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Actually, my roommate who is pursuing a Political Science degree was given the same promise at a radio station he writes and edits for. Once he graduates, he'll be taken on with a fantastic salary and benefits package.

Not to sound insulting, but you come across as very naive. You make it sound like you truly believe IT is some safezone when it comes to employment and a future... but you do see it coming, right? You do notice that wages are dropping across the board and to remain competitive, all companies will have to follow suit eventually. What will you do when programming becomes factory work that is outsourced like virtually all production? Programmers, even good ones, are not safe.