advice column: the dread of the real world
someone asked,
Dear Sladkaya, I'm going to be graduating this August with a B.A. in English and a Minor in Writing. Now tell me, what are my job prospects, and how do I go about making enough money to pay off those pesky college loans? :) Sincerly, Perplexed in Portland
well, perplexed in portland, let me tell you from the start: a BA in English is useless, absolutely useless by itself. the only good thing about a BA in English is if you plan on continuing your education and getting more degrees to add to said BA. then you might do a whole crap-load of things, like translate, profess, edit, write, journal, publish, tutor, or the like. with only said BA you can plan on either a) making a horrific wage that won't even begin to cover your college loan expenses (especially if you are, like some people, taking longer than the normal four years to finish college--like this one girl i know that i started college with back in the day ((which was a wednesday)) and she is still in college as we speak, though, you should know, i feel no differently toward her for her incredible untimeliness and indecisiveness) OR 2) you can get a job teaching english at a public school. THOUGH, i wouldn't recommend the latter because you'll be working for people who don't appreciate your drive and passion and don't really take the time to give you constructive criticism to help you grow as a successful teacher; instead, they will treat you with as little dignity and integrity as they can muster, make up lies about your performance, refuse to allow their spouses to take their medication, in turn leading these spouses to beating up other people...it's really just a mess and you don't want to go there.
so, unfortunately, it seems, perplexed in portland, that your only "out" is more education and, therefore, more dreaded loans.
i don't know what to tell ya--i'm working at a liquor store for credit at this point, so obviously my BA is doing me well. ask me in a year and i might have a better answer for you.
heart and best wishes,
sladkaya
Dear Sladkaya, I'm going to be graduating this August with a B.A. in English and a Minor in Writing. Now tell me, what are my job prospects, and how do I go about making enough money to pay off those pesky college loans? :) Sincerly, Perplexed in Portland
well, perplexed in portland, let me tell you from the start: a BA in English is useless, absolutely useless by itself. the only good thing about a BA in English is if you plan on continuing your education and getting more degrees to add to said BA. then you might do a whole crap-load of things, like translate, profess, edit, write, journal, publish, tutor, or the like. with only said BA you can plan on either a) making a horrific wage that won't even begin to cover your college loan expenses (especially if you are, like some people, taking longer than the normal four years to finish college--like this one girl i know that i started college with back in the day ((which was a wednesday)) and she is still in college as we speak, though, you should know, i feel no differently toward her for her incredible untimeliness and indecisiveness) OR 2) you can get a job teaching english at a public school. THOUGH, i wouldn't recommend the latter because you'll be working for people who don't appreciate your drive and passion and don't really take the time to give you constructive criticism to help you grow as a successful teacher; instead, they will treat you with as little dignity and integrity as they can muster, make up lies about your performance, refuse to allow their spouses to take their medication, in turn leading these spouses to beating up other people...it's really just a mess and you don't want to go there.
so, unfortunately, it seems, perplexed in portland, that your only "out" is more education and, therefore, more dreaded loans.
i don't know what to tell ya--i'm working at a liquor store for credit at this point, so obviously my BA is doing me well. ask me in a year and i might have a better answer for you.
heart and best wishes,
sladkaya
1 Comments:
At 08 June, 2006 15:56,
Anonymous said…
thanks for the candid and heartwarming response. i will now go stick my head in the oven. :)
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