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The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > Tell me about getting a degree in philosophy
 
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Thesaurus
Oct 3, 2004


 I double majored in philosophy and another commonly despised liberal arts degree (with a minor in a third, scorned field).

I really, really enjoyed studying philosophy and I think I'm a better person for it. Definitely the most challenging of the various liberal arts I've studied. Given its critical nature, I think you need a teacher to push you to get the full effect. You can learn a lot by just reading, but you can get away with a lot if lazy thinking that way.

With that said, in retrospect I should have definitely double majored in philosophy and something more practical. The liberal arts triple threat that I bring to the table seems crazy when i look back on it. At the time I was determined to teach at the University level, so I didn't reflect on non academic tracks.

I'm gainfully employed now, but that's a combination of factors. The degree helps, but I really think liberal arts degrees are lumped together in most people's minds... the specific subject is more or less for trivia.

For what it's worth, while interviewing, my current big Boss remarked on my philosophy degree and thought it was impressive (in addition to a previous hiring manager ). However, these types are rare and you're basically banking on a shared interest.

So yeah, hedge your bets while enlightening your mind.

Thesaurus fucked around with this message at 05:29 on Nov 30, 2015

* # ¿ Nov 30, 2015 05:25
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# ¿ May 22, 2024 06:53
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Thesaurus
Oct 3, 2004

Tequila Sunrise posted:

Possible unpopular opinion incoming, but college doesn't have to be about getting a piece of paper that helps you get This Specific Job. I went to college knowing I wanted to study English Lit, fully aware that that I would get asked "What are you going to do with that?" five times a week. And I would tell people I didn't know. But I enjoyed studying it, I enjoyed my classes and my professors, and that helped me keep motivated to finish my degree in 4 years. It also was the program that got me started doing volunteer work, which led me to apply to the Peace Corps, and that experience helped me grow as a person and shaped my career path. It also is the reason I got the job I have now, and will all be valuable with me moving forward career-wise.

So yeah, maybe if I think "I put myself 20k in debt for a degree that many employers see as not very useful" it looks bad. But I choose to see it as just another step in my life, one that has helped me to the point where I'm at. I made some of my closest friends, met my favorite teachers, had some great experiences, and figured out myself more because of it. Maybe an Accounting degree would have helped me get a nice job at 22, maybe I would have dropped out because I hated it. All I know if that I've never regretted choosing to study English.

Are you me? Identical story here (including peace corps), but in retrospect I'd still advise double majoring English/Philosophy + something with more caché...

...Or just study what you like and leverage Peace Corps afterwards, as we both apparently did :shrug:

* # ¿ Dec 1, 2015 04:53
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The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > Tell me about getting a degree in philosophy