Piece one says that you don’t seem to enjoy coding.
I don’t know if this is really true about me. Sometimes I love it and sometimes I hate it, to be honest. I’ve pretty much hated it in college, but this might just be because of the way the courses are taught.
Something that is called a marketable skill (BFA isn’t it) which will allow you to become employed after graduation.
What are other examples of marketable skills to you?
As an aside, while I know and accept the fact that statistically BFA pays pretty poorly and has relatively high unemployment, I don’t understand it. Every company in the world needs a designer in some form or another. Who needs an anthropologist, a philosopher, a historian, a sociologist, a psychologist, etc.? And yet we are told that getting a college degree is definitely a good idea. Maybe there are a whole pool of white-collar jobs that have nothing to do with any particular major, but are only available to people who can signal their intelligence in a way that art majors can’t?
And yet we are told that getting a college degree is definitely a good idea.
People remember that it was good for them, and don’t realize that tuition has gone up while quality of instruction has gone down since they graduated. Google “higher education bubble” to see that not all people are saying that anymore.
I’ve pretty much hated it in college, but this might just be because of the way the courses are taught.
This was sort of my experience. Buy the right books and build interesting projects in the time you would be spending on classes, and you’ll probably enjoy it a lot more. You don’t need a degree in computer science to get a job as a software engineer; some experience/projects and the broad, shallow knowledge required to do well in typical interviews (and all those other interviewing skills I suppose) are enough.
You sound like you might enjoy Hacker School, by the way.
An easy test. Do you code on your own, not because something external (like homework) requires it, but on your own volition, because it’s a natural thing to do? Do you get into flow state while coding?
What are other examples of marketable skills to you?
In your context just look up post-graduation employment rates by college major. Engineers and accountants will do well. Women Studies majors, not so much.
Every company in the world needs a designer in some form or another.
Most companies need a designer only occasionally and that does not justify keeping one on payroll. If a company needs a new logo it can hire a design company or a freelancer.
Maybe there are a whole pool of white-collar jobs that have nothing to do with any particular major
Yes, they are typically called “administrative assistant” or some other variety of a junior paper-shuffler. They are rarely satisfying or lead to a career.
Do you code on your own, not because something external (like homework) requires it, but on your own volition, because it’s a natural thing to do?
No
Do you get into flow state while coding?
Yes
In your context just look up post-graduation employment rates by college major. Engineers and accountants will do well. Women Studies majors, not so much.
Yeah, I already did this. Science has always been far and away my least favorite subject in school, so science and engineering are definitely out. Math and economics seem to be the next best things after computer science, but neither of these, while interesting to a certain extent, exactly seem like buckets of fun.
Changing what you like is basically about discovering new aspects of an activity. Changing what you are good at is straightforward. It’s about learning skills. Changing what people are willing to pay you money for is a lot about going out and meeting the right people.
You also don’t have to limit yourself to things that other people have as established career paths. There less competition if you use your creativity to go to a path that has no one else on it.
I don’t know if this is really true about me. Sometimes I love it and sometimes I hate it, to be honest. I’ve pretty much hated it in college, but this might just be because of the way the courses are taught.
What are other examples of marketable skills to you?
As an aside, while I know and accept the fact that statistically BFA pays pretty poorly and has relatively high unemployment, I don’t understand it. Every company in the world needs a designer in some form or another. Who needs an anthropologist, a philosopher, a historian, a sociologist, a psychologist, etc.? And yet we are told that getting a college degree is definitely a good idea. Maybe there are a whole pool of white-collar jobs that have nothing to do with any particular major, but are only available to people who can signal their intelligence in a way that art majors can’t?
People remember that it was good for them, and don’t realize that tuition has gone up while quality of instruction has gone down since they graduated. Google “higher education bubble” to see that not all people are saying that anymore.
This was sort of my experience. Buy the right books and build interesting projects in the time you would be spending on classes, and you’ll probably enjoy it a lot more. You don’t need a degree in computer science to get a job as a software engineer; some experience/projects and the broad, shallow knowledge required to do well in typical interviews (and all those other interviewing skills I suppose) are enough.
You sound like you might enjoy Hacker School, by the way.
An easy test. Do you code on your own, not because something external (like homework) requires it, but on your own volition, because it’s a natural thing to do? Do you get into flow state while coding?
In your context just look up post-graduation employment rates by college major. Engineers and accountants will do well. Women Studies majors, not so much.
Most companies need a designer only occasionally and that does not justify keeping one on payroll. If a company needs a new logo it can hire a design company or a freelancer.
Yes, they are typically called “administrative assistant” or some other variety of a junior paper-shuffler. They are rarely satisfying or lead to a career.
No
Yes
Yeah, I already did this. Science has always been far and away my least favorite subject in school, so science and engineering are definitely out. Math and economics seem to be the next best things after computer science, but neither of these, while interesting to a certain extent, exactly seem like buckets of fun.
You need to find something that satisfies three criteria:
You like it
You are good at it
People are willing to pay you money to do it
It’s really up to you to figure out what “it” is.
What if “it” doesn’t exist?
That means you have to change one of the things.
Changing what you like is basically about discovering new aspects of an activity.
Changing what you are good at is straightforward. It’s about learning skills.
Changing what people are willing to pay you money for is a lot about going out and meeting the right people.
You also don’t have to limit yourself to things that other people have as established career paths. There less competition if you use your creativity to go to a path that has no one else on it.
Then you have to put on your big-boy pants, suck it up, and deal with it.
Note that (1) is adjustable by you, within limits. Note that (2) is also adjustable by you, also within limits.