What degree should I get??

[Falaskan]

I am kind of between a rock and hard place and would like an outsider's honest opinion. As of May 2012, I graduated with a degree in Psychology, tho to be honest, was kind of disenchanted with the program and degree by the time I was done, and it took me some extra time to finish it. As you can imagine, jobs in psychology aren't that great unless you go back to school for a masters.

Right now I have had a government job for about 6 months which is all clerical. Even though many ppl seem to stick with their gov. desk jobs until retirement, I do not want that to be me, being that sedentary is not conducive to good health for one thing, and is also mind numbing for starters. I don't foresee myself able to advance all that far, and am basically on the bottom of the totem pole financially.

I figure I owe it to myself to go back to school if I want a better chance at a more comfortable life and more interesting job. I can be a malcontent sometimes, and school was kind of stressful the first time around, but I think I really owe it to myself. There is still some money lift in my education fund I could put towards it.

The main problem is deciding what to go for. I'm not sure I'd want to be a counselor anymore, but in some scenarios, I think it could be alright. The pros to getting a Masters in counseling are there would be no-prerequisites for me, and I might even be able to keep my boring clerical job for a little while until I go full time.

I have also considered physical/occupational therapy. There are really only a couple prerequisites I'd have to get out of the way, but if I go the PT/OT route, I'd most likely go for a doctorate. It makes me nervous because of all the stress that can come from going back to school, and I also worry that some of the more complicated science classes may be more difficult for me, but PT/OT also make much more money and I feel that if there were no obstacles whatsoever, I might enjoy myself on the job more.

Oh if I went back full time, I'd probably also move back in with the parents for a while.

So should I go the counseling route? For sure I would have less credits to go through and would be done sooner, and surely make enough to be comfortable. Or should I go for the program I think would be much more difficult but in the end I would make much more?

[HyperRealist]

physical therapy

[BStecke]

My understanding is that physical therapy has recently begun requiring a doctorate rather than a masters.

You could always do nursing and get a masters and be an ARNP. Just a suggestion, if you're into medical stuff

[Falaskan]

I think I'll just sell my body.

[supersix4]

Go take the GMAT and get an MBA.

can't go wrong with having business.

[West E]

Question is what are your interests??? It's usually best to do something you enjoy. Then it never feels like work. Extra money is always great but not when you dread Sunday nights and Monday mornings because you have to go back to work. Find something you like and get good at it. You might need another degree you might not. I didn't even end up using my degree or masters degree because I found my true calling. Do something you love.

[R3P0]

Originally Posted by Falaskan

So should I go the counseling route? For sure I would have less credits to go through and would be done sooner, and surely make enough to be comfortable. Or should I go for the program I think would be much more difficult but in the end I would make much more?

Question is what would make you happy. If your not happy with what you do the degree aside from a sense of accomplishment and all the money in the world wont mean anything. If your happy with counseling, cant say I would be you never know what kinda of patient you'll get, could be Rape victim, could be someone depressed, could be a kid that was molested, the questions here would be how would you hold up mentally and emotionally to that kind of thing.

If you think the PT will be more rewarding and you'll enjoy it more, not just because of the money then go for the PT program. One thing I have learned is don't chase the money, do what makes you happy the money will come in time.

[Falaskan]

Well that is some good advice. I've had multiple ppl tell me not to chase money. I agree and at the same time would like to feel more comfortable. I would also add being a veterinarian to the above list because I love animals, tho not sure how I'd feel about cutting them open and putting them down, so I am going to interview a veterinarian this weekend. I also like to travel so being a flight attendant is something else i might look into. I know, really varied.

[Ace_BB6]

Originally Posted by West E

Question is what are your interests??? It's usually best to do something you enjoy. Then it never feels like work. Extra money is always great but not when you dread Sunday nights and Monday mornings because you have to go back to work. Find something you like and get good at it. You might need another degree you might not. I didn't even end up using my degree or masters degree because I found my true calling. Do something you love.

What if you don't have any particular interest in mind? I know that sounds pathetic.lolol How did some of you guys figure it out what you wanted to do? I'm kinda at point in my life where I feel like I need to find something to get into (degree) wise but not sure how to find it.

I hear stories all the time about people going to school for a degree and end up not even using it. Then they get stuck with a job they dont care for. Sends shivers down my spine.

Hell, what do some of you do?

[Falaskan]

Originally Posted by Ace_BB6

I hear stories all the time about people going to school for a degree and end up not even using it. Then they get stuck with a job they dont care for. Sends shivers down my spine.

Hell, what do some of you do?

They blow all the money from their peon jobs on blu-rays

[BStecke]

For right now I'm a claims adjuster. My bachelors is in Mass Comm and journalism, which seems useless unless you want to do that, and I thought it was useless for quite some time. But, I got hired in at my company at a higher level because I had the degree, so while I'm not doing anything directly related, my degree has helped me. Is it my dream job? Is it what I said I wanted to do when I was a child? No, but it's fairly stimulating and I don't mind it at all, and it affords me a life outside of work that I'm extremely happy with. I can't say I ever thought it's something I'd even consider doing, but I ended up liking it.

I'm almost done with my associates in nursing and my understanding is that my bachelors will help me in getting a job and also get me more money when I start. So . . . while you may not know what you want to be when you grow up , I'd at least recommend going to school for SOMETHING. It'll never hurt you. Unless you take out a whole bunch of loans you can't pay back.

[West E]

BStecke is right. Having a degree is better than NO degree. In my experience it's been the difference maker in choosing who to hire or who to give a promotion to. Some positions need a degree because of company policy. Doesn't matter if the other guy up for it is better. So be happy that you have a degree. It'll probably help you somehow.

You just have to find your niche. I don't think a lot of people know what they want to do when they're 18 and i don't think a lot of people know at 22.

[repete66211]

I graduated with a degree in film studies. Right not I'm working in retirement plan administration which, though it pays well, is exactly as boring as it sounds. Any degree is better than no degree at all but I wish I had skipped the liberal arts route and gone with something with direct practical application like engineering or medical school. (I was also considering law school but there are enough goddam lawyers in the world.)

[Jud64209]

Originally Posted by Falaskan

So should I go the counseling route? For sure I would have less credits to go through and would be done sooner, and surely make enough to be comfortable. Or should I go for the program I think would be much more difficult but in the end I would make much more?

My honest opinion is that you should go back for your Masters Degree. So many people in the world are attaining Associates and Bachelors Degrees, that their value has dropped. It's been my experience that to get a job in a competitive field, you really need to stand out.

I have a Bachelors in Finance, and I graduated in the top 10% of my class, but I've had a difficult time finding a job because I don't have the experience or a Masters degree. So now I'm back in school to get a Masters in Accounting and become a CPA. I'm doing it to stand out and differentiate myself.


But if you're just doing it for the money, just drop that idea right now. Do something that will make you happy in the end. Don't pursue a career that you don't think you'll enjoy just to make money, it's not worth it.