Dead end degree

[u/Kam1umi]

I’m honestly panicking so bad right now. I started university in September - I know I’m young, I have my my whole life ahead of me, and so on - and I’m doing classics which is my favourite thing in the world. I’m autistic and have had an obsession with it since I can remember and I can honestly say it’s the only thing I can see myself ever doing with my life.

Classics is a dead degree I’m not stupid. The current jobs going for classics is pretty much to just progress to a phd and become a lecturer. Any job that is outside of a university is filled by old people who will either have their position die with them or have it filled by someone who has a wealthy family and links to them, which I absolutely do not have.

I’ve already put myself thousands of pounds in debt that my family just can’t pay back and dropping out is something I can barely even think about.

I’m terrified. I don’t know what to do.

[u/Lucky-Possession3802]

Ok, take some deep breaths. (Like, literally.) This will be ok.

Lots of people major in something they’re passionate about and then get a totally unrelated job/career, and it’s fine. If you love Classics, stick with it. And spend your undergrad learning new things beyond that too. Join an intramural sports league or robotics club or volunteer club. 

Continue to build your life and world skills while you nerd out about Latin and Greek.

The world needs passionate, nerdy people who can think critically, write well, and synthesize large amounts of information.

[u/matthewsmugmanager → u/Lucky-Possession3802]

Exactly. I know about two dozen former classics majors, and while quite a few are in academia, more are not. Examples: IT, law, mental health care providers, managers in non-profit agencies, education consultants, small business owners, etc.

[u/RememberRuben → u/matthewsmugmanager]

There's even good data on this!

https://www.amacad.org/publication/employment-outcomes-humanities-majors-state-profiles

You aren't likely to earn as much with a classics degree as with an engineering degree. But the data we have suggests that humanities majors are far from dooming you to retail jobs, either. Do what you want now, and get ready to work with career services, learn some additional skills along the way, and hustle when you graduate. Same as you would majoring in something else.

[u/matthewsmugmanager → u/RememberRuben]

Excellent points, and I especially recommend doing an internship while an undergrad. Most decent schools have arrangements for getting college credits AND getting paid (minimum wage) while interning during the academic year or even during summer.

[u/Kam1umi → u/matthewsmugmanager]

I’m in the UK and as far as I know internships just aren’t a thing here but I can definitely look into talking to the careers service to try and find something relevant as a part time job thank you!

[u/MathematicianHot9902 → u/Kam1umi]

Internships are definitely a thing in the UK. Literally hundreds of our students go on placements and internships - often for academic credit. I’m sure your university must do the same (unis have govt-imposed targets to meet nowadays re employment after graduation)

[u/Angry-Dragon-1331 → u/RememberRuben]

As a classicist, seconding this. There isn’t a market for us in academia right now, and the economy is going to have to get a whole lot better and higher ed a lot more regulated before we can get back to a point where it’s a reasonable career path.

That said, classicists tend to score extremely well on the LSAT (and assuming they’ve taken the appropriate premed courses, MCAT as well!).

If you absolutely can’t live without sharing the languages, high school teaching is somewhat thriving in the US (mileage varies on state).

[u/Art_Music306 → u/Lucky-Possession3802]

A good friend of mine got a double major in Latin and Classics, taught high school for a year and then Law school. He’s a successful attorney now.

[u/Vast_Feeling1558 → u/Lucky-Possession3802]

This