Post by Nate on Jan 27, 2005 23:23:38 GMT -5
University, what a confusing thing. Teachers say that the hard part is over once you've finished Year 12, completed the TEE and secured a place in Uni, but I've only been having difficulties with Uni so far.
Right, so I'll be attending Murdoch University, which is, in itself quite a prestigious Uni. Murdoch is the only university in the country (Australia) to achieve The Good Universities Guides’ five-star rating for graduate satisfaction for eight out of nine years. Sounds good, doesn't it?
My main problem comes in the form that I'm not sure of what I want to do.
I've been accepted into a Bachelor of Secondary Education, which is where I think my calling is. I think I would be a fantastic teacher.
Combined with this degree Is an Arts degree. The thing is, I don't know what arts course I want to do. Should I major in English or History? I really have no idea; I can't separate my passion for either of them. I love them both.
Which one would I like to teach more? Which one would be more enjoyable? Which one could I see myself teaching for longer? Which one gives a better qualification? Which one could lead to different career opportunities?
What career paths can these courses lead to?
History Teacher?
English Teacher?
Historian?
Writer?
Editor?
Journalist?
Social Commentator?
Hmmmm, lets see if I can find pro's and con's of each area of study...
Pro:
English majors, like many of their liberal arts counterparts, have hundreds of career opportunities to choose from.
Pro:
Traditional fields of work include writing and editing for newspapers and publishing firms, public relations and broadcasting, where many end up producing and writing scripts or on the airwaves themselves.
Pro:
Earning a Bachelor of Education and an Arts degree in English would qualify me to teach in a Secondary School. (High School). This is a VERY durable career. (Just think about the holidays...) Very rewarding career swell. Also, it only takes one additional year of education (making the education degree a five year degree) to be qualified to teach at a University level.
Pro:
Many, too, use the major as a proving ground of sorts for law school, which requires strong writing and analytical skills.
Pro:
One of the fastest growing career choices for English majors is broadly defined as "business."
Pro:
Specific jobs can include contract and grant writing or editing, sales and marketing, technical writing for high-tech industries, management training and administrative tasks such as record keeping and office management.
Major Con:
The perception is that English grads have trouble settling into a career.
Hard to find work?
Now for History....
Pro:
Earning a Bachelor of Education and an Arts degree in History would qualify me to teach in a Secondary School. (High School). This is a VERY durable career. (Just think about the holidays...) Very rewarding career swell. Also, it only takes one additional year of education (making the education degree a five year degree) to be qualified to teach History University level.
Pro:
After doing the teaching degree I could go back to Uni and do a Masters degree which would give me more leeway to write on the side and do my own research.
Pro:
You can do almost anything with a public history degree, from working in museums, to battlefield parks, to tourism development for communities.
Pro:
In recent years a lot of students have been making their mark as political lobbyists.
Pro:
History majors have the reputation of "thinking outside the box".
Employers like to see said ability, which is a buzz word in the corporate culture now.
Pro:
Those who opt for a history degree have no trouble landing jobs in museums as curators and guides, with publishing houses as writers or editors and with restoration contractors, who rely on historians to ensure their projects appear authentic and conform to social trends of time gone by
Pro:
One other fast-growing opportunity for history grads is that of an archivist, which is basically just a professional who helps dig up, organize and document old records and articles for court houses, libraries, historic sites and other institutions.
Pro:
Big-name insurance firms, also actively seek out historians to help document and publicize their past.
Pro:
And, of course, the tourism industry employs history grads for managerial posts at national parks and historic sites.
Pro:
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, job opportunities for social scientists - the category into which history grads fall - are expected to be best in social service agencies, research and testing services, and management consulting firms.
Pro:
"The College Majors Handbook" found that salaries for history majors average $45,900 per year, better than the average for all social scientists.
Con:
For those not committed to a lifetime of teaching or law, majoring in history has long been likened to the kiss of death.
Con:
The Bureau notes that students who earn only a bachelor's degree have "limited opportunities and in most social science occupations do not qualify for 'professional' positions."
Con:
Students with a degree in history still earn about 5 percent below the average for all workers with a bachelor's degree.
Con:
If you're earning any kind of liberal arts degree and you don't want to teach or go to law school, you find yourself swimming in a pretty big ocean.
So, there's my dilemma. History or English? Or, do I even want to teach?
