Psychology degree useless?

You've got me sussed. 

Not you Jimbo...you just got a little lazy with your language. Again, from reading your often excellent, and always entertaining posts (being grilled by the Romanian police is my favourite), I can tell you are thoughtful and well-informed.

But I think this is important....that we be careful not to propagate easy ideas about things such as the value of education or work.

What you and Alison and KF are saying may very well be true about a Psychology degree, and pointedly, as far as Komo is concerned, the given advice may be very prudent.

However, it seems to me that any decision she makes, she can handle. And I feel she is probably able to make her decisions without, and I'm sure you will agree with me, the slightly polemical, "you'll be competing against all the other psych graduates, and the media studies people for that job at Starbucks".

I do apologise about the "beer-gutted Archie Bunker" barb (which again was not directed at you personally)....when  wrote it I just liked the way it sounded.

All right then, I'll let you off the hook, especially after all that flattery. 

I think we both agree that a lot work is undervalued .  You sound like you are angrier than I that a lot of this is "woman's work " because I feel all jobs across the spectrum are becoming devalued because it suits the bosses.  It's not just women being undervalued, now we all are.

That's enough hijacking this thread for me.  I'm going to start a new one that might be right up your street.

I stick behind my comments.  It's all just my opinion (which I clearly said).  And we know what they say about opinions. 

Komo has also created the very next post down in this section about a completely different degree.  I worry for my fellow American that she may be VERY in love and not necessarily thinking about how having 6 figures of student loans will affect her life.  That's all. 

People look at the £62,500 cash savings option for the visa and say, "That's totally unrealistic.  No one has that much money."  Yet people encourage young people straight out of high school to take out that much and more in student loans when they are not sure where their passion lies.

I would just really urge you to figure out what you want to be when you grow up in your own time. 

And here is my 'inspiring teacher talk': Don't figure out what you want to be, but what problems you want to solve. And then the path might get a little clearer.

People look at the £62,500 cash savings option for the visa and say, "That's totally unrealistic.  No one has that much money."  Yet people encourage young people straight out of high school to take out that much and more in student loans when they are not sure where their passion lies.

And here is my 'inspiring teacher talk': Don't figure out what you want to be, but what problems you want to solve. And then the path might get a little clearer.

My story that goes in line with KFdancer and physicskate:

Coming out of high school, I had good grades so it was assumed I'd go to uni/college. I did and decided since I wanted to travel, I'd study anthropology with an international studies minor.

Well, to get the type of anthropology job that looked interesting to me where you get to travel (esp internationally), you need to do a lot more than undergrad. Usually you get your undergrad degree then apply to be on digs over the summer(s), be accepted to those digs, pay to be on those digs, come back, apply to grad school, do all the stuff that comes with grad school and then try and find a job you want in the place you want to be.

Well, after two years, I realised I could travel (what I wanted to do at the time) without a degree, so I did. I moved back with my parents, saved money by working a few jobs (Starbucks was one of then and I loved it. We had the best customers!) and then I travelled in Europe for two years on what it would have cost for one year at uni. At the end of that, I met my hubby and moved to London.

I now work in a job I couldn't have imagined I'd ever do (social media for a travel guide publisher - the type of role didn't even exist when I was in uni!) and I love it. I've paid off my student loans, but even just two years of uni took over 10 years to pay off.

I know it doesn't work out that way for everyone, but I really lucked out - I do something I enjoy in a field I'm passionate about and I don't have to have a degree to do it.

If I'd stuck with my degree with the sole purpose of using it to travel, I'd be in a totally different place right now and I'd have massive student loans. It might have been cool (besides the loan part), but I'm quite happy with where I am.

And here is my 'inspiring teacher talk': Don't figure out what you want to be, but what problems you want to solve. And then the path might get a little clearer.

Awww, I love that!

But I'm not sure I ever would have answered, "Figuring out how to maximize corporate revenue while following both US and UK GAAP."     But I do love what I do!

Worthless than a Zimbabwean dollar. Maybe you could get a janitorial job as a backup in the past, but old Muhammed who clung under the Calais express has you beat.

Worthless than a Zimbabwean dollar. Maybe you could get a janitorial job as a backup in the past, but old Muhammed who clung under the Calais express has you beat.

Wow, that was a bit rude.

Wow, that was a bit rude.

just "real talk."

just "real talk."

No, it was derogatory and rude.

More generally, what about studying in Germany (tends to be very low cost / free)?

https://www.daad.de/deutschland/nach-deutschland/en/

I'd study German before I leave to prepare for life in Germany, but many degrees are taught solely in English.

You could also consider many

Or an Irish Working Holiday visa?

https://www.dfa.ie/travel/visas/working-holiday-visas/

Is it the education, international experience or proximity to partner? Don't forget, travel to mainland Europe to the UK will likely remain fairly low cost (at least pre-referendum).

I think it's about finding a balance of all the factors that may be important to you and finding where those factors meet / intersect the best.