College: experiencing it can be socially rewarding, but it’s most important purpose is to provide higher education for a life-long career. Much like the debate about whether to attend college, the decision on which major to pursue is just as important (see: “The College Debate: Is It Worth It?” and “What Should I Major In?”).
Now let’s say that you are in college and have chosen your major – the next question is how applicable are the skills you learn in the classroom for the workplace? A recent 2011 report by the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) titled Fostering Student Engagement Campuswide (see full report here) shows how particular majors are more efficient in preparing students in workplace skills. Consider the findings below:
It seems that those in more hands-on and/or technical fields consider their major’s coursework more applicable than those in non-occupation fields (arts and humanities, social sciences). Not to mention that those occupation-specific fields are the most in demand.
Outside the classroom, service-learning, internships, and research with faculty were the top three high-practice initiatives taken by college seniors to gain more skills outside the classroom, whereas studying abroad was the top initiative not taken by seniors. The report does not break down this figure by majors, but in any case, it’s expected that you look for opportunities outside your coursework – not only to catch the eyes of employers, but for the personal benefits of gaining skills and networking contacts.
Do you think your major coursework is providing relevant skills? How much of the skills acquired through college are from your major, as opposed to outside learning opportunities (like internships or volunteering?)
