liberal arts degree question

[Rockchick26]

I have been struggling with what career to go into, as I have many interests including music, writing, books, film, and philosophy. The other day a friend told me I should just go to school to earn a liberal arts degree. I didn't even know what that meant, but he said it's what you do when you don't really know what you want to do. So is it like where you take a bunch of classes and not major in anything? He also said math is required, but I got D's in math in high school and I can barely add without a calculator.

Can someone explain to me how this works? Do I need to go to a different school AFTER I get this degree just to learn a specific thing, for example journalism or music engineer?

[Rabbit]

Every school's "Liberal Arts" college generally consists of much of the same topics/areas of study (the 'core' liberal arts, such as some of the areas you listed). Then, most schools have various other professions under the "Liberal Arts" designation. Thus the term liberal arts is very vague....

For example, at my university (UT Austin) I study Economics, which is part of the College of Liberal Arts here. Economics is very math intensive, with a large requirement in calculus and statistics. However, you can major in Latin American Studies, or Communications, or any other random discipline from the broad range that usually encompasses 'core' liberal arts, and these disciplines have practically no math requirements.

The idea you are probably looking for is to enter the university and not yet declare a major. "Undeclared" is your designation, and undeclared is generally always under the university's College of Liberal Arts. Being undeclared can last only two years/four semesters/60 residence credit hours (generally speaking), at which point you must declare a major.

The key attractive feature of the "undeclared" major is that, at least for the first year, and upwards of the first three or four semesters you attend, you can complete the basic "core" educational requirements legislated by the state. This includes your history courses, writing/literature, usually at least basic math (like college algebra, which most people complete in high school), etc. At the same time, you can take other courses of interest and peek at different disciplines before officially declaring a specific major. Although I didn't start as "undeclared", I had a similar experience and took an economics course as an elective, 'for fun'. Consequently, I changed my major to economics, and definitely don't regret it .

Thus, you won't be losing out if you go into the College of Liberal Arts as "undeclared"- you simply have two years to complete all the routine, non-major specific courses they require you to complete, while being able to get a feel for what you want to focus on in the latter two years.

[Rockchick26]

Thanks, that helps a lot! I've never heard of the "undeclared" thing, now I won't feel so stupid, I can just use that word!

The only problem with this is, I'm going to school through a special grant from the state and they only pay up to 2 years. So, I won't be able to do this unless by some miracle I can get some other grants too.

But it's good to know this, thanks for the reply!

[ssandra]

Originally Posted by Rockchick26

The only problem with this is, I'm going to school through a special grant from the state and they only pay up to 2 years. So, I won't be able to do this unless by some miracle I can get some other grants too.

You don´t need a miracle or other grants, although they would be nice. I´m not sure how old you are? But you could go to school for 2 years, see what you like, go and work and save your money for 1 year to pay for the next 2 years.

Or work during school, save up as much as possible to get the next 2 years paid for.

However, do make sure you are going to study something that you really like. If you are (after 2 years) not yet sure, i think it would be better to take a year off to figure that out.

[Rockchick26]

Originally Posted by ssandra

You don´t need a miracle or other grants, although they would be nice. I´m not sure how old you are? But you could go to school for 2 years, see what you like, go and work and save your money for 1 year to pay for the next 2 years.

Or work during school, save up as much as possible to get the next 2 years paid for.

However, do make sure you are going to study something that you really like. If you are (after 2 years) not yet sure, i think it would be better to take a year off to figure that out.

Well the reason why I say I need a miracle is because I've been trying to find a job for 7 months now and living off unemployment money which is $200 LESS per month than what my bills are. So, if I add school tuition on top of that, there's just no way it will be possible. I'm already freaking out about what I'm gonna do when my money runs out.

Oh, and i'm 36. No kids. thank God LOL Or they would be starving!

[Onmyway]

Hoe your Row.

Pick it, do it, don't make excuses for it.
Don't dwell, don't dream.
Don't wait for miracles, don't hope for miracles.
Face the facts, face reality.
You need to get an education period!
You need to get out of your head for good and get your feet walking to
the nearest school. Period.
You need to dream much less and do much more.
So what if the 3rd year is not paid for, who gives a damn.
Lets see if you can make it through the first week.
Lets see about the first year.
Looking into the future without moving towards it, is having fate and destiny
take your life over like a puppet.
Preparing and taking charge of your OWN destiny will create the fate and results you want, or don't want, it doesn't matter.
What matters is that you GO.
If you can't then there are other issues about you that need to get fixed.
Like low self esteem and anger issues. These you may need to work on WHILE.... WHILE... you go to school.

It's a hard knock life for all of us, and it's a tuff road, but we all must face the hard stone cold facts, that we DO NOT get to do anything we want!
We charge on, or crawl on our knees, but we get there because we just DO!

so go go go and DO DO DO...

A person is not what they say it is what they DO !!!!!!!!!

[yehuda]

Sadly, a liberal arts degree has so much stigma. Stimga as in no real career "want fries with that". I am not sure it is true, being as I am not in college nor graduated with a LA degree and applied. I think that anything in the Bachelors of Science (BS) is where it is at. For example, I want to be a technical writer. I am going to major in English with a BS and have a math minor. Take time and analyze the heck out of what you want. A music engineer would and sounds awesome. You could probably go to a two-year school to be an audio technican. If you are having trouble with math.. there are a few tricks. Research up on Vedic mathematics and mental math. I highly recommend Secrets of Mental Mathby Ben and Micheal Shermer. If you can literally add and combination of 0-9 you'll be able to add without a calculator in due time. Speed read and memory techniques are kinda nice just for the University challenges that will come up.

[Lupe]

i don't think u need to go to college unless u really want to get a job that requires college.

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