Attention college administrators! Our survey showed a major
disconnect between college coursework and the preparation needed for
the real world. Does that mean colleges aren't doing a good job of
preparing students -- or are some students failing to apply
themselves? Are college educators existing in ivory towers and out of
touch with the real world of work? Or are students just not working
hard enough in school to see the value of their education? Or perhaps
they simply chose the wrong major? We don't know the answers, but
with some exceptions, few of our survey respondents felt their
college coursework had prepared them for their first jobs.
"For the job I have, school didn't teach me. I am still looking for a
job in the field I was taught in school."
-- Anonymous
"Coursework is more fun than real work!!"
-- Anonymous
"College is great times but not anywhere even close to the real world."
-- 2002 biology grad
"I think the coursework gave me a basis for understanding what I do;
however, no class can completely prepare you for what you will
encounter in the workplace."
-- Anonymous
"My coursework prepared me really well. The University of Dallas
taught me how to write and think. You can figure the rest of the real
world out on your own."
-- Anne Johnson, senior corporate relations coordinator, U.S. Chamber
of Commerce, 2002 economics grad from the University of Dallas
"The coursework is all just water under the bridge. You have to take
the courses to get the piece of paper, which then gets you the job.
There are all sorts of little bits and pieces learned through
schooling that helped me to be successful at what I do. The main
thing is that a company will teach you everything that you need to
know to be successful at your job."
-- 2001 business-administration grad
"The writing and critical-thinking skills helped."
-- 1999 grad
"[My coursework prepared me] not at all, but work experience prepared
me. I studied political philosophy in school, and I work in the
medical staffing industry."
-- 2002 political philosophy major
"My coursework has become irrelevant."
-- 2000 math grad
"My coursework didn't prepare me at all. I wish I had chosen a
different degree."
-- Anonymous
"I knew that my degree would not be very practical in the real world.
However, while I was pursuing my liberal-arts degree, the economy was
doing well, and liberal-arts grads were getting good jobs. That
unfortunately changed during my last two years of school."
-- 2002 philosophy and religion grad
"What I have learned at university helped a lot. Especially the
practical subjects. I think that there should be more practical work
in the field that you are studying. More field experience will help."
-- 2001 grad
"My coursework made me over-prepared. My skills were more advanced
than what was required of me in my job. Some courses I should have
placed more of an emphasis on are finance, business writing, and
process improvement."
-- Anonymous
"[My coursework had] zero influence. I wish I had continued with
environmental studies, instead of transferring to history in my
sophomore year. A note to all future and current college students ...
study something useful in college, such as any of the sciences,
engineering fields, or a specific such as graphic design or medicine.
Do NOT waste your time acquiring a B.A. unless, of course, you TRULY
desire to teach history, English, foreign language, etc., AND, if
that is your course, be sure to enroll in a program that will allow
you to obtain your teaching certificate upon receiving your B.A.
Otherwise, major in a B.S., with a minor in a liberal art ... you'll
do yourself a world of good."
-- 1999 history grad
"I think school provided a good foundation; however, each company has
different procedures and expectations that require adjusting,
particularly with technological changes."
-- Anonymous
"The courses that helped me were business communications, public
relations, information systems classes, and writing classes. I wish I
would have taken an accounting class because it is important to know
that."
-- Colleen Holuk, marketing specialist, Stromberg, LLC, 2001 Stetson
University grad
"My coursework was excellent preparation for the real world. The only
thing I need help with is organization."
-- 2001 education grad
"I think my coursework in school was not up to date with the trends
in the computer world. You need to be aware of what's happening on
the outside and apply that to what you're learning on the inside. If
the two don't jibe, then you have to ask questions and maybe make a
change. If the economy is good and jobs are many, maybe you can get
away with it and learn more on the job, but if the economy is bad,
you need to be razor sharp in your knowledge of your profession."
-- Anonymous
"Being able to write ... whether analytical or thoughtful ... you
have to convey your thoughts in written form [and skills with]
computers give you an edge with different generations."
-- 2001 general-business major
"Coursework will never directly correlate to what you do. The best
education you can receive as an undergrad is learning about yourself,
your likes and dislikes, who you are and who you would like to
become. Everything else in a job can be learned."
-- 1998 English grad
"My coursework prepared me some for the work I am doing. My most
useful tool, however, has been my knowledge of computers. That's
something I learned through experience and not coursework."
-- Jo Smith, substitute instructor, Murray State College, 2001
psychology grad from the University of Oklahoma
"I wish my "Computers in Business" course was more robust. Focusing
simply on the Microsoft Office suite and one statistical analysis
program just doesn't cut it."
-- 2002 marketing and Japanese grad
"My education has no correlation to the work I am performing. I wish
I had majored in something that is marketable and could enable me to
find work that I enjoy."
-- Anonymous
"College was a total waste of time and money. Computer courses are
bordering on obsolete by graduation. There were not nearly enough
computer courses in my degree program. I gained no skills to get me a
job."
-- 2003 computer information systems grad
"My coursework prepared me well, but I would say there were some
things that I did not know. There are some courses that I wish my
college offered because that is what some of the employers are
looking for."
-- 2003 electronic engineering technology grad
"[My coursework] helped me only in the sense that it caused me to
think analytically and to be critical of what I'm exposed to. The
actual material has almost nothing to do with what I'm doing now or
interested in."
-- 2002 anthropology grad
"I took a management-consulting course that was invaluable. Not only
did it give me a chance to hone my analytical skills, but it gave me
a great deal of insight and practice in creating and delivering
presentations."
-- Anonymous
"[My coursework prepared me] extremely well. The Regent University
curriculum for the MA in organizational leadership is incredibly
practical, and it helped me tremendously to set up my own business --
and to utilize my knowledge and expertise in my client organizations.
It's been a real value-added experience!
-- Mario Teixeira, director, SolutionFinders, 2002, MA grad in
organizational leadership from Regent University
"I felt prepared, but many of the skills are developed and honed once
you get here. My college program could have left some courses out and
replaced them with more relevant ones."
-- 2002 English education grad
"You learn 10 percent at college and 90 percent in the work force."
-- 2003 grad
"I have had all the training, but cannot find a position in which I
can use that knowledge."
-- Anonymous
"In the education field, I feel you are thrown out to sink or swim.
You are on your own, but you will be judged as if you have been in
the career for years."
-- teacher, 1999 education grad
"I found most of the courses that I have taken in the past to be very
theoretical and not very realistic. My advice is to learn more from
companies and take on projects in the industry that you want to get
into."
-- Anonymous
"I do not plan to go to grad school. The reason is simply because I
find that I have learned more on my job in the last seven months than
what I have learned in all my five years of education. I find that
work is a bit different from school -- being able to do well in
projects does not directly translate into success at work. The rules
are different."
-- Anonymous
"I learned tremendously about job-hunting prior to graduation because
I was involved with a co-op program at my university. It has helped
me to look into the challenge of competing with other candidates for
different positions, resume-writing, and really polishing up on
research in order to get your foot in the door. Salary negotiation
was a bit harder as generally most people I knew simply took on any
positions to gain the experience first rather than negotiating for
salary up front. This is an area that I wished I had learned more
about."
-- Anonymous
