"I have nothing against dead languages." - ss20ts.
Really? OK if you say so. You DID say to get rid of them four times and were quite emphatic.
"They do have lovely programs. But what is a 22 year old going to do with a degree in ... English? Used to be able to land a journalism career.....well we know how print media is doing." - ss20ts
My younger son's nephew (by marriage) is a fairly recent English grad - and yes, he was 22 when he graduated, IIRC. He works in journalism - print media. He started working at this during summers, before graduation with an Honours English degree. Ever since, he's been doing fine full-time, thank you very much. He just got back from India - they had the Catholic wedding here and the Sikh wedding there. In his journalism work, he's also learned to be a fine photographer - and has carved himself out an excellent business with that skill. He's got a very versatile skillset. And intelligence. He'll do fine. Adaptation to non-print, as and when necessary, will hold no terrors for him.
My elder son (50) has taught high school (computer and tech subjects) for around 20 years. He also went back to college at night a few years ago to earn a second credential - in creative writing. He has a fine sideline - freelance writing on the internet - and he's good enough and reputable enough to earn real dough - steadily, with no detriment to his teaching job - which he truly loves. (He has tech skills like crazy!) I can see him enjoying an active, remunerative retirement from teaching in the next decade, thanks in good part to his English-related abilities, all in non-print media.
Incidentally, my son didn't begin his teaching career till he was nearly 30. He graduated from a college program in Media Writing at 21 or so and used his communication skills in a University radio station for some years, acquiring broadcast & tech. skills and finishing as Program Director. Pay at that level was pretty good, too, for those times. After a few years as Program Director, "the coolest job in the world" as he put it, he "got the call" and went to Teachers' College. Good writer, good program director, good teacher. It all started with that first college writing program. His high school guidance counselor advised against it - "son, you'll never get a job." Well, he damn well did, as we have seen. So much for guidance counsellors.
There is still a lot of hope for English grads. Skills, ability, ambition and imagination - not optional. I think that's the rule in IT too. And many other fields. The real problems, as you mentioned, are the staggering cost of education and the crushing burden of student debt. My sons didn't have that. I don't think either son had student debt exceeding $500. I was even luckier. I went back to school in my 40s, working full time, school at night. I retired at 50 and kept going to night school until 62. Come to think of it, in the early years, all three of us were in college (different schools) around the same time. I paid as I went - no student debt at all. Much harder to do that today...
Really? OK if you say so. You DID say to get rid of them four times and were quite emphatic.
"They do have lovely programs. But what is a 22 year old going to do with a degree in ... English? Used to be able to land a journalism career.....well we know how print media is doing." - ss20ts
My younger son's nephew (by marriage) is a fairly recent English grad - and yes, he was 22 when he graduated, IIRC. He works in journalism - print media. He started working at this during summers, before graduation with an Honours English degree. Ever since, he's been doing fine full-time, thank you very much. He just got back from India - they had the Catholic wedding here and the Sikh wedding there. In his journalism work, he's also learned to be a fine photographer - and has carved himself out an excellent business with that skill. He's got a very versatile skillset. And intelligence. He'll do fine. Adaptation to non-print, as and when necessary, will hold no terrors for him.
My elder son (50) has taught high school (computer and tech subjects) for around 20 years. He also went back to college at night a few years ago to earn a second credential - in creative writing. He has a fine sideline - freelance writing on the internet - and he's good enough and reputable enough to earn real dough - steadily, with no detriment to his teaching job - which he truly loves. (He has tech skills like crazy!) I can see him enjoying an active, remunerative retirement from teaching in the next decade, thanks in good part to his English-related abilities, all in non-print media.
Incidentally, my son didn't begin his teaching career till he was nearly 30. He graduated from a college program in Media Writing at 21 or so and used his communication skills in a University radio station for some years, acquiring broadcast & tech. skills and finishing as Program Director. Pay at that level was pretty good, too, for those times. After a few years as Program Director, "the coolest job in the world" as he put it, he "got the call" and went to Teachers' College. Good writer, good program director, good teacher. It all started with that first college writing program. His high school guidance counselor advised against it - "son, you'll never get a job." Well, he damn well did, as we have seen. So much for guidance counsellors.
There is still a lot of hope for English grads. Skills, ability, ambition and imagination - not optional. I think that's the rule in IT too. And many other fields. The real problems, as you mentioned, are the staggering cost of education and the crushing burden of student debt. My sons didn't have that. I don't think either son had student debt exceeding $500. I was even luckier. I went back to school in my 40s, working full time, school at night. I retired at 50 and kept going to night school until 62. Come to think of it, in the early years, all three of us were in college (different schools) around the same time. I paid as I went - no student debt at all. Much harder to do that today...
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