One son is away for the long weekend, and the other son and I have just had a very long walk, talking in part about what he does next year. Now, he has already read and absorbed the good word from the Captain, and is aiming high. He’s aware that I would rather give him a round the world ticket that send him to varsity just for the experience. But this is worthless degree month, As Aaron notes.
Today, I declare June to be “Today, I declare June to be “Worthless Degree Awareness Month.”
It may sound funny, but it really is no laughing matter. The single worst thing we do to our young kids is cripple them financially for the rest of their lives by telling them to waste 4-8 years of their youth and anywhere between $50,000-$150,000 on worthless degrees. Economically, the education bubble is on par with the housing bubble, but this time it is within our own control to stop it.
Since most kids graduate from high school during early June, it’s the perfect time to “raise awareness” (I always wanted to use that vile phrase for something that’s actually good, legit and noble) about the threats and dangers of majoring in a worthless field..”
It may sound funny, but it really is no laughing matter. The single worst thing we do to our young kids is cripple them financially for the rest of their lives by telling them to waste 4-8 years of their youth and anywhere between $50,000-$150,000 on worthless degrees. Economically, the education bubble is on par with the housing bubble, but this time it is within our own control to stop it.
Since most kids graduate from high school during early June, it’s the perfect time to “raise awareness” (I always wanted to use that vile phrase for something that’s actually good, legit and noble) about the threats and dangers of majoring in a worthless field.
Now, Aaron lives in the USA, where the useless degree, was, like grade inflation, professional college sports, cheerleading, and the use of fraternities to corrupt youth all developed. If we are going to have a Worthless degree month, what should we tell the students to apply for in NZ?
For most degrees are worthless.
So… here goes.
- Bachelor of Maori and Pacific Development, University of Waikato. From the prospectus:
The BMPD will develop your knowledge of the issues affecting M?ori, Pacific and other indigenous peoples and put these in a global context. It will arm you with the skills to find solutions and to manage the assets and resources required to implement them. The BMPD will equip you for a career that involves working with M?ori and Pacific Island communities to enhance their development and life choices.
Unlike other degree programmes in indigenous studies, the BMPD is taught largely by staff who are of M?ori or Pacific descent. They are highly regarded researchers who work on “grass roots” development projects across New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.
You may opt to complete your degree almost entirely in Te Reo. No other university in New Zealand offers this level of immersion. That’s not surprising when you consider you will be studying at a university with a long commitment to tikanga M?ori and Te Reo, and its M?ori community
This degree will limit you to a life working for a NGO, tribal authority, the government, or academia. Most of these jobs are taken. With people who already have degrees in somewhat more useful things such as social work, anthropology or sociology and they will not retire for at least another two decades. Avoid this. Better still, Avoid anything that is taught in Maori. I have nothing against speaking obscure languages (I can still read Latin) but that will not get you a job that will allow to pay the loan back.
- Maori Media, Auckland University of Technology. I don’t like Maori Studies. Or any other subject that ends with “studies”. This degree combines two of these areas — Maori Studies and Media Studies. Which should be all you need to know to avoid it, but just in case…
Bachelor of Maori Development – Maori Media
New Zealand’s media landscape has shifted significantly since the launch of Maori Television. There have never been more opportunities for people interested in working in M?ori media and telling the M?ori story through the media.The Bachelor of M?ori Development (BMD) majoring in Maori Media gives you insight into the exciting and fast-paced world of media, communications and broadcasting. You learn to apply a Maori world view to the media and become familiar with communication and presentation systems, media and screen production, and multimedia.
Unlike the Waikato Degree, here you are limiting yourself to a couple of companies in NZ… or trying to compete with all the graduates from other media studies programmes. At least the course says it is zero fees — but there are far more useful things to spend your youth doing.
- Batchelor of Design, Massey University. Now, Massey is an older university, and the creative arts course Massey Offers is apparently world class. But that is not the point.
If you have a trust fund, and you are really artistic, and or you have to design things… then this course may be useful. If your aim is to marry a civil servant (the course is in Wellington, the spiritual home of the public service), the course would be very useful. But if you are going to university to get a qualification you will make a living off, then this is not useful. A few people who graduate from this course will be successful designers. In this way, it is like studying acting or music, but without the backup of doing the degree as a conjoint with education and making money as a drama or music teacher. - Bachelor of Applied Science (Biodiversity Management) Unitec (Polytechnic), Auckland.
Ecology, done properly, requires a fairly broad understanding of botany, zoology with some geology and geography thrown in. It’s a very interesting area, and of practical importance in NZ. But the jobs in it go to town planners, farmers, and people with PhDs. In fact, the sales like language in the prospectus shoud be enough to put you off.Want to help protect the planet? Find out about ecosystems, conservation issues, and the sustainable management of land, animals and plant life, as well as the management strategies that promote the conservation of biodiversity.
Explore how ecosystems function and support biological diversity, and how managers of biodiversity are responding to increasing concern over the effect of human activities on the world. Find out how society views and influences the natural environment, and discover how social, cultural and policy frameworks influence management decisions. Develop an appreciation of the influence government agencies, non-statutory organisations and voluntary bodies have on biodiversity.
Well, if you want to be an activist and annoy the living shite out of farmers, I suggest you skip this and join Greenpeace, the Green Party, or both. If you want to learn how to survive in the bush, join a tramping club. And if you want to save wild life, join the various practical projects that are preserving our wildlife — such as the Orakanui ecosanctury. But don’t pretend this degree will lead to a job. It won’t.
However, I have saved the worst for last.
There are many other courses that are similar. As Aaron notes, anything with studies in it, anything that does not lead to making something, and anything that relies of charity or non commercial employment will not allow you to pay your student loan off.
Now, if you have a trust and do not need to work, go for it. But my sons don’t have that. Most young people don’t. And most young people are better off learning a trade or just getting a job. Because you are going to have to support yourself into your old age: by the time I retire — and I have about two decades of work life left, god willing — those without work will again be really poor. As in skipping meals to make the budget poor.
A degree will not add to your net happiness as much as skills and being debt free. Avoid any degree that will not lead to a reasonable income. There are some professions where a degree is needed: Nursing, Teaching, Medicine, Vet. Science, engineering, Pharmacy… choose those, or choose another path.
