HappyLifestyleJournal
College is the time when you finally decide what you’re going to do for the rest of your life. It is the moment you choose to pursue your dream and do whatever it takes to fulfill it. But what happens when there’s a discrepancy between what you want to do and what pays off? Unfortunately, there is such a thing as bad college major; the one that sounds good on paper, but the chances of finding a job upon graduating are slim to none. Here are 7 such college majors.
1. Philosophy and Religious Studies
Philosophy and Religious Studies majors usually finish their college convinced that their beliefs would pay their rent and bills. Unfortunately, this is far from reality. Upon finishing college, they realize that finding a job is a whole different story than fantasizing about one and with the unemployment rate higher than 10%, many of them are forced to switch to another field. And even those who manage to find a job in their field have to be satisfied with small salaries.
2. Theater Arts
We all wanted to be actors and actresses when we were little. And then we grew up and realized that’s not how the world works. And even if you really want to make acting into your job, you don’t really need a college degree for that. Sadly, when you appear at an audition, no one will even ask for your resume. Besides, the road to stardom is a thorny one, and likely not in store for you (unless you’re one in a million), and getting small, low-paying gigs is much more probable.
3. Fine Arts
The sad truth is that basically any college major with word “Arts” in its name, carries high unemployment rate and median salary with it. And while studying fine arts can lead you to a career in music, photography, sculpture and so on, all of those careers are not particularly financially stable. And just like with Theater Arts, you don’t really need a degree to pursue them. As a fresh graduate, if you manage to get a job, you will barely earn for a living with a $30,000 salary.
4. Education
It is widely-known that teachers are terribly underpaid and undervalued considering what an important job they are doing. These people that are shaping young minds of countless generations, usually receive barely any gratitude for all of their hard work. The starting salary is around $38,000 and it’s even lower for those people who opt for special-education. Education is definitely one of the high risk low reward career paths today.
5. Animal Science
You may think that a career involving animals is a perfect one but it’s not really all fun and games here. In fact, the unemployment rate in this field is close to 15% and it’s only growing. Besides, in order to get a decent job with a decent salary, you would have to earn a doctoral degree. And we all know how much money and time you would have to invest in such a venture only to risk never finding a job in your field.
6. Anthropology
Studying humankind sounds fascinating and it is definitely important for science to explore our origins. However, the demand for anthropology majors is only decreasing. Currently, the unemployment rate for recent graduates stands at 10% and it’s only getting higher. Studying anthropology may be something that interests you, but think about whether it’s marketable. Unfortunately, all your knowledge after you finish college is likely to go to waste with such a degree as many young anthropologists are forced to change their field of work.
7. Music
Just like acting, one of the careers that crossed our minds when we were kids is music. Whether we wanted to become famous singers or we were more down to earth and had a dream of turning our instrument-playing hobby into a career, it was the perfect career. However, the reality is not so bright for actual musicians. Unfortunately, those who major in music face a very harsh market upon finishing college. The unemployment rate is higher than 7% and it’s even worse for recent grads. The chances of actually performing are slim and you are more likely to get a job in education.
8. Interior Design
It is sad how anything that has something to do with creativity and art is so poorly valued in this world. Interior designers are facing serious problems after finishing their studies with the unemployment rate of almost 12%. The whole real-estate market has suffered a blow in the recent years and it is likely to recover in the future, but for now the career in this field doesn’t pay off. Even if you find a job in your field, your starting salary will be around $37,000.
