical thinking, as the major component of philosophical exploration, and all the associated skills are absolutely essential. Critical thinking and common sense are not always the same thing, as evidenced by *gestures broadly*.

These types of soft skills might not always translate into direct $$$ but they are incredibly socially valuable. I've since obtained a Master's degree and am working on a PhD in the mental health field, which again, definitely not tied to financial worth and my experience isn't necessarily generalizable, but worth can be thought of as a lot more than financially valuable career paths when we think more broadly about societal needs.

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PPQue6 t1_jd9oy8v wrote

> I have an undergraduate degree in philosophy

😬😬 I'm just wrapping up my intro to philosophy class and that alone gives me a bad enough headache. I can't even imagine how much of a pain it is to major in it. On that note I'll just side with Socrates in that I know nothing, and that I can never truly know anything, but I can always discuss it in a dialectic manner.

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GraySparrow t1_jd9qfp1 wrote

I actually went to university for English Language and Creative Writing, but took an intro course in Philosophy and loved it so much I switched. We all have our different but valuable skills, good luck with finishing your course!

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ThankMrBernke t1_jd9slsw wrote

I wouldn't necessarily recommend an English, Philosophy, Communications, etc degree to anybody, but they're generally fairly cheap programs to run. They don't require expensive lab space or professors with high salary requirements because you've got to hire then away from the private sector. They're generally profit centers for the university that end up subsidizing the math-ier subjects.

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ILikeMyGrassBlue t1_jdawtnl wrote

They also still make more than non-college graduates on average. An English or comm degree may not be for a specific job like a biologist or engineer or teacher, but it still opens a lot of doors. It’s just not guaranteed for a specific position like a rocket scientist or something is.

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DavidLieberMintz t1_jd9pvs2 wrote

Yeah, who needs music and arts! Colleges should be churning out buyers and sellers, BUYERS AND SELLERS! Capitalism to the max has never hurt us before.

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ILikeMyGrassBlue t1_jdawxz5 wrote

Woah, slow down there. You need to buy gear to make art and music. Music gear in particular gets incredibly expensive. There’s profit there.

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