Studying for a degree in Anthropology

[leahmarie]

I got my associates degree from a community college and took a semester at a university in Anthropology about four years ago as a junior.

I am 27 and found a university close to home that will allow me to finish my bachelors degree in Anthropology (about a hour and a half drive to the university).

My first concern is that when I attend this new university I will be 28 and terrified of going to a school when I will probably be the oldest in most of my classes...Is anyone in this situation?

And secondly, I have never been a "A" student. School has always been hard for me and I usually pull in "C" grades. I was tested for learning and it showed I take in all the information but have a hard time recalling the information for tests which means I have to study twice as hard as the average student...and I have never mastered the studying techniques.

Does anyone have a Anthropology degree or is currently taking Anthropology classes? What are the hardest Anthropology classes and is there a good way to pass Anthropology classes?

Any advice will help as I am very nervous...Thanks!

[Samwell]

I was nearly an anthropology major (settled on sociology) and took quite a few classes in the subject. It’s really like any other discipline in that a motivated student (that is, someone who truly enjoys the subject and takes an active interest in learning more about it) will do fine. An unmotivated student will find it hard to just “get by” when the work gets more advanced.

If you intend to make a career in anthropology it’ll mean more than a B.A. degree, which means a C average won’t cut it. If you’re just trying to finish any degree than it’s as good as anything else, I guess.


There’s no reason to worry about being the oldest in your class. You likely won’t be, and even if that is the case no one cares.

[DaneCA]

My sister was an anthropology major and I actually considered it, too, after taking a few great classes.

Unless you’re planning on furthering your education and getting a Master’s or a PhD, your grades really don’t mean much, besides personal satisfaction. I have never once had a possible employer ask about my grades; the fact that I graduated is enough.

The problem I see with anthropology isn’t that it will be too hard (because if you can get into the university, chances are you can handle the classes). It just seems to me that anthropology is a rather impractical major. If you want to become an anthropologist, great, but many people choose majors more for a general interest than for a specific job, and a degree in anthropology really isn’t something that will apply to many other lines of work. I’m not telling you to choose a different major if anthro really is what you’re interested in, but when I was considering anthro and another pretty specific major (comparative literature), I appreciated being advised to pick something more general. I guess it all depends on which job you want, though.

And as for being the oldest kid in class (possibly), I wouldn’t worry. My mom teaches at a university and her favorite students are the older ones, because they’re often more dedicated and motivated than the younger students. Plus, 27 is far from old! You most likely won’t look much older than the other students, and they’ll look up to you because you have more life experience.

[wordsmith]

Unless you’re planning on furthering your education and getting a Master’s or a PhD, your grades really don’t mean much, besides personal satisfaction. I have never once had a possible employer ask about my grades; the fact that I graduated is enough.

Huh, I actually HAVE had to provide transcripts, for most jobs I've taken, my current job in education included. Even though I've been out of school for a decade. Guess it just depends on the employer.

[sondra_finchley]

DaneCA is right- I got an anthro degree and was able to secure a job afterwards but that was 1999 and things were on the go. Anthro isnt that practical a major- its helpful and gives you a useful lens to capture and process information that perhaps others wouldnt see, but its not really helpful for getting a "real job". I had to go back and get an economics degree so I could "prove" I did indeed know math, databases, and computer programs in a fashion applicable to the real world.

My advice would be to either minor in Anthro and find a more applicable degree for your area and interests, or set yourself up now for the understanding that you will have to go to graduate school if you are serious about working in the field as a career. Applied anthro has uses outside of education and non profit work- for the other subdisciplines who knows if the funding will be there afterwards to support anthropological work where it is needed.

Dont worry about your age either- my bf is 28 and just reentered university here in the US. No one seems to care what his age is and hes probably got an advantage in that he isnt swayed easily by tech applications in class and sophomoric drama of the younger kids.