Comments on: Diversify Your Life http://www.youngandfrugal.com/2008/12/30/diversify-your-life/ Business and Personal Finance for Millennials Thu, 09 Feb 2012 02:56:39 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: ontrider http://www.youngandfrugal.com/2008/12/30/diversify-your-life/comment-page-1/#comment-1401 ontrider Sat, 03 Jan 2009 18:34:18 +0000 http://www.youngandfrugal.com/?p=174#comment-1401 I started out on that path and hated my classes so much I quit after a year and started over at another college. I suppose I could look at it as wasting a year, but I prefer to look at it as a different kind of learning experience (an expensive one) - but on the flipside, I have friends who finished 4-5 years and then decided they hated what they're doing... yikes. I started out on that path and hated my classes so much I quit after a year and started over at another college. I suppose I could look at it as wasting a year, but I prefer to look at it as a different kind of learning experience (an expensive one) – but on the flipside, I have friends who finished 4-5 years and then decided they hated what they’re doing… yikes.

]]> By: Mark http://www.youngandfrugal.com/2008/12/30/diversify-your-life/comment-page-1/#comment-1399 Mark Sat, 03 Jan 2009 00:46:14 +0000 http://www.youngandfrugal.com/?p=174#comment-1399 I couldn't agree more; I had a similar experience as you in school. I majored in Computer Science and Psychology -- with grand dreams of going into artificial intelligence -- but I did it at a small liberal arts school that just happened to have a top-notch CS professor heading the program. Differently than you, though, I surprised myself by loving my honors and liberal arts classes, and I "lowered" Psychology to a minor so that I could also take more education and English classes. That experience has paid off for me many times over both professionally and personally. I work in an IT department of 6000 and not to toot my own horn, but I achieved a leadership position in about six years. I mention it because most of the people in similar positions under the age of 40 also have liberal arts degrees. I find that they are typically more open minded, their diverse knowledge is very helpful for finding creative solutions, and can communicate and work with different types of people effectively as you mention. I'm not shortchanging those that specialize in a specific field and become experts. That is absolutely important also. But in today's ever-changing job market, diversification will do nothing but help the younger generations in and entering the workforce. I couldn’t agree more; I had a similar experience as you in school. I majored in Computer Science and Psychology — with grand dreams of going into artificial intelligence — but I did it at a small liberal arts school that just happened to have a top-notch CS professor heading the program. Differently than you, though, I surprised myself by loving my honors and liberal arts classes, and I “lowered” Psychology to a minor so that I could also take more education and English classes.

That experience has paid off for me many times over both professionally and personally. I work in an IT department of 6000 and not to toot my own horn, but I achieved a leadership position in about six years. I mention it because most of the people in similar positions under the age of 40 also have liberal arts degrees. I find that they are typically more open minded, their diverse knowledge is very helpful for finding creative solutions, and can communicate and work with different types of people effectively as you mention.

I’m not shortchanging those that specialize in a specific field and become experts. That is absolutely important also. But in today’s ever-changing job market, diversification will do nothing but help the younger generations in and entering the workforce.

]]>