Useful V useless degrees in the UK.

a reply to: DanDanDat

Hi DanDanDat,

You've made some excellent points and I do agree with what you say in regards as while I think I'd enjoy an Archaeological career, I might hate it.

Take the job I'm in now. I'm a support worker to disabled gardeners with physical and mental disabilities. Not once since my teen years have I ever considered a career with mental health, or similar fields, but I love it. Partly because I'm outside all day and gardening, digging and teaching woodwork, but it proves your point.

As for my financial status, my job is minimum wage, but we are comfortable. Staying in the job I'm in now would be no better than a career change, with a possibility of more pay.

Thanks for your thoughts! Much appreciated!

a reply to: MissBeck
Personal experience.

Bilology.

You likely wont end up on 6 figures but you will get a job so long as you get a 2:2. You will start 4-5K above most new starters and in a year or two be on twice minimum wage and £40K a year is a pretty reasonable target and likley a lot more.

Fact is Pharmaceutical Company and biotech companies are a big part of the UK economy.

Only downside is the industry is pretty volatile. Jobs can go quick. But they are created just as quick.
Never spent more than a month out of work though.

originally posted by: woodwardjnr

Don't look at it all from a financial gain point of view. Life isn't about chasing abstract representations of wealth and don't view yourself as a commodity that can increase or decrease its value.

Some people know the cost of everything and the value in nothing

Its that stupid liberal mumbo jumbo bull# that got hundreds of thousands of disillusioned teen with stupid amounts of debt flipping burgers with useless scraps of paper employees wont take seriously.

Not all Degrees are created and certainly not viewed equally.

a reply to: crazyewok

Hi crazyewok!

Wow! Really! I'm surprised at that, but I don't know why. I quite enjoyed Biology at school way back when, but haven't really considered it since.

Any particular area of Biology, or just as a general subject?

That's given me something to look into. Thanks.

a reply to: MissBeck
Immunology and Microbiology is what I focused on. Very useful for Biotec.

Biochemistry is very hot and the in thing.

Biomedical science is a very good one. Expect to land some pretty sweet jobs with that one. Kinda wish I had gone down that route!

Basically anything Human biology centred is a good idea.

But yeah UK a pretty hot place for Biology jobs. Don’t know anyone who got one and ended up unemployed.

a reply to: crazyewok

I've just had a browse at my module choices for now, and level 2, and there's lots of choices concerning Biology. Thanks for the heads up. It's another route to consider.

a reply to: MissBeck

Hiya MissBeck, I like your ideas and your ambitions are the purest kind - vocational.

Practice and gain experience in both fields.

Apply to your local schools as a volunteer. It's something a lot of high schools do and particularly for people who are interested in getting into teaching. There's even a good chance that you'd be placed at one of these schools during your training and it'd give you a leg-up in the job. Look at PGCEs and graduate teacher training groups near where you live - I know they're there.

Get dirty and dusty with your local archaeological societies; they have amateurs as well as seasoned trowel-monkeys. Staffordshire Archaeological and Historical Society and the The Stafford and Mid-Staffs Archaeological Society usually have projects running and take on volunteers.

It'll save you a lot of time and money to get the experience in early.

a reply to: crazyewok
I'm just not going to reduce the op to whether or not they will be a drain or gain on society based on the degree they want to do.

a reply to: woodwardjnr

No but there is zero point throwing away 20k+ on a degree that would be worthless.

She wants a degree that will be useful.

a reply to: Kandinsky

Hiya Kandinsky!

As always you are full of great advice and wisdom!! Those Archaeological links are fabulous! Thank you! I had looked at Stafford Universities site earlier on today, as they do a lot of workshops and short courses.

Centre of Archaeology

Will have a good look at those other links in a bit. I should be studying The Art of Benin, Nigeria at this precise moment.

a reply to: MissBeck

You know what I forgot to mention?? Send a PM to Byrd

She's always busy but she'll give you great advice that's earned from experience.

