A
male
age
41-50,
*hairmanLMAO
writes:Hey, I have a question. I have been a bar manager for years and right now I am studying by correspondence for two qualifications in management, one of them is a BTS (French qualification equivalent to the first two years of a bachelor's degree) and the other is a professional management certificate (equivalent to the honours part of a bachelor's degree). I never got a degree when I was younger because I was working a lot and didn't want to go into debt. Now I have savings and a lot of work and life experience, and I want to study. However, I'm torn. From the qualifications I am doing, I could go on to do an MBA, which would probably be very useful for me professionally in the future. Otherwise I could go to uni to do a degree in cognitive sciences, which is what I'm really interested in. The problem with that is that I don't know if I could find a job afterwards.So basically my question is, do I choose the pragmatic route and study management, even if I'm not crazy about it, or do I choose the thing I love, knowing that it's riskier? Help?(Sorry for any mistakes I may have made in English - it's my second language.)
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female
reader, PerhapsNot  +, writes (27 March 2013):
 As someone who has two useless degrees in things I found interesting at the time I was in college (nowadays I do not particularly care for either one of them), I can tell you to sick to the pragmatic. If I could do it all over again, I would choose a field that is desirable in the job market today.
If cognitive science interests you, no one can stop you from reading and leaning about it. You can even take community college classes for fun down the lane if you find it that interesting. Heck, you could maybe even join a club or a group of people that share the same passion.
A
male
reader, no nonsense Aidan +, writes (26 March 2013):
Well, firstly, you’re already studying management so you will already be qualified even if you don’t progress on to the next step of an MBA.
You could, ultimately, do both. IF you were able to accept less financial security you could study the cognitive sciences course at university (I’d suggest seeking some careers advice first though to help you find out what your options would be after the course though), and then you may get the opportunity to do an MBA later on. A good example is the medical profession: a lot of doctors and senior nurses study MBA courses or other management qualifications later on, for example to enable them to engage with the business side of working in a healthcare environment. If you went in to the commercial sector with your cognitive sciences course (for example in a consultancy firm), you might get that chance too if you wanted the MBA.
Or if the MBA offers better prospects sooner, do that and study cognitive sciences part-time later on.
Additionally, could you do either whilst working or would you have to move to university full-time for either course?
It’s definitely not a clear-cut choice and a situation where you have to choose one or the other. You’ve just got to weigh up all the practical considerations in determining the order. Also think about where you want to go: if you went in to academia as a specialist in cognitive sciences, would you need an MBA?
I wish you all the very best.
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female
reader, oldbag +, writes (26 March 2013):
 Hi
Don't go with what you love,go with practical.You have years of experience plus that bit of paper then.
Courses students love for example, Media Studies, rarely end in jobs they want as its so hard to break into.Internships are unpaid and hard to come by and frequently don't end in a job offer.
At the end of the hard work you want a career so aim towards that in an area of industry you will enjoy.
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female
reader, chigirl  +, writes (26 March 2013):
 Pragmatic. You can always study what you love in your spare time. And you might even tire from it, and find it uninteresting in the future. So go with something more down to earth. Perhaps the two can be combined in the future somehow.
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male
reader, anonymous, writes (26 March 2013): I will give you my advice based on what I have observed over the past few years. I have several friends who got degrees in "what they loved" while in college. For them, that meant degrees in areas such as Latin studies, political science, and women's studies. Though they have degrees in "what they loved," they have been unable to find jobs in those areas and they all work as a nanny watching children for a living. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but such a job does not require a degree. I, on the other hand, spent many years in school not only studying something I love, but something practical. Thankfully, I have been able to find a job even in the down economy.Anyways, my recommendation is to not only get a degree in something practical, but also in something you love to do. It is important, in my opinion, to look at a degree as an investment; your goal should be to obtain a job that gives you a good return on that investment. Also, it may help to look at what your goals are over the next several years. Is it important that you find a job in that area quickly? Are you trying to support a family? What are the long-term job opportunities and how does that align with your desires? Only you can answer these questions; good luck!
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female
reader, YouWish +, writes (26 March 2013):
 Though many people will suggest that you choose what you love, I'm not so quick to simply say that to you and be done with it. Here's why:
School is a means to an end. You are in college to learn, but what you are planning to do when you get out of college? If you study cognitive sciences, what are you hoping to use that for beyond getting the degree? I say that because so many people are bogged down with massive student loans because they studied what they loved in college only to find out that it wasn't useful in giving them the career they loved leading to the life they loved.
Sometimes, studying something more challenging and less of an immediate reward will end up unlocking an extremely meaningful life in a career that's ultimately satisfying. They put up with "eating the brussells sprouts" to get to the fun parts of life and career.
So, decide what you want your degree to lead to. If you have a career path that cognitive sciences will give you, then go for it. Otherwise, if you're simply studying it because the COURSE is more satisfying, you may want to put more thought into beyond the four years.
Another thing you want to keep in mind is whether or not your ultimate goal in studying cognitive sciences will require more like a doctorate or MBA to achieve your goals.
Some career paths for your CS degree can be:
Hotel Management
Hospice Care
Advertising
Human Resources
Archaeologist (more schooling needed)
Mental Health Technician
Law (more schooling needed)
International Business (could work well with existing college)
Psychology (additional schooling needed)
Urban Development
And more. Think beyond school here. Though if these things are what you want, then go for it. Otherwise, consider school for what your life will be beyond it, not merely for course material.
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