Passion or Practical?

[gckrombach]

Hello experts of this forum,

I'm a male, age 24, shipping/receiving clerk making less than 30k per year.

I hope to get some guidance on which would be the better option for me:

1. Liberal Arts Foreign Language Degree in Hebrew through TESC or COSC

or

2. Bang out a Business degree from either of the big 3


Regarding option 1, I study Hebrew in my free time. I live 45 minutes from a major university that offers upper level hebrew courses. Price is 350/credit. I would enjoy learning more in depth, but the price and time frame are too high and long, respectively. Upper level in total would cost around 12k and probably take a few years time to complete. I would plan on testing out of other requirements/electives, of course. In the end, I would know Hebrew well (which would be great) and have a bachelors, which I don't have currently.

Regarding option 2, I'd like to have a bachelor's for the sake of having one. I make a minimal wage now and think that having a bachelors in pretty much anything would be a step up for me and possibly open some doors for me. So, if chose this route I could have a degree for much cheaper and in less time than option 1. I could continue to study Hebrew in my free time and into the future, as I don't plan on stopping, possibly auditing Hebrew classes instead of paying 1800 bucks a pop.

Which one do ya'll think I should do? Either way I'd get a degree.

Is it worth having a degree for it's own sake? or should I go with a degree in my passion (hebrew) in spite of the high cost and long time window?

Thanks for any help!

GCK

[MaieJaie]

Shalom!

[For those reading this who are unfamiliar with the term, "shalom" is a Hebrew word which translates as "peace," but can also be used in the sense of "hello" or "good-bye."]

I have a couple of suggestions for you to consider.

First, have you considered COSC's Individualized Studies option? Instead of choosing either Hebrew or business, you can combine them into one concentration--Hebrew/Business.

Here is a description from the COSC website:

"The Individualized Studies concentration option allows students to combine professional studies with the liberal arts and sciences into a cohesive course of study. The Individualized Studies concentration is not meant to serve merely as a convenient repository for a collection of assorted credits. It provides the opportunity to integrate a broad range of accumulated knowledge and new learning into an interdisciplinary program which will meet an individual’s career and/or personal needs. Students who anticipate pursuing graduate studies upon completion of the baccalaureate degree should incorporate the necessary prerequisites into the concentration. For example, a course in research methods is frequently such a prerequisite.

The key to receiving approval for this concentration is the student’s ability to explain the rationale underneath the proposed concentration and its relation to his or her career and/or personal goals.

The number of credits and distribution by level should consist of a minimum of 36 credits with a minimum of 18 at the upper level. The 18 upper level credits should represent a logical distribution from various disciplines in the concentration. The concentration needs to show breadth and depth in each subject area chosen."

Individualized / Liberal Studies Concentration (Major) at Charter Oak State College

In this case, you can have some Hebrew courses, and some business courses. You would still be able to study your passion--Hebrew--without having to shell out as much money for upper level courses in the subject. You would also have the business foundation for the practical career benefits.

As far as explaining the "rationale," as COSC requires, you could describe your career goals and discuss the benefits of intercultural communication and diversity appreciation in the business environment, and perhaps mention how your career goals may lead you to have interaction with Israeli businesses...something to that effect.



Another option you may choose to consider, which could be included either as part of the aforementioned degree plan or exclusive of it, would be to earn your upper-level Hebrew credits elsewhere instead of at your expensive local university. ACTFL exams and NYU Foreign Language Proficiency Exams (which don't actually have to be taken in New York) can be taken for credit up to and including upper-level. Neither test will give you enough to complete a major, but you could still earn a lot of credits in Hebrew for a lot less than you would pay for one single credit at your local university.



I hope this was helpful. Good luck, and let us know what you decide!

[cookderosa]

Hello experts of this forum,

I'm a male, age 24, shipping/receiving clerk making less than 30k per year.