It's good to get experience before taking the plunge and there are so many options you might discover too. There are ways of gaining teaching experience and then being paid by the school to become a teacher - no huge debts. Not so many options in archaeology as it's a smaller field although no less interesting.

a reply to: Kandinsky

You know what, I nearly did send Byrd one yesterday, but I had to rush out and close the computer down. Never got round to it later on. I will do that later as well!

originally posted by: MissBeck
a reply to: pteridine

That's a very sensible answer pteridine! Trouble is I'm terrible with maths!

I will browse the other modules though to see what else is available. I know there are some science modules, and environmental ones, as well as Psychology and languages.

Accounting is arithmetic, not math. Calculators can handle the details if you can figure out what to add and what to subtract. The science modules will require math. At first, algebra for the lower courses, then a little calculus and some differential equations for the upper levels.
If you do not like accounting, then what about healthcare? As populations age, health workers at all levels will be in greater demand. The consideration would be one of shift work with younger children. Once your children are of age, shift work can be an advantage to you with weekdays off and such. Another possibility is social work but I do not know the status of such positions in the UK. Given the latest news from the UK, minors in Arabic and karate may be necessary.

Archaeology in GB should be very interesting as there are many more car parks in Leicester that may have a king laying about under them. From Stonehenge to hoards of Roman gold and silver to the industrial age, you will certainly find something to interest you.

I'm taking free online courses at www.futurelearn.com...

I don't need certification, just something to do and fulfill my desire to learn.

What would I do with a degree at sixty years old anyway?

originally posted by: MissBeck
a reply to: DanDanDat

Hi DanDanDat,

You've made some excellent points and I do agree with what you say in regards as while I think I'd enjoy an Archaeological career, I might hate it.

Take the job I'm in now. I'm a support worker to disabled gardeners with physical and mental disabilities. Not once since my teen years have I ever considered a career with mental health, or similar fields, but I love it. Partly because I'm outside all day and gardening, digging and teaching woodwork, but it proves your point.

As for my financial status, my job is minimum wage, but we are comfortable. Staying in the job I'm in now would be no better than a career change, with a possibility of more pay.

Thanks for your thoughts! Much appreciated!

Is there a field of study that couples with the work you are doing with the disabled?

From a pragmatic point of view; it would be nice if you could continue to use your current time at work as part of your future resume. As someone one who participates in hiring; past work experience is very important if it matches well to the current jobbing being applied for.

For example your current work with the disabled won’t help much when applying for a position on an archeological team. But if you were to applied to a job as an administrator for disabled services it would be a great advantage.

originally posted by: pteridine

Given the latest news from the UK, minors in Arabic and karate may be necessary.

That made me chuckle I must admit.

a reply to: rickymouse

Hi rickymouse!

I haven't heard of that one. I'm registered with Coursera, who have some interesting stuff on there.

Coursera website

I have bookmarked your link.

Thank you.

a reply to: DanDanDat

Hi DanDanDat,

There are a few modules to do with healthcare, mental health and care work, but it's not an avenue I'd like to pursue permanently to be honest. Practical though, yes, I agree.

Something I hadn't mentioned in the OP is that I have just passed my AET Level 3 (Award in Education and Training). It used to be called PTTLS (Preparing To teach in the Lifelong Sector), so I am qualified to teach adults over 16 at a level below anything I'm qualified in. So, for example, I have a NVQ Level 2 in Horticulture, so I'd be able to teach NVQ level 1 in Horticulture.

Maybe I should look at going into that side of things independently, whilst still doing my current study plan.

If you are going to or are studying archeology, I think you should also study 3D modelling/computer animation for digital reconstruction using applications like 3DMax or Blender:

www.bbc.com...

adventuresindigitalarchaeology.wordpress.com...

a reply to: stormcell
Hi storm cell!
Those two articles were fascinating! Thank you so much for posting them! And you know what, it's another area I hadn't considered either.
Thanks for your contribution! Much appreciated.