Dakota Wesleyan University

Date: Jul 03 2017
Major: Music - Performance (This Major's Salary over time)
In all honesty, Dakota Wesleyan was a wonderful school to attend to get my degree. The staff in my department were great at what they do, and the administration, while they sometimes played favoritism to the athletics departments over everything else, were honestly I think at least trying in earnest to grow everything about the school. I majored in music, for instance, and when I started, the program was almost non-existent. By the time I graduated we had already grown immensely.

That being said, my degree has not helped me, and I received very little advice for the future (what little I did came from 3 professors, and I sadly disregarded much of it, both the sound advice, and crap advice). Since graduating 4 years ago I've been unable to land anything with any sort of livable wage, that wasn't soul crushing retail work (which I could have gotten without the degree). The one job I've had that is even remotely related to my degree (radio) would not have required the degree, and I've been incapable of making barely over minimum wage, or be given full time, benefited, status. To add insult to injury, my employers I believe are lying to many of their lower ranking staff (including myself), but that's obviously a totally different matter for a different forum.

I believe I could have been served better by the college, both as a student, and as a graduate. I believe it would have been better had they tried to at least push me to take a second minor in a more in demand field than my major (music) or my minor (history), and I also think that the Alumni Relations department could be more helpful. Instead of demanding that Phone-A-Thon call recent alumni demanding donations, they could maybe, you know… find out how their alumni are actually doing, and if they're struggling, maybe help them make connections with other more successful alumni, who may be able to offer them better paying work (or at least give them better advice than the school gave). I will also say - the school's a bit pricey for South Dakota standards, although it's cheaper than schools in some other states (obviously… California comes to mind on that one).

As for what I would recommend to high school juniors and seniors, or junior college transfer students (like I once was), I would still highly recommend this university, but I would do so knowing that you should seek outside advice (don't buy everything the paid yes-men that work in career services or other parts of the school tell you), and at an age where you can make better decisions than I have made, just so you don't hurt your chances for a great future.

And I only pray to God my life gets better, because I'm pretty miserable having a degree that has pigeonholed me into a low wage Hell!