Any comments/help would be greatly appreciated.
Feeling lost and hopeless,
--Nate.
Right, so I'll be attending Murdoch University, which is, in itself quite a prestigious Uni. Murdoch is the only university in the country (Australia) to achieve The Good Universities Guides’ five-star rating for graduate satisfaction for eight out of nine years. Sounds good, doesn't it?
My main problem comes in the form that I'm not sure of what I want to do.
I've been accepted into a Bachelor of Secondary Education, which is where I think my calling is. I think I would be a fantastic teacher.
Combined with this degree Is an Arts degree. The thing is, I don't know what arts course I want to do. Should I major in English or History? I really have no idea; I can't separate my passion for either of them. I love them both.
Which one would I like to teach more? Which one would be more enjoyable? Which one could I see myself teaching for longer? Which one gives a better qualification? Which one could lead to different career opportunities?
What career paths can these courses lead to?
History Teacher?
English Teacher?
Historian?
Writer?
Editor?
Journalist?
Social Commentator?
Hmmmm, lets see if I can find pro's and con's of each area of study...
Pro:
English majors, like many of their liberal arts counterparts, have hundreds of career opportunities to choose from.
Pro:
Traditional fields of work include writing and editing for newspapers and publishing firms, public relations and broadcasting, where many end up producing and writing scripts or on the airwaves themselves.
Pro:
Earning a Bachelor of Education and an Arts degree in English would qualify me to teach in a Secondary School. (High School). This is a VERY durable career. (Just think about the holidays...) Very rewarding career swell. Also, it only takes one additional year of education (making the education degree a five year degree) to be qualified to teach at a University level.
Pro:
Many, too, use the major as a proving ground of sorts for law school, which requires strong writing and analytical skills.
Pro:
One of the fastest growing career choices for English majors is broadly defined as "business."
Pro:
Specific jobs can include contract and grant writing or editing, sales and marketing, technical writing for high-tech industries, management training and administrative tasks such as record keeping and office management.
Major Con:
The perception is that English grads have trouble settling into a career.
Hard to find work?
Now for History....
Pro:
Earning a Bachelor of Education and an Arts degree in History would qualify me to teach in a Secondary School. (High School). This is a VERY durable career. (Just think about the holidays...) Very rewarding career swell. Also, it only takes one additional year of education (making the education degree a five year degree) to be qualified to teach History University level.
Pro:
After doing the teaching degree I could go back to Uni and do a Masters degree which would give me more leeway to write on the side and do my own research.
Pro:
You can do almost anything with a public history degree, from working in museums, to battlefield parks, to tourism development for communities.
Pro:
In recent years a lot of students have been making their mark as political lobbyists.
Pro:
History majors have the reputation of "thinking outside the box".
Employers like to see said ability, which is a buzz word in the corporate culture now.
Pro:
Those who opt for a history degree have no trouble landing jobs in museums as curators and guides, with publishing houses as writers or editors and with restoration contractors, who rely on historians to ensure their projects appear authentic and conform to social trends of time gone by
Pro:
One other fast-growing opportunity for history grads is that of an archivist, which is basically just a professional who helps dig up, organize and document old records and articles for court houses, libraries, historic sites and other institutions.
Pro:
Big-name insurance firms, also actively seek out historians to help document and publicize their past.
Pro:
And, of course, the tourism industry employs history grads for managerial posts at national parks and historic sites.
Pro:
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, job opportunities for social scientists - the category into which history grads fall - are expected to be best in social service agencies, research and testing services, and management consulting firms.
Pro:
"The College Majors Handbook" found that salaries for history majors average $45,900 per year, better than the average for all social scientists.
Con:
For those not committed to a lifetime of teaching or law, majoring in history has long been likened to the kiss of death.
Con:
The Bureau notes that students who earn only a bachelor's degree have "limited opportunities and in most social science occupations do not qualify for 'professional' positions."
Con:
Students with a degree in history still earn about 5 percent below the average for all workers with a bachelor's degree.
Con:
If you're earning any kind of liberal arts degree and you don't want to teach or go to law school, you find yourself swimming in a pretty big ocean.
So, there's my dilemma. History or English? Or, do I even want to teach?
Any comments/help would be greatly appreciated.
Feeling lost and hopeless,
--Nate.
There is a lot of writing involved in History, as well as analysis. And in English, there is also a lot of research.
