I am starting this thread because of a discussion that came up in the Random Win thread. I am genuinely curious about this subject and I want to continue the discussion without further derailing the Win thread.
The discussion stemmed from the question of whether or not college is purely intended to train people for their future career or if college has some intrinsic value beyond that purpose.
I think that college has value beyond choosing a career. I think that viewing what you study in college purely as being your training for a future career devalues the education and becomes a means to an end.
I also know quite a few people whose career of choice is not related directly to their field of study in college. I also know a lot of people who do work in a field directly related to what they studied.
For my wife and I we have other things besides how much money we make that is our measure of whether or not we enjoy our job. We have specifically made choices in our careers to make ourselves happier that might not maximize the amount of money we make but it makes us happier in other ways.
Do you think college is purely for education, something in between, or purely to prepare people for a specific career?
What is your measure for success in life?
What makes you happy with your career?
What factors do you use when choosing a job?
Do you choose where to live then choose a career in that area or do you choose a career and go wherever it takes you?
Should people feel obligated to work at a job that is in their field of study in college?
Is it ok to choose a job that isn't related to your field of study even if it earns you less money?