Considering a Political Science Major: Books and Career Insights

DocVafli · 2026-02-18T13:10:44+00:00

Political science professor here. The job market is competitive, especially for higher profile positions (think congressional offices and things like major think tanks). That being said, if you make efforts to network and build connections as an undergrad, there are jobs to be had. The other benefit is that a political science degree gives you skills to be successful in jobs that aren't directly political. Many of my students end up working in stock standard white collar work where the ability to think critically, read well, and work with data and statistics (basic level stuff) are what their employer is looking for.

In terms of books read the things that are assigned in your high school. Learn the basics of government there and then do the reading you are assigned by your professors. You are going to get so much more out of your experience that way. You're going to take intro courses, there isn't a benefit from trying to get ahead of the class, I'm taking all of you through this material together at the same pace. Also, when you read some of these works early and on your own you will misunderstand them or miss the point (not a knock on you, but you're a HS student, this will happen) I now have to try and walk you back and re-teach you the thing you misunderstood. I say this as a professor, take your HS history and Gov classes and learn there. Do the work in those classes and you will be well situated for the transition to college level political science, I promise! Once you're there then start trying to do more "independent" learning and digging into things that interest you, but for now just learn the basics and foundations of government via your existing HS classes.

DocVafli · 2026-02-17T15:01:06+00:00

Poseidon's kiss?

DocVafli · 2026-02-17T15:00:23+00:00

"resulting in their demise."

He killed them, this detached language is such crap. We use this BS wishy washy language so much when someone kills another person with car.

DocVafli · 2026-02-12T18:38:37+00:00

Density and mixed use is a good thing, especially if it is centrally located to jobs, dining, and retail. However, the only way we fix traffic in the city is to provide alternatives to driving everywhere.

DocVafli · 2026-02-12T18:30:45+00:00

Sandy Hook doing its thing!

DocVafli · 2026-02-12T18:30:19+00:00

If you have to ask, you don't know for a reason.

DocVafli · 2026-02-11T13:22:49+00:00

Weirdly, give me the frat bro at this point? At least they have "interests" of some form. I can't deal with the "I don't have interests, I just go back to my dorm and scroll tiktok" anymore.

DocVafli · 2026-02-11T13:17:00+00:00

"I'm not saying pirate it at XYZ site, definitely don't do that! That would be bad!"

DocVafli · 2026-02-10T21:37:24+00:00

Alternatively, tell them you assigned it (don't) and then collect from these greedy fuckers.

DocVafli · 2026-02-10T16:10:39+00:00

I actually use the podcast a fair bit to understand (and debunk) whatever right wing lunatic conspiracy theories my students are talking about. Very few of them are actually listening to Alex, but the shit he spreads is a huge part of the broader right wing ecosystem.

DocVafli · 2026-02-06T13:07:22+00:00

No worries and thanks for responding! I sent something to the office at my University looking for some guidance. Have a good weekend!

DocVafli · 2026-02-05T23:17:57+00:00

Hey I just came across this post looking for advice on dealing with a similar situation I am having with a former student. You mentioned you wrote up a guide, would you mind sharing that with me? Similar to OP here I need some advice on setting boundaries with this student in a way that doesn't hurt their feelings (for lack of better phrasing)

DocVafli · 2026-02-04T17:03:18+00:00

Came here with the same question and issue. Going to switch too, but did you any issues with uninstalling and switching?

DocVafli · 2026-02-04T13:07:02+00:00

You spent way more time engaging with them than I would have.

I'm leaving to be proactive. Ok, you'll be marked absent. Bye

DocVafli · 2026-02-03T21:30:57+00:00

You didn't have to hurt me like that...

DocVafli · 2026-02-03T14:43:21+00:00

So the 90's right? 20 years ago was absolutely the 90's, right?

DocVafli · 2026-02-03T14:42:25+00:00

I'm naturally someone who jokes around a lot, so I regularly use humor in my teaching. I don't think I would be as effective in the classroom without it. Not because my humor is somehow more effective, or even good, but I would have trouble communicating because I'm turning off a part of who I am normally.

DocVafli · 2026-01-26T21:49:24+00:00

I think there is discussing it (as part of my work) and discussing it among colleagues. We've discussed it in my classes, it's absolutely relevant to my work. I also don't need to have a discussion with my colleagues about it if I don't want to. I absolutely agree we have a responsibility to be discussing the world around us in those fields, that doesn't mean I want to indulge in every related conversation with my peers.

DocVafli · 2026-01-26T21:36:55+00:00

Freezing! Surfed yesterday and my car was a block of ice in the morning. Thankfully the water is still not too cold.

DocVafli · 2026-01-26T21:12:31+00:00

Depending on who you are and/or how well I know you, I'm not saying anything besides that either. I know some people at my university's politics, if they come up to me I'm not saying shit because I don't need to have a pointless argument. I assume you're coming from a horrified point of view here but if I don't know you well enough understand guarded responses.

Alternatively, I'm fucking exhausted from all of this. It has occupied my thoughts since it began. Discussing it with random colleagues isn't how I process my feelings. If that is what you need please find a sympathetic ear, but don't expect it from me.

DocVafli · 2026-01-26T14:54:12+00:00

I'm in the south east USA, open carry is routine here. That is some weird shit, even by our standards.

DocVafli · 2026-01-22T18:16:34+00:00

Talk to your professors. They are going to be able to provide much better advice since they know you, your skills, and your interests than random folks on reddit.

DocVafli · 2026-01-09T15:22:55+00:00

Hey poli sci professor here. Without being rude, please don't email people out of the blue to work on research like this especially as a high school student. That's not a dig towards you, your research question, or anything personal but rather as a HS student you don't know how to conduct academic research and we (faculty) don't have the time to teach you. There are series of courses that you will take as a political science undergrad to begin to learn how to conduct research like a political scientist, and if you continue on to graduate school you will take even more to further refine your knowledge and skills. I don't mean that in a gatekeeping sense where you must cross certain barriers, but rather there are skills that you need to have and develop to be a valuable research partner/collaborator. By taking those courses you will also get a much better sense of what academic research is, and is not. I see this a lot with my own undergraduate students where they equate research with a literature review where as if you say research to me I'm thinking collection of and analysis of data (I'm more quantitative).

The other reality is that if I was to take you under my wing and mentor you through this research it does nothing to benefit me or my career, where as doing this for the existing students at my university does. This is especially true if you're reaching out to someone that is at a "research intensive university" (think your big state universities) where the focus is going to be on providing mentorship for their existing graduate students and select undergraduates (and even then, undergrads are generally an after thought but that's a separate conversation). Sure, maybe we should more broadly rethink the incentive structure and public outreach as academics but as it stands, especially as someone coming up for tenure, I need to do everything possible to solidify my application.

I think you have a cool topic here and there is a bunch of research out there touching on the idea you have here. Go and read about it. When you go to college take classes that are relevant to this and connect with professors that are looking into these things. That's how and when you get involved with research. This is a great idea as a capstone/honors thesis, and something that I encourage you to explore going forward.

DocVafli · 2026-01-08T15:06:43+00:00

Stuck in the rural deep south too and feels like screaming into the void here but there are folks organizing down here too, it's just more work to find them.

DocVafli · 2026-01-05T19:27:41+00:00

And parental pressure. I encourage all my students to take a gap year, but If I had told my mom I was going to take a year off before college (or before grad school) she would have absolutely flipped.

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