Why do so many people regret what they studied at college?

Question

HighValue · Accepted Answer

1. Lots of student loan debt when they are finished.

2. Colleges lie and claim they have job placement assistance and connections but most don't.

3. The internet often is misleading on income for jobs. Often median is used online to show average income when MEAN is what should actually be used.

4. People often don't look at the demand (or lack of demand) for a particular type of degree before spending years getting it and then finding out that there are very few employment opportunities for it.

5. Some people take worthless degrees (gender studies, a specific race studies degree, women's studies, etc.) And there are no job opportunities for them, but they wasted years and lots of money for it.

6. People just out of high school often have no real concept of how the workplace really is in a specific career field and can't handle it once they are actually in that position. That is one reason why I think doing a week long of full time observations would be helpful before people agree to spend years getting a degree in a particular field and spending tens of thousands of dollars.

Qdbrown · Accepted Answer

Because we force a teenager to choose what you will do the rest of you're life. Would you trust that teenager will all your adulting decisions? It just sounds good as a bumper sticker, that said hire a teenager while they know everything.

We back it up with, just go to college, because you need the degree. The paper transcript and degree is better to have, than not, even though you will sacrifice a lot of your finances and time to achieve it. Some people will pay on those loans for a lifetime. Some as many as 30-40 years. Some even forego buying a house and starting a family over it.

And once they realize they don't need it? It hurts. You feel dumb that you did not have a good guidance counselor and parents to tell you to find what you want to do, have talents and real interest that is not percieved to just make money. Do you really want to a doctor who went into the profession because it paid well? And my a 2.5 GPA, when you have serious health problems and you fear for your life? That's when it gets real.

CubsterShura · Accepted Answer

Because we are expected to make up our minds on what we want to at an age when we were too young to even know or understand what it means to have this career.

I won't mind letting my children have an ambition or aim in life and work towards it from a young age, but I will teach them that to they don't have to make up their minds on a profession and stick to it fr ok m age 5, and they can always change their mind and take a bit of time to explore if needed. I'll also make sure to encourage them to learn what it means to be in that profession.

Roxxy99 · Accepted Answer

People often choose a major they’re passionate about and rack up student debt obtaining the degree, only to find the field doesn’t pay what they thought it would or they can’t find work at all. Then they wish they had chosen something more lucrative. I know someone right now with a degree in theater working as an assistant manager at Walmart.

ArrowheadSW · Answer

I would imagine it is because they major in something that they were not able to earn a living at.

When I was at the University, I knew a guy who was a music major and he dropped out because he said it was "too easy". Well, not sure if that was the real reason. He blew a lot of weed... LOL... Years later I looked him up on the internet when the internet became a thing, and he eventually graduated from a different college with a degree in "Latin American Studies". But, he was a professional musician at that point. Go figure...

msmissydc · Answer

I think there are mainly two groups. Other reasons are not impossible but I would contribute it mostly to the following groups.
Ironically they are kind of opposites.

1. Those that just study to get a good paying job without ever thinking what they WANT to do. Probably the parents did the same so it must be good. Including those that study because 'its good and its allways better' but dont want a job that actually requires a college degree.

2. Those that study only what they think they like and want to do without realizing, that only a small number of people actually are successfull and earn money with it.
As I said I dont think these are the only reasons and I dont know how much they contribute but I would guess a large number of study regrets.

Rosexøxø · Answer

They kinda went with whatever their teachers/ parents encouraged, and what their older siblings/ friends may have been taking/ talking of.

The ones they “were good in.”

“had potential in.”

“Pay the most money.”

But later on they saw it was impractical/ a drag on in duration of schooling/ prep, and probably wasn’t fun/ stimulating/ engaging/ thrilling/ fulfilling/ etc.

Maybe they didn’t keep those friends-

maybe their friends moved on and they didn’t like sharing the same career choice.

etc. Etc. etc.

FilmGuy93 · Answer

Well, if I had to distill it down, I would say they regret it because:

College is expensive.
The degree didn't lead them to a decent-paying job.
The realities of working in the field didn't align with their college experience.
They weren't really all that enthused about what they studied, to begin with.

A lot of people my age and older, but thankfully there is less of this in younger people, spent a lot of time being told by the adults in our lives that college was the only way to make it in life and that you could go to college to do what you love in life, and that it would lead to opportunity and happiness.

That turned out to be a complete crock of shit; the degrees have largely been worthless. The result is that a ton of us felt forced to go to college, where we got into tons of debt and studied things that were either totally impractical or bored us senseless, so we never got good at.

Alchemizt · Answer

As a college student I can say, it's a waste of money. Only benefit you gain is that when you show a degree you can get a good job. And another benefit would be getting to know people and some memories you're able to build. Otherwise 99% of it is self study which means you learn from YouTube and Google way more than you ever learn at the campus. And going to college doesn't make you smart or intelligent at all. Trust me, there are very narrow minded people, perverts, annoying know-it-alls etc. I also sometimes ask myself if this is the path I really want to walk in. I'm sure many of my batchmates feel the same.

