Education comes at a hefty price nowadays. So, prospective students want to calculate the risks in advance before taking a particular course or education program. They also try to avoid taking the so-called useless programs. But what does “useless” mean in this context?
What Is a Useless Education Program, Anyway?
There are plenty of “useless degrees” lists out there. You needn’t go far to find them. From these lists, you’ll learn that useless degrees include music, performing arts, fashion design, culinary arts, biology, and more.
The problem with those lists is that their authors have presumably never studied these subjects. Take writing, for instance: if a student is a customer of an essay service and a request is their favorite, does it mean that writing degrees are generally useless? Not at all! Though they might as well seem to that student.
However, there is some truth in those lists, too. It’s bitter, and it fits in three letters: ROI. Given the costs, certain programs and degrees are simply impractical, which is why they are dismissed as “useless.”
This approach is questionable. Still, it’s important to know your perspectives before you invest time and money in your education. So, apart from counting its ROI, how can you tell if a program is useless or not?
Typically, useless education programs are the ones that:
- Offers no clear career perspectives.
- Doesn’t provide valuable knowledge or skills.
- Is it too broad or too narrow?
- Doesn’t align with your personal inclinations.
Now, let’s take a closer look.
No Career Perspectives
In the lists above, creative professions occupy the most (dis)honorable first places. The reason why it is so is that the authors assume that in such professions, you either have the talent or you don’t—training doesn’t matter much.
That assumption is not true. However, what is true is that a program offering no clear career perspectives in your particular case can be useless indeed. So, if you can’t answer what exact career opportunities you may have in the chosen field, it may be better to think twice and choose something else.
Provides No Valuable Knowledge or Skills
No education program can be dismissed as useless if it contributes something valuable to what you already know. Putting ROI aside, we learn to attain the knowledge and skills that we assume we need. If, at the end of the program, we achieve this goal, then it’s useful, after all.
It’s also worth remembering that you can attain certain skills on your own by reading books and articles. For example, there’s no particular need to take a writing course when essay writing guides are available for free on the Internet. The same goes for other skills—you just need to be eager to learn!
However, some programs and degrees seem worthy at first but turn out to be absolute rubbish because of their structure. The only way to avoid the mistake of taking such a program is to gather as much information as you can before applying.
Too Broad or Too Narrow
There’s nothing wrong with general education and being well-rounded. Still, when we take a specific course or earn a degree (and pay a considerable sum for it), we expect something more than broadening our horizons. What we aim at is usually getting a profession that offers some career perspectives.
A program with too many “fillers” in the curriculum or one that doesn’t focus enough on specific subjects may be good for self-education, but not as a degree. In the latter case, you may end up getting no particular profession at all.
There’s another problem with the programs that are way too specific. They, too, can be great as supplementary, but hardly anything can be worse than graduating with a too-narrow qualification. What if you don’t find a job in that field? You just won’t have a choice other than to get more education and learn something else!
Doesn’t Suit You Personally
Any program or degree can prove useless depending on the student’s personal circumstances. Because even in today’s world, most people tend to study something they’re interested in and then work in a corresponding field.
If you choose a course solely for pragmatic reasons and don’t consider your personal aspirations and talents, you may end up wrong after all. It’s extremely hard to perform well at a job you don’t like on a daily basis, and it almost inevitably leads to negative consequences like stress, burnout, apathy, or even depression.
So, if your parents or school teachers recommend that you choose a “useful” degree that will ensure a stable career, ask yourself first: “Is it what I really want? Will it be useful for me personally?” Then, make your choice responsibly.
Has Poor ROI
Now, here’s a bit of a contradiction. But let’s make it clear: ROI matters, too. It’s just that it’s not the primary factor one has to consider when choosing a degree. However, it’s essential that you understand what you’re paying for and if you’ll manage to get your money back anytime soon.
But what of those programs that cost a lot and don’t guarantee a smooth career path? Well, that depends. If you can afford them, you can risk it, and if you can’t – there are always other options like:
- online degrees;
- community colleges;
- MOOCs;
- private tutors, and more.
In short, there are more ways than one to get the kind of education programs you want—if you really want it.
Final Thoughts
There’s no denying that some programs and degrees are more useful than others. But before defining which is which, you must determine your goals first.
What do you need from your degree? Do you regard it as an investment or as a means to attain the skills and knowledge you want? Do you know how to apply that knowledge?
Once you answer these questions, you’ll know if a particular course is useful for you or not.
