Grad School

[DankNuggets]

One thing that I always hear from conferences I have attended in my field is that people are better off with the undergraduate degree and then getting a job with the firm/company they have interest in. Then have the firm send them for continuing education and the Masters Degree.

The only reason I make note of this, is that I have friends as well as workers that have been turned down by other firms due to being over qualified with no experience. Hence the degree calls for a higher salary, so why hire someone with a masters in this or that when I can hire someone for 1/2 - 1/3 the cost and then send them to school with the company paying for it.

I would definately hire and undergrad over a grad student in the Architectural field. Especially if they hold no working experience and only hold a degree from a University.

I guess it boils down to the subject matter of what the degree is for and the job applications you'll use it for in the end run.

QFT, at least from a civil eng. perspective

[Cops]

My cousin graduated from Ryerson for journalism 3-4 years ago. She used to work as a production assistant for the show Kenny vs Spenny and currently works on a couple of shows on the Spice channel whatever that is...

Journalism grads very rarely end up as journalists it seems.

P.A's are entry level positions that University and College grags all get, it's not like only University Grads get those jobs. It's pretty awesome to work for Kenny vs Spenny, my teacher works for The Hour and showed ushis awesome bio he did of them.

I think that the sad realization this year for me at least was that this idea of a 'journalist' doesn't exist, on some level we're all pushing tin. There's only one Peter Mansbridge for a reason.

[Eric is God]

This is just a bunch of bullshit buzzwords thrown together in what looks like a paragraph. Problem solving, economy, technical, specialists, integrate... get over it. Your job will be negotiating contracts with clients for whatever company you work for, telling your employees what their current tasks are, and making sure your employees have adequate money, computers, or other materials that they need to do their job.

It's hard to say what knowledge/skills from a degree will transfer into your career. I graduated with a degree in economics and finance and my work at RIM is 25% DIA (Data Integrity Assurance) 50% Financial Reporting (of non-financial metrics like subscribers and device sales) and 25% analysis (eg: what impact has the iPhone had on our business?). Other than the econometric courses I took in university, almost none of what I learned is being used and to be honest no program anywhere could prepare someone to do my role.

[Eric is God]

Ryserson is a University in Canada, they're known as one of the top notch schools for journalism. The thing is that they don't really do much work with the cameras or editing programs, at least not until their final years. Next year I'll be running two weekly shows (magazine show, as well as a newscast). I'll take on the roles of a producer, anchor, vtr-roller, editor, writer, as well as many other jobs. I think journalism is something that can be 'honed' in College or University, we just have a lot better time relating practical skills to practical jobs. Once you've heard 'a journalist is a storyteller' a hundred times or 'our duty is those who can't defend themselves' you'll want to amputate your own balls.

My cousin graduated from Ryerson for journalism 3-4 years ago. She used to work as a production assistant for the show Kenny vs Spenny and currently works on a couple of shows on the Spice channel whatever that is...

Journalism grads very rarely end up as journalists it seems.

[phata$$]

Cool. What school are you in now? I'm thinking of transferring to San Francisco State because they have a pretty good television program which I can use to segway into films. It seems like you probably have the same interest as me, in that we both want to get into screenwriting and shit.

[Squeezer]

Why did you change majors btw? I'm currently in a junior college because I had no clue what I wanted to do and I finally decided to be a film major. Is it like very difficult for you? or did you just lose interest?

I thought it was for me and to a certain extent I did like it a lot. But, when it really came down to it I was more inclined toward writing.

Just a personal choice. I would recommend that anyone interested in Film Studies definitely pursue it. In my mind it beats being a business major.

[phata$$]

I changed my major for the first time last week. I'm no longer a film major, but instead a Creative Writing major with a minor in Journalism. Woo me.

Why did you change majors btw? I'm currently in a junior college because I had no clue what I wanted to do and I finally decided to be a film major. Is it like very difficult for you? or did you just lose interest?

[Cops]

Fit, you obviously don't know what the work entails.

And Squeez, the point I was trying to make is that it isn't an easy A. I like the country France, but I cannot stand the fucking language.

If you hate their language come to Canada and visit Quebec. French-Canadians sound like they took an already 'questionable' language and decided to butcher it.

[Galleleo]

Fit, you obviously don't know what the work entails.

And Squeez, the point I was trying to make is that it isn't an easy A. I like the country France, but I cannot stand the fucking language.

[genocidal]

Rule #1 of College/Grad work:

Have a backup plan.

[Cops]

This is just a bunch of bullshit buzzwords thrown together in what looks like a paragraph. Problem solving, economy, technical, specialists, integrate... get over it. Your job will be negotiating contracts with clients for whatever company you work for, telling your employees what their current tasks are, and making sure your employees have adequate money, computers, or other materials that they need to do their job.

