College Degrees to Avoid

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College has a value

It is not not "worthless"

But many things have value

Saturated fat has value and set es a function. Only a certain amount

College is not magic, a mystery, or anything like that

Some people should go to college


Some people should not go to college

The young lady who lived in the house I bought decided not to go to college with the money her parents had saved up for her. She, with her parents approval, decided to get married and start a family. They used the money to buy a bigger house.

Thus setting a fine example for the children.

Not.

My major originally *was* computer science, but I end up changing my major because I struggled at calculus and the computer science professor was the type who intentionally set students up to drop or fail so he could devote more time to his research.

Also, the public schools I attended were a total joke. The only things students were taught to do were to pass the standardized test and follow orders. They strictly enforced zero tolerance policies that were designed more to keep minority students in line than to keep students safe. And if there was an assignment that asked us to take a side on those policies, I took the side in favor of them out of fear of getting disciplined. There was no way I could have got into a college computer science program fully prepared the way the public schools were run.

On top of that, I am hoping to relocate to Seattle, but with the house prices skyrocketing (40% in one year), and that tech pros are the only ones (barely) able to afford homes there, I'm screwed.

Some 18 year olds should go to colleges. Of them, some should go to State, community college, ivy league. Some should major in STEM. Some should major in social science or humanities.

Some 18 year olds should join the military

Some 18 year olds should get a job

Some 18 year olds should do two or three of the above

Some 18 year olds should do zero of the above


Merely claiming that nobody should major in anything outside STEM , just because STEM average more $$$, is oversimplified.


If someone has equal skill and aptitude at STEM and a different major, STEM is a better choice


But not everyone is academically prepared for STEM. Not everyone likes STEM.

So do I.

However, for people with four-year degrees, people with STEM degrees are more in demand than people with Non-STEM degrees, and people with Non-Stem degrees are more in demand than people with no degrees at all.

It saddens me to think of all of the earnest, sincere people I've had to turn away from employment because they were under-qualified for a position that required a STEM degree, because all they had was something like an Art History, English Literature, or Social Work degree or no degree at all.

Now, if I was running a museum, a newspaper, or a day-care center, one of those people with a Liberal Arts degree would have been perfect for the job.

For the people with no college degree at all, I'm sorry to say that they should either be exceptionally talented as actors or artists, or learn how to stock shelves, drive a truck, or work a deep-frying machine.

When I was 19, a career personality test matched me for 20 jobs. All STEM. Easiest, civil engineer

Many autistics have a similar personality to me

For autistics, the job prospects outside STEM are much worse than for neurotypical outside STEM


But it's not, necessarily, "worthless"

Just, below salvage value


Not worth cost benefit analysis

This is a list of the top 23 High-Paying Skilled Trades in America
1. Construction Manager
2. Rotary Drill Operator for the Oil and Gas Industry
3. Boilermaker
4. Aircraft Mechanic
5. Avionics Technician
6. Pile-Driver Operator
7. Plumber, Pipefitter, or Steamfitter
8. Electrician
9. Crane Operator
10. Wind Turbine Technician
11. Millwright
12. Brick Mason
13. Commercial Diver
14. Industrial Machinery Mechanic
15. CNC Machine Tool Programmer
16. Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanic
17. Construction Equipment Operator
18. HVAC Technician
19. Carpenter
20. Diesel Mechanic
21. Auto Body Repairer
22. Welder
23. Automotive Mechanic

This is a list of the 20 High-Paying Vocations in America
1. Computer Network Architect
2. Applications Software Developer
3. Logistics Manager
4. Computer Programmer
5. Database Administrator
6. Funeral Service Manager
7. Film or Video Editor
8. Fashion Designer
9. Dental Hygienist
10. Multimedia Artist or Animator
11. Web Developer
12. Diagnostic Medical Sonographer
13. Engineering Technician
14. Electrical or Electronics Drafter
15. Sound Engineering Technician
16. Respiratory Therapist
17. Radiologic Technologist
18. Cardiovascular Technologist
19. Physical Therapist Assistant
20. Occupational Therapy Assistant

Source: 43 Trade School Jobs Among the Highest Paying Trades

Where I was 21, I flunked structural engineering

UCSD, fourth year


Tried and failed to commit suicide

The school told me that I could not major in structural engineering anymore

It gave me a chance to major in something else



Cognitive science




Fascinating



But thus far I have only worked high school diploma jobs



Outside of school teacher and insurance agent, not many jobs for cognitive science, bachelor


On the other hand, maybe a structural engineering degree would not have been better financially

For me


Take your dog to work day

Equal employment opportunity commission 2012, gender identity.. I was 29 years old


Autism, personality disorders

If anybody on here has a LinkedIn account, I highly advise reading Brigette Hyacinth's page.

She has also written a book called "The Future of Leadership: Rise of Automation, Robotics and Artificial Intelligence", that deals with the problems with current HR trends.

The world needs people from outside of STEM

Just that there are a lot of people that major in liberal art and humanities, and not many jobs for them. And those jobs do not pay much


The public high school closest to my house, had a five percent math proficiency rate


STEM is ideal for some autistics, based on personality. But not everyone is good enough at math to do STEM

I agree.

Who would be more qualified to answer phones, make coffee, order take-out, and pick up the dry-cleaning?

I feel like I'm in the Twilight Zone. It seems here that someone with a non-STEM degree is no better off than someone with no degree at all. Although in all honesty, I think even a STEM graduate with no work experience will struggle here...even jobs that pay just a little more than minimum wage ask for experience. I'm just going by the postings in my area on Indeed...maybe I'm looking in the wrong place.

There are not many jobs that require nonSTEM degrees

Where I live

Exception:. Accounting

It also seems that, it is easier for an extrovert convicted felon to find a job. than for an autistic person without rap sheet



Many job descriptions say "outgoing", "multitasking", "flexible", "team player", "adaptable"

In some states, it is illegal to do a criminal background check until after job offer

And the conviction has to be related to the job

I don't know about a convicted felon, but I do think extroverts without degrees usually do better than autistics with non-STEM degrees.

The problem with nonSTEM degrees for autistics

Is that non STEM jobs tend to be way too social for autistics.

At least, for me

High school diploma jobs have a lot of competition

Restaurant retail sales

Office, warehouse, manufacturing, trades ok



Although autistics with no degree isn't too great either