Quoted: How many people end up actually working in an occupation directly related to their college major?

100% of the students from my program.

I run an undergraduate, masters, and doctoral program at a large university.   Our students take a basic core of classes (approximately 1/3 of the curriculum) consisting of history, literature, math, science, etc.  Our student take a core "occupational specialization" classes (approx. 1/3 of the curriculum) - they choose the classes that they need in thier chosen profession.   Our students take a core of "professional development" classes consisting of presentation skills, leadership, performance management, etc.  

The problem is that people are typically guided to choose a major to lead to a profession rather than choosing a profession that is gained through a major.   Our students don't have that choice.   The first question (no matter their age):   "What do you want to do when you get out?"  

The short answer to the original question is that all of our students have chosen their profession before they begin the program.  That way they are much more directed in their learning.

Respectfully,

Jeff

BTW:

I think he's asking more along the lines of 4 years at a state university drinking beer and sitting through lectures."

I work at four year state school.

Quoted: this is one of my pet peeves about the state teacher's colleges - the average student there would be eaten alive by a four year engineering school.  Typical conversation: "Oh my, I've got 14 credit hours and I need to study two hours a day to get a B." Or, "Those mean old professors gave us an assignment to do this weekend." [FYI, I've got nothing against the teaching profession, either, just their sorry colleges.]

Ouch.    Yes, I'm at one of "the state teacher's colleges".  I don't think that you would find that my students would agree.  

Amen to that. Anybody that thinks college exams are multiple choice obviously never took upper level classes. I remember one class that was graded entirely by one essay during finals week.

My doc students would agree.  Then again...my undergraduate students would also.

There are a couple things going on in college. One of them is that the snot-nosed 18 year olds are growing up and maturing. That sort of thing happens in the cold real world, too, maybe at the same rate. The other thing is that you actually learn something.

For the technical fields like engineering or computer science or biology there's basically no substitute for college.

My life has been a mess.


Fun as hell, which is OK by me, but it's been a mess.

I have 2 years of college(the kind where you go to classes, etc)

I also have a 4 year degree from 'Hawspipe U'.(This means my limited tonnage Master's license motor, steam and SAIL)720 days total, 360 under sail. Figure the college year to be about 6-7 hrs/ day in class, 180 days/ year, 720 days for a degree. Figure my days at Hawspipe to be 12-24 hrs/ day.

Do the math.

BTW, the license in my position don't mean squat, as I'm sailing under my document.

Which one means the most to me? Hawspipe U. On paper, I am a USMMO.

Life at sea makes for serious bedfellows. During the MD/VA sniper era, I posted as being a captain of a tanker. I was at the time. The'regular'captain was injured and was expected to be out of the picture permanently.

I also posted that I was 'throwing myself DOWN the hawspipe', which I did. The other skipper recovered and was going to take another piece of equipment over. I 'fired myself' to return him to his proper place.(I raised hell with personnel demanding his return, and took a pay cut back to mate)

I won't say why, other than the fact that he and I are a good team.

Fact is, he's a HS dropout, and also an odd duck. IMHO, had HE gotten a degree, he'd have become a worthless POS!(trust me on this one) He's one of those truly special people that are fighters. Some people NEED handicaps to overcome.

OTOH, if I had to start over, and knew I'd STILL wind up where I'm at, I'd have gone to an Academy. King's Point or s State MM academy.

Why? The 'book education' is a GREAT foundation.
You arrive on the job as a newbie, like any green kid, but you have a lot of great theory to work with. It's a LOT better than nothing.

I consider formal education to be a tool, nothing more.

FWIW, I come from a tribe of over educated idiots, people with degrees that can't even drive a nail into a plank with a nail gun.

I am one of a damned few in my tribe that DOESN'T have a degree. We got Harvard grads out the ass in the Piccolo tribe, teachers, educators, and God knows what.(Of course, I'm the ONLY tribe member since WW2 to serve, the services being too common for one of OUR tribe)

The paradox is that between the ages of 25-45, I was always being called every time there was a 'family problem'. Why me?

Oddly enough, because I was the only NCO type in a clan of officer types. IE practical. At an early age I learned to see through most of the bullshit.

IMHO, drive and brains are enough.

The internet is also has the power to make degrees, etc obselete. Learn to use the web and all the book learning is there to be had. Then again, maybe in college you learn what questions to ask. Who knows.

A degree is nice, but, IMHO NOT necessary for a fun and interesting life.

Pic, out.