Isn't that half of what University is, over-expanding concepts and ideas that need no more than 5 minutes to cover?

I think everyone sorta glossed over the easy A part. I've always had a thing for France too. Call me weird.

And Cops, I know it's a tough road trying to make it off of your writing. Hard work isn't enough to succeed in that particular field. When I really think about it though, it's the only thing I've ever really liked about school since I started (reading/writing). I guess I could fight it all I want and try to do something else, but the inevitable truth is: the subject which makes me most happy might not pan out to be the best.

I'm not going to lie to myself, nor would I expect anyone else to but it's what I want to do.

Dude I totally get it, I love writing as well. I've gone out of my way to integrate myself into a half broadcast and half print student. I'm prepared to become an editor, cameraman, anchor (doubt it), or pretty much anything that will allow me to get my foot in the door. I'd even like writing online for cbc.ca. I think we got an edge though, people are too afraid to do what they love to do. There's a lot less Media students and a lot more Business students out there.

[Fit of Rage]

And, as far as my University education goes in line with what I want as a job (manager) it is really good for me. Yes it is very theoretical, but, in my field that is very handy when it comes to problem solving and stuff. At the uni I am being taught how to look at problems from a whole bunch of fields, instead of focusing on it from one field. For example, an economist would look at a problem from an economy point of view, a technical guy from a technical point of view etc. I learn how to try and integrate all those views into one solution. And I am being a taught a wide theoretical basis within business (economy, accounting, marketing, etc. etc.) which means I will know what specialists are talking about and that will make it easier for me to integrate that stuff. So, in my case I think my University degree is way better than an HBO (a far more practical orientated education in the Netherlands) degree. Don't get me wrong though, I hate the research part..

This is just a bunch of bullshit buzzwords thrown together in what looks like a paragraph. Problem solving, economy, technical, specialists, integrate... get over it. Your job will be negotiating contracts with clients for whatever company you work for, telling your employees what their current tasks are, and making sure your employees have adequate money, computers, or other materials that they need to do their job.

[Squeezer]

I think everyone sorta glossed over the easy A part. I've always had a thing for France too. Call me weird.

And Cops, I know it's a tough road trying to make it off of your writing. Hard work isn't enough to succeed in that particular field. When I really think about it though, it's the only thing I've ever really liked about school since I started (reading/writing). I guess I could fight it all I want and try to do something else, but the inevitable truth is: the subject which makes me most happy might not pan out to be the best.

I'm not going to lie to myself, nor would I expect anyone else to but it's what I want to do.

[Galleleo]

Squeezer, French is the most moronic, idiotic, stupid, backwards language ever invented. As a Dutchie I have to learn French, German, English and Dutch in High School, I can still somewhat follow German.. how I ever got a final sufficient grade in French is still beyond me, goddamn I hate that language.

I do wanna learn Spanish though, that is a cool language.

And, as far as my University education goes in line with what I want as a job (manager) it is really good for me. Yes it is very theoretical, but, in my field that is very handy when it comes to problem solving and stuff. At the uni I am being taught how to look at problems from a whole bunch of fields, instead of focusing on it from one field. For example, an economist would look at a problem from an economy point of view, a technical guy from a technical point of view etc. I learn how to try and integrate all those views into one solution. And I am being a taught a wide theoretical basis within business (economy, accounting, marketing, etc. etc.) which means I will know what specialists are talking about and that will make it easier for me to integrate that stuff. So, in my case I think my University degree is way better than an HBO (a far more practical orientated education in the Netherlands) degree. Don't get me wrong though, I hate the research part..

[Cops]

This. I'm graduating this June with a degree in Psychology and Social Behavior, and I've been researching grad schools also. I dislike the idea of more school, I just want to get on with having a career, but I know I need a Master's. After a couple of years working, I hope to get my master's in Industrial-Organizational Psychology.

Every school I've looked at has a huge focus on research and statistics. Basically, they all assume that those 2 components are what is needed to do well in a field of psychology, despite the fact that surveyed grad students said that they wish they had more practical experience and less number-crunching. Something like 90% of psychology grad students said they dont plan on doing any research whatsoever once they get their master's.

That sucks! I did fairly well in social sciences, but I steered clear from going to University for it. I hope you get a job in psychology, it just blows that you need a masters before you can do a lot more practical work.

Sometimes University works against people, most people just want a job and a skill but instead they learn new words and concepts and end up having nothing but words and paper to show. Some jobs like what you plan on getting into is worth the investment for school, but the mass majority in University isn't even sure what they want to do with themselves because they've never had the opportunity to actually try what they want to be.