I hope to get some guidance on which would be the better option for me:

1. Liberal Arts Foreign Language Degree in Hebrew through TESC or COSC

or

2. Bang out a Business degree from either of the big 3


Regarding option 1, I study Hebrew in my free time. I live 45 minutes from a major university that offers upper level hebrew courses. Price is 350/credit. I would enjoy learning more in depth, but the price and time frame are too high and long, respectively. Upper level in total would cost around 12k and probably take a few years time to complete. I would plan on testing out of other requirements/electives, of course. In the end, I would know Hebrew well (which would be great) and have a bachelors, which I don't have currently.

Regarding option 2, I'd like to have a bachelor's for the sake of having one. I make a minimal wage now and think that having a bachelors in pretty much anything would be a step up for me and possibly open some doors for me. So, if chose this route I could have a degree for much cheaper and in less time than option 1. I could continue to study Hebrew in my free time and into the future, as I don't plan on stopping, possibly auditing Hebrew classes instead of paying 1800 bucks a pop.

Which one do ya'll think I should do? Either way I'd get a degree.

Is it worth having a degree for it's own sake? or should I go with a degree in my passion (hebrew) in spite of the high cost and long time window?

Thanks for any help!

GCK

My answer has everything to do with your opening statements. Clearly, you are not going to be content forever at your wage/job. So, I assume you hope your degree will increase your earning potential? If so, an undergrad degree in a foreign language is a total waste off time. An undergrad degree qualifies you for very little (specifically speaking) so you would need to either decide to get a PhD in Hebrew or nothing. That's not to say you can't study for fun in your free time, we all do that. But earning a degree is about buying a credential- it's not about fun learning and whimsy. Before you buy the credential- ask yourself about its rate of return. (yeah, I'm no fun)

A business degree OTOH is generic, but it's the right kind of generic. I'd actually not suggest an individual plan of study combining business and Hebrew into 1 major- it's going to make your degree too specific, and you'll spend every interview explaining that yes, you took regular business classes. A degree in business w/ a minor in Hebrew is better.

[kevin7314]

First do what you love
then
Do what works

[Katterina]

Hmmm, tough call. Typically I would say to plan backwards: where do you want to be career-wise in 10-20 years? What credentials will you need for that?

Do you have grad school aspirations? If you were to pursue an MBA later on, then it would matter much less what major undergrad you had, ie: Hebrew. Then again, if you want to teach later on, you would probably need to go the Hebrew PhD route as mentioned.

Personally, I just needed a "check the box" degree for government work, so I studied my passions. If I'd had no idea what career I wanted, I might have gone with the business BA just to be on the safe side.

[JanusthePhoenix]

Go for a Business undergrad. When you get the opportunity for grad school (MBA or whatever) do some Hebrew courses if you have the extra money. Like cookderosa says, you're paying for a credential. I plan on learning Russian later (for personal interest and business application), but I will likely never take a formal Russian class, much less major or minor in the language. I can't think of anything you could do with a degree in Hebrew other than go back and teach it, so that's my .02.

[kevin7314]

I guarantee any decision you make will be wrong in the long run.

Its not about figuring everything out initially, its about speed and focus.

One example:
One of the faculty of ASU Educational Technology division got a BA in theater from some unknown college, then a masters in something else and then a PhD in Educational Technology from Harvard. He did what he wanted when he wanted(in a productive fashion) and is more successful now than he would have been forcing himself to do something he wasn't good at or interested in.

Focus on what you enjoy doing now, make it profitable, make artifacts of it and let people know. You will save years.

This assumes you have some talent or ability in what you are interested in.

Also factor in your ability to endure boring, tedious tasks.
high ability>can do more things you aren't interested in
low ability> you have to manage your energy and focus better

[Kaz]

Do you live near NY and can swing hefty tuition?
The Jewish Theological Seminary - Jewish Studies and Public Administration

[kayausa]

NYU has a language proficiency exam, up to 16 credits for somewhere around $420
(12 ll and 4 ul)
maybe first take that and see from there? I took it in hebrew and spanish I know spanish better, but did better in the hebrew.