Great to hear. A full ride scholarship is an awesome gift.
What are you planning to study?
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Political science is what I’m after. I’m much more relieved now that I know for a fact that I will not be stuck at home for a single day after May 2
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Sounds like you are a smart guy. Why pursue that degree? As a 55 year old professional, go for engineering, medical, or programming, etc. Something that will withstand the changes in the economy.
I found a poli-sci degree helpful. Even got my masters in it.
usually the more complex a person is, the simpler things are that satisfy them/make them happy…it’s the truly simple person who desires more and more…
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What career field did you end up in?
I worked for an environmental regulatory agency with a very young poli sci graduate who was smart and could do anything, BUT she lacked the foundation science coursework necessary for her to really understand how things worked.
I prefer to keep those details a bit vague, but my peers are pretty diverse in terms of field but not role; they tend to be in the admin side of the house. It’s effectively a degree in navigating bureaucracy, which is present EVERYWHERE, and can be a huge roadblock for the folks that don’t understand it (or, worse, just let it frustrate them).
And I am not shocked to hear a recent graduate with little experience was not immediately effective. I have seen that often from MANY degrees.
True but when someone joins a science based organization, they should have the education to understand “the what and the why”.
I get this very often in dealing with lawyers, they may know the law but they don’t know shit about water quality, erosion control, sediment impacts, etc. But they tend to congregate around environmental non profits because it makes them feel warm and fuzzy to save bambi.
I suppose we will have to agree to disagree on the matter.
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Regardless of how it worked out for you, political science degrees are pretty low in terms of average earnings, particularly for people who don’t go on to get advanced degrees such as a JD. Obviously someone needs to do it and it can work for some people. But more thought needs to be put into earning potential.
The average starting salary for a political science degree recent grad is $38,000 a year. If he’s pulling in $700 a week, that annualizes to almost $37,000 and he says that’s after tax money.
Obviously, getting a degree probably leaves more room for career growth, etc. And if scholarship means he won’t have any student loans, it’s still probably a net positive.
Well, the short answer is that I’m not good at much else.
Here is the longer answer. Engineering is cool, I actually struggled with pursuing that for a while. I was torn between law and engineering! But, I’m really not good enough at math or thinking creatively to succeed in that field. Writing and argumentation is where my niche lies, I’ve accepted that I pretty much fall flat on my face when posed with any other kind of academic challenge. I always got A’s, but I was never exceptionally good at math or coding, at least not enough to monetize it.
My writing and analysis skills are something I am able to consistently monetize (no, not fitness articles). If I was any better at engineering or coding, I’d be a developer or designer. And if I had the wherewithal to make it through med school, I’d be a psychiatrist.
Alas, I do not. I will flounder and die with my $38,000/year salary in political science. 
If I become a lawyer, I might just be a manipulative, soul-lacking, smarmy individual, but I’ll make a fuckton of money.
I make more than $700/week now. Hopefully, as a lawyer I’ll make more.
Cool. Sounds like you’ve got it figured out and have run the numbers. My point is just that you need to have a quantitative plan for why you’re getting a degree. With the internet the way it is, you can learn pretty much anything for free if you try. The only reason to pay for a university education is to make money with it later…
Today is pizza day? Really?
I just ate shredded chicken and mixed veggies… And I’m about to have a protein bar for dessert because I’m still hungry.
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Totally agree. I learned what I know about writing and marketed what now serves as my second job entirely on the internet.
Understood. If you mentioned law, I missed that. Sorry. I think a law degree is great. I too am not particularly great at math but my language skills and retention are. I regret not going to law school after my masters but I had a kid and student loans and I was already broke.
As an engineer, I encourage any undergrad studying an engineering/science related field to take up at least one politics related unit.
- My writing was terrible when I graduate - yes, even worse than it is now - and I was one of the better writers (note: at the time I thought I was an outstanding writer - big fish, small pond). Something that has you writing (and reading more) is better than another technical skill
- I see dozens, dozens! of excellent ideas get shot down. Most engineers blame bad communication or lack of EQ but it absolutely isn’t the issue most of the time. I see plenty of abrasive, inarticulate bastards getting ahead. Even Universities fall for the comms fallacy giving their students entire semesters to improving when the problem most of the time is the good idea doesn’t put a feather in the cap of the right person or gives control of something important to the wrong person. Your career will look very, very different if you catch on to this and can play the system.
- Understanding political systems makes you a better engineer because political systems are still systems and the way they work will broaden how you think about problems.
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Hopefully, I will not have a child (although congrats on being an actual father) or much student loan debt by the time I’m done with my undergrad studies.
My thinking is that I will simply go to St. John’s with my full scholarship and profit. I will also have enough money saved up to buy myself a place to live once I can legally get a place.
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100%. Dealing with folks that can’t write two sentences is maddening. I actually started my blog after I got my masters so I could keep my writing skills sharp, as they are perishable.
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