BCA6010 · Answer

Well the first and most obvious reason is that a huge range of degrees are either redundant or worthless beyond simply certifying that you completed four years worth of secondary education.

Another reason is that more often than not, one changes their minds about what they want to do for a career at least once or twice that early in life.

kylee2437 · Answer

Because most people that selected their profession to study for in college were still technically young kids (17-18 years old) and your mind at 17-18 most likely not who you turn out to be as an actual adult. A lot of social pressures with people enrolling into college just because their friends are doing it

Anonymous · Answer

Because the rich are telling them to regret it. If you’re a millionaire, why would you want people to get an education and surpass you? The more you tell people college is a waste they won’t go and they’ll always work for YOU. College teaches critical thinking and networking. & on the other hand, people regret college because immediately after graduating they didn’t land a 6 figure job. The day you get your license, do you think NASCAR is gonna hire you? Everyone wants instant gratification. Money, relationships, food, sex…etc. education is important, dealing with idiots is very frustrating and hard on the economy

exitseven · Answer

They go to expensive private colleges, maybe study abroad for a year and major in women's studies or equity studies or some other useless degree. Then when the best job they can get is at Dunkin Donuts they start to have regrets because they have to pay for their student loans

artsy_dragon · Answer

College is different in the UK than the US. College here we start at 16. I hated my business course I was on for my 1st year.

My 2nd and 3rd year where spent doing art, which I loved. When I wanted to go to university and get an art degree my parents said no.

I then did all the studying for nursing to get into my nursing university degree, it was hell. I quit my 2md year of university for nursing about 2 weeks ago.

Anonymous · Answer

Often, a major is chosen based on a person's interests, but the corresponding careers aren't what the person wants to do for a living. If you want a degree in philosophy, plan on being a teacher. If teaching doesn't appeal to you, change your major. Last time I checked, there aren't many openings for professional thinkers.

Surely · Answer

If you are referring to their major. I guess that they didn’t do enough sole searching or were signing up for a party school.
If referring to the required courses that had no relevance to your studies, but still were charged for them. Then the school should not have been chosen if there were a lot of none essential classes required.

PBandJ_Nerd · Answer

Because for some people they were pushed to do a career and go to college. I know people tried pushing me to college and I wouldn't do it. I don't even know what jobs I can do yet, so why pick a career so soon?

BCRanger10 · Answer

I can only speak for myself. I'm not an academic. I never really liked school anyway. I only went to college because it was borderline required of us. As for my major, I regret it because it's completely useless.

GrapeBandit · Answer

Because it the job wasn’t what they expected. Most of this stems from never being given the true picture of what each career entails. We get the “pretty picture” of something but find out later that the bad far outweighs the good for us.

OlderAndWiser · Answer

Because they didn't think of the consequences and they simply chose an easy major so they would have more time for partying. Who knew that a bachelor's degree in art history couldn't get you a job?

Cassie88 · Answer

Do not - EVER - do a "Liberal Arts" degree or anything like it. A complete and utter waste of time, but thankfully not money, because it was free. I should have done a BSc instead.

sheikalana · Answer

A lot of them realise they lost years of their lives studying and then can't find a decent and well paid job. It requires a lot of thought and research when choosing what to study.

KostasKouvalis · Answer

...

boggboss · Answer

Studied a subject they enjoyed but didn't look into job prospects or gor bored of the subject halfway in

Caramelpie · Answer

Because they study based on what other people tell them or listen to their friends advice or wants to make their parents dream come true. Many people don’t really study what they want and that’s the reason they regret it later.

SexyRedd1966 · Answer

Because some of our degrees aren't worth the paper it's printed on

Anonymous · Answer

They made poor decisions in their choice of study and found them useless in the work market.

Unless they are going to further your career, you may as well get a job and work your way up. It's cheaper and more honourable.

SaoirseS · Answer

I never regretted what I studied, and never heard anyone say they regretted what they studied.

mobiusforniner · Answer

I dunno. I studied engineering and i now make nearly 150k. So im doing alright... lol

Anonymous · Answer

Probably because they chose the paths which would earn them the least money.. Don't complain when your degree in feminist dance theory, or gender studies, or similar fields is not applicable to the job market and literally qualifies you for nothing.

Anonymous · Answer

There we a lot of interesting fields but not all of them are great for finding jobs after college is one of the main reasons

boobliker · Answer

College is for learning how to learn the better you do is proof of your ability to do it and the subject is not important in any way at all?

OddBeMe · Answer

It’s oddly timed with repayment of college loans… So not sure if it’s lack of actual education or just planning.

collie22 · Answer

I'm not done yet but I live it so no regrets

Fuentes · Answer

Didn't lead them anywhere but to a position in a low caliber job as a manager.

Snakeyes7 · Answer

Because they wanted an easy degree so they picked one that is useless.

iloko1 · Answer

Students/people end up preffering to change majors and change interest towards new subjects I think

straightmax12 · Answer

Maybe because he/she realized that what they learned won't help them in their career fields.

Anonymous · Answer

So far, so good for me.

Why do so many people regret what they studied at college?

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