Choosing a degree is inevitably a difficult decision but once you have developed greater knowledge of a subject, you will be well equipped with different techniques to tackle graduate jobs. Still, in the recent climate, students are carefully considering whether Arts degrees are actually right for them.
A recent Higher Education Survey has revealed that 65% of Arts and Humanities students would like to change degree subjects, owing mainly to the overall rise in tuition fees. It seems that students think Arts degrees are not as useful preparation for graduate jobs, compared to Science and vocational degrees. You should not only consider future employment prospects when you embark on a degree, since enjoyment of the subject is very important. Still, there are many ways in which Arts degrees can help you develop useful skills for your career.
One differentiating factor with Arts degrees is the skill of writing essays. These require students to not only learn how to develop a clear writing style, but also convey their arguments in a concise manner and use supporting evidence appropriately. Different types of reports are written in a variety of jobs and so developing your technique early on is good preparation. Also, as a student you quickly gain the ability to scan read documents and summarise the key points. This is vital in a work environment, when you will need to document and report findings to your line manager, often within a tight deadline.
Another core part of most Arts degrees is researching and writing a dissertation. This is usually completed over a few months during your final year at university. It is an original piece of research, but also uses secondary material referenced back to source documents. Besides the amount of reading that you will need to do, crucial skills are the ability to generate original arguments and identify which sources are most reliable. Exercising such judgment is just as important in the world of work, whether you are writing a sales pitch or an internal report.
Skills developed during Arts degrees are transferable into most careers and so your options are not limited at all. In addition, there are particular careers such as PR and Marketing where skills like essay writing will prove to be very beneficial. Of course, there are only a handful of people who become well renowned authors or journalists, but you should not turn away from that path, if you are really interested in it. The key point is to understand the strengths of Arts degrees and the naturally related careers, but also do not rule out numerical careers like Accountancy, which include graduates from a vast array of disciplines.
Overall, it is worthwhile keeping an open mind about Arts degrees and examining the benefits that they offer. In this challenging climate, it may be tempting to study a more vocational degree, since you will expect it to help most. Still, do not underestimate the usefulness of Arts degrees in providing you with a range of transferable skills, which will help you progress through the ranks and have a successful career.
Arnab, GRB Journalist
