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As a kid I was undecided between art and science as possible career paths. I chose art. I guess I was doomed anyway
We need to stop thinking about careers as fields we want to work in and more about the tasks we will be doing. As someone with a stem degree who works in manufacturing there are so many tasks that are more art form then doing any science. If I told you as a kid you could be a fully accomplished artist by becoming an engineer you would have blown me off.
At the end of the day, though, what always ends up happening is we become teachers, negotiators, and networkers. You can do it anywhere. Having a skill only gets you in the door.
the “art” of engineering only works out if you are solid on the basics and that means a good understanding of the relevant physics, chemistry, biology and math as well as the ability to quantify the whole thing with proper math.
Would you like me to describe the many tasks an engineer is responsible for that does not involve physics, chemistry, biology, and math?
Answering your bosses mail, that the project cannot be done in the ridicolous time the marketing and sales team promised to the customer isn’t exactly an art specific to engineers.
When the job market is good, get a job.
When the job market is bad, get an education.
i don’t want either of those things
Then get a life.
Academia is a pyramid scheme. There is no changing my mind.
Yep.
I’m convinced it’s a system designed to take advantage of young impressionable people who don’t know any better while keeping ‘expertise’ and ‘knowledge’ behind a paywall.
Nothing uni has taught me could not have been learnt by myself reading papers and following YouTube.
Except for the fact learning through those means is not recognised as ‘legitimate’.
Hmmm … well, if I was going to hire, say, a chemist to work in a research lab, I need some way to identify if my candidates have the required skills/knowledge/etc. Now one way to quickly ascertain that is to see if they have a chemistry degree (or master’s, PhD, whatever is necessary for the particular role). Possibly practical experience could be enough, also - I know people who have worked up through corporate labs without degrees.
However if someone comes and says “trust me, I’ve read a lot of papers and watched YouTube videos”… sure, they might know what they need, but how am I going to check? The point of a degree isn’t necessarily just to legitimise that knowledge, it’s also a stamp that says a trusted entity has confirmed you have those skills and knowledge. I’m not saying it’s perfect, but there is a purpose to the whole institution.
Maybe they shouldn’t be gatekept behind ludicrous paywalls then.
I’m not sure where you’re from but generally it’ll probably become better. Pretty much every first world country has free or at least very easily affordable universities, and given how many countries are currently rising, about to become part of the “first world” in the next decades if you want to put it like that (assuming the upwards trend continues), free unis is something that I expect to also become much more widely available.
Oh… I’m sorry, you’re massively overqualified for the position…
“THEN HIRE ME FOR IT YOU MOTHER FUCKER!”
