It's a fair point, and I agree we need to find a place for other academic pursuits as well. I think the problem is we have been giving students the impression t

It's a fair point, and I agree we need to find a place for other academic pursuits as well. I think the problem is we have been giving students the impression that any degree is worth getting, and that simply isn't true. A bachelors in English from a liberal arts school is worth nothing. Now if you want to extend that and do post-grad work, then you are actually making an effort to persue a career in a field (probably academia). But too many just do the undergrad and then expect a job.