University is a valuable investment. It can give you the skills and confidence to get a better job and improve your financial situation. This could impact the rest of your life. Attending university can also help you build your confidence and self-esteem, especially if you’re coming from a background where your parents or family members didn’t go to university.
Nonetheless, choosing a degree is one of the biggest decisions you’ll make in your life. Even if you want to change your degree path somewhere down the line, it’s not something that you can take back easily. Therefore it’s important to choose a degree that will be marketable when you graduate. Degrees that don’t give graduates tangible value in the job market will have a more challenging time finding work and may need to re-train in another field.
Today everyone is practically chasing money. They want to make more than everyone else. But the harsh truth is that there are degrees that will set you back financially for the rest of your life. Are you considering studying one of these degrees? Beware, because one of these might be at the top of your list.
Worst paying degrees
No degree is ever a waste of time at the university. But some degrees are more useless than others. The following is a list of 5 degrees that can leave you underpaid and struggling to get by based on salary potential.
Fine arts
Fine arts is, roughly speaking, the field of direct creative activity. It includes painting, music, and drama, but also writing and sculpture. Why does it pay so badly? A common explanation for this is that fine arts are not valuable. People don’t need paintings, live music, or plays: these are all luxuries we can do without. Support for this theory comes from the fact that the vast majority of people in history have never had much access to any of these things. Most people spend most of their time working on tasks like farming or building houses or raising children; they seldom see paintings or go to concerts or plays, and they never have time to do any fine art themselves.
Anthropology and archeology
If you don’t get into grad school, you’re pretty much screwed because there aren’t a lot of jobs out there for anthropologists or archaeologists. You also have to deal with the fact that most people think what you do is super cool, but they don’t care about it enough to spend any money on it.
Religion and theology
Theology and religion are both academically legitimate fields of study. You could try to argue that religion is not a science, but you would be wrong. There are plenty of sciences (history, anthropology, etc.) that are not natural sciences.
Theology and religion do not pay well because there is a surplus of qualified candidates for open positions. The market is saturated with professionals who have completed the necessary education and they are all competing for the same jobs. This means that hiring managers can choose between candidates based on their ability to work for less than their peers. If you accept the fact that you may never be paid what you deserve, then your prospects improve dramatically.
Early childhood education
Childhood education is a career that has been gaining popularity in recent years. The demand for early childhood educators is increasing as the demand for pre-school education is rising.
Early childhood education programs are usually not as rigorous as other fields of study, so they attract students who are not good at academics. This lowers the esteem and value of the career. Early childhood education is a caring profession, so it attracts compassionate people who don’t mind low pay as long as they get to care for children.
Social services
Social Services is a broad term used to describe those services provided by a local or national government whose primary aim is to improve the quality of life for individuals and families within society. Social workers are employed in public departments and agencies across the whole spectrum of service provision, including working with children and families, adults, older people, offenders, and carers. The primary focus of their work is to improve outcomes for service users through protecting vulnerable individuals from harm, promoting social justice, ensuring equality and inclusion, leading policy development, influencing legislation, and implementing change.
The main reason why it pays less than other professions is that there is a lack of funds in this profession. One may ask, why is there a lack of funds in this profession? The answer to this question lies in the nature of the job itself. In essence, social services help people who have fallen on hard times due to whatever circumstances. Most times, these people have no money left to pay for their own needs, so they rely on donations from others. Therefore, if there are fewer donations then there will be less money available for funding.
Studying a degree can cost you a lot of money
Studying for a degree can cost you a lot of money, but it’s worth it in the end. You’ll get more out of your degree than just grades. You’ll also get a wide range of transferable skills that employers value.
A good example of this is working with others. Working in groups is an important part of courses. This can be difficult and time-consuming, but many people find that it helps them to develop their communication and organization skills. These are essential for employers and will help you to stand out from other candidates when applying for jobs or graduate training schemes.
Also, a degree will give you the chance to work with world-class academics who often have extensive contact with leading employers. They may advise you on careers options or give you access to exclusive internships or job opportunities. Finally, having a degree shows employers you’re dedicated and self-motivated, which are also skills they value highly.
So even if your course doesn’t lead directly to the career you want, don’t worry! The skills you gain along the way will help you to stand out from the crowd when you look for jobs, no matter what your degree subject.
Reasons why students decide to get a higher qualification
There are many reasons students decide to get a higher qualification. Some want to improve their job prospects and others are just interested in learning something new. Whatever the reason, there is no doubt that it takes a lot of time and effort to study at the university.
In my opinion, the most important reason why people decide to do a degree course is that they have always been interested in learning more about a particular subject and they want to develop their career prospects. The vast majority of students hope that once they finish their studies, they will be able to find a good job. They imagine that employers will be impressed by the fact that they have got a university degree.
On the other hand, some students decide to do a degree course simply because they do not know what else to do after finishing secondary school.
Final words
All in all, it’s not surprising that you might wind up with a degree that doesn’t pay well. It happens more often than not because there is little to no regulation of the education system. The only issue is getting trapped into a negative spiral where you are pouring money down the drain, accumulating and increasing your debt during the process, and then trying to pay it off and find a job at the same time. At the end of the day, don’t let others make decisions for you. Do your calculations on how much your degree will cost, weigh your options and make an informed decision about how valuable it is to invest in your education.
Also, the increasing importance of skills in the modern workforce, particularly for students and grads, is clear. That’s why savvy students and graduates should be investing in skills and learning rather than paying tens of thousands of pounds for a degree that won’t be worth the paper it’s written on.
Thank you for reading "The 5 Worst Paying Degrees You Can Study for at University in 2022/2023! (Avoid if you want Money?)"
Written by Israt90 for Mr Univeristy and Student Ear
*Note, prices change over time, information here is opinion and all information should be fact checked*
