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Hi All

I just wanted to get a general opinion on the MA General degree and what people think of it in terms of future employment etc? Am thinking about finishing after 3rd year.

Cheers!

guest wrote:I just wanted to get a general opinion on the MA General degree and what people think of it in terms of future employment etc? Am thinking about finishing after 3rd year.

You state this as if you have a choice. What then will distinguish you from all the people who took a General Degree because they did not?

Don't do it man...

Seriously, for just one more year, it's SUCH a bad idea

Hey,
I might be finishing with a general too (I got low grades in 2nd year, and even though i'm up to 2:1 standard at 3rd year they're potentially not letting me stay on) and I was told that, especially in the rest of Europe, they accept mostly any degree to get into a postgrad masters (and when you have one of those no one looks at your undergrad). I'm trying to stay on my course so havn't looked into this option much, but this is what my advisor told me and it's an option I would pursue if I do get kicked outta here

xxx if you want to email me (though might not have the answers) my email is sar33

Hey there,

It really depends on what you want to do when you leave. Some employers in big jobs want you to have a degree at honours level. However, it really does depend.

I left uni with a general degree, but it is still an M.A. which is a lot more than some people have. I moved to France to get some experience and I am now doing a postgrad teaching course at Edinburgh Uni. I guess some people look more at your life experience than what kind of degree you have. So so so many of my friends managed to get a 2:1 degree or higher and they are either still looking for jobs after two years or they have no idea what they want to do with it.

Do you have any idea of what you want to do when you leave? And has someone from the University suggested you do a General, or is it your own idea?

I remember when I was about 15 and had no idea of the stigma attached to a general degree it seemed a perfect way of combining lots of disparate interests of mine rather than sticking to one regimented programme. Alas the only person I know who got a general degree was in effect booted out of the university for being such a fat waster. I think he wanted to go into the merchant navy, but I doubt they'd find much use for him except as ballast.

Hennessy wrote:I remember when I was about 15 and had no idea of the stigma attached to a general degree it seemed a perfect way of combining lots of disparate interests of mine rather than sticking to one regimented programme. Alas the only person I know who got a general degree was in effect booted out of the university for being such a fat waster. I think he wanted to go into the merchant navy, but I doubt they'd find much use for him except as ballast.

I'd advise against getting a general degree, if at all possible. It is generally less well thought of that an honours degree, and after investing three years, you might as well invest one more to get the better result.
That said, if the job you're going into simply requires *a degree* of any sort, then you might consider the general. A friend of mine did that. He was doing just fine, on course for a good honours degree, but wanted to become a masseur, and simply needed a degree. So he took a general, and started on job training.
On the other hand, the other person I know who got a general (and I say got, not took) was like Hennessy's acquaintance, a fat, lazy waste of space. He took four years to get a general, and as far as I'm aware, still works in fast food.

So be warned!

Delts wrote:

Hennessy wrote:I remember when I was about 15 and had no idea of the stigma attached to a general degree it seemed a perfect way of combining lots of disparate interests of mine rather than sticking to one regimented programme. Alas the only person I know who got a general degree was in effect booted out of the university for being such a fat waster. I think he wanted to go into the merchant navy, but I doubt they'd find much use for him except as ballast.

Sorry delts, in case you thought I meant you I was in fact talking about a rather unpleasant fellow who worked in DRA summer 2008, but for the life of me I can't remember what his name was. Frank nearly ended him at one point by making minor adjustments to his weightlifting equipment, and I had the pleasure of being pushed into a bush by said offender. Such a memory may have coloured my view of the general degree, which is of course totally subjective on other factors like what you want to do with it, how driven you are and where you ideally want to end up. I believe there was an article I read online recently on how much potential employers waste by requiring the 2:1 minimum for most jobs, when they readily admit what they most want to see in a candidate is the development of skills you actually need for work rather than purely academic requirements.

Going through a seemingly endless and wretched stream of applications now, as I am, it constantly strikes me just how devalued "a good degree from a good university" has become. You need a whole host of work experience, or at least voluntary experience as well as good contacts and well-developed networking skills, to be able to stand a chance against applicants who have been groomed for the professions even before they sat their Common Entrance Exams at Toffs Independent School For Boys.

I was only kidding, I was too shit to even get the general so I knew it wasn't me . And I'm doing pretty well on my marine engineering course as well (although this IS only the second month of it!).

I recall a gent from that summer who got a general and was (or is) on their way to the Olympics if i recall correctly. I'll need to keep an eye out for him.

But like Hennessey said, it is irritating as employers openly admit it is the attributes and experiences they prefer, It is infuriating that they still ask for 2.1's etc.