[gloob]

1. Your college major doesn't determine your career. That's a flat-out myth.

This is one assertion I see an awful lot here that rather bothers me. You cannot become a medical doctor without the proper degrees. You cannot become a teacher (where I live, at least) without the proper degree (it's not technically required, but no employer will come within a hundred yards of you if you don't have it). You can't become a whole pile of potentially-interesting, reasonably-well-paying things without the correct degree. You can program without a degree, but the notion that there is therefore no connection between getting a degree and success in your chosen career path is ridiculous.

[allenp]

I think what is important here is that the degree gives the potential for a certain career field - but does not guarantee a job in that field (and does not mean you are stuck in that field if you later decide you hate it).

One thing you might consider is that relevant work experience goes just as far for getting on a trajectory as the education. Trying to be hired as a teacher might be just as hard with an education degree if all you've done is worked on oil rigs as it would be if you had worked in a childrens museum for five years but had no formal degree.