<p>Would you be disappointed if you kid majored in liberal arts and ended up sort of floundering a little bit after they graduated?</p>
<p>My parents are blue collar people. My mom's a waitress and my dads a truck driver. Neither of them went to college. My mom wants me to be an engineer, lawyer, college professor, or one of the other stereotypically successful careers. She wants me to major in something thats very explicitly practical. I, however, have spent my whole life wanting to be a teacher and now that I'm older I could see myself working in education, government, social services, or something like that--basically all the jobs that will keep me nice and poor, lol. My mom has told me numerous times that "there is no money in teaching" or "history is not a good degree to get". I know she means well because she wants me to have more than she ever did, but it puts a tremendous amount of pressure on me.</p>
<p>I feel like if I go to college and dont come out of it having a successful career or at least good job prospects then I am failing them. I am paying for my own education with an academic scholarship and student loans, but I still feel like I need to make my parents proud. I also feel like its my responsibility to take care of them. They have nothing. They dont own a house or a car and they dont have any kind of retirement fund. I have even loaned my mom 6000 dollars in extra scholarship money that I had to help her pay the bills. Im scared for their future and I sort of feel like a parent that has 2 kids to take care of. I dont want them to be struggling as they get old and cant work as hard.</p>
<p>I'm sorry this post is so long. I just want to hear from some blue collar parents, or any parents for that matter. Im worried that Im going to graduate from college and not be able to provide for my family the way that they might think I will.</p>
<p>Major in something you love. H was a history major and you’d be surprised how often that becomes wildly important in the business world as history most definitely repeats itself and you can often learn a lot from other people’s mistakes. Also… what your parents may not know is that there are a lot of “poor” lawyers as well. Obviously, there’s the public defender to the county prosecutor - neither of whom are rolling in it.</p>
<p>Husband’s parents are blue collar. Mother worked as a school bus driver, his dad worked as a mechanic. Husband majored in German and then in journalism. His parents thought he’d never get a decent job. Even in horrible job markets, husband has never had problems getting jobs and has never been unemployed. He has worked as a journalist and as a college professor, and has made above the norm for those professions. He loves his work, and is happy. </p>
<p>So, my advice is major in what you love.</p>
<p>I also know lawyers who made less than H and I made as journalists. I also know plenty of lawyers and engineers who are very unhappy on their jobs. </p>
<p>“I also feel like its my responsibility to take care of them. They have nothing. They dont own a house or a car and they dont have any kind of retirement fund.”</p>
<p>It seems that instead of your parents trying to push you into fields that don’t interest you, they’d be better off attempting to get more education or vocational training for themselves so they’d be able to fully support themselves without relying on you. </p>
<p>It’s not your fault that your parents are living the way that they are. Seems they would be proud of you for doing so well with your life, including being willing and able to lend them money even though you’re a student.</p>
<p>I would compromise…and try to get both.
Major in what you love, but find some way to rack up big bucks. Play stocks, or just do your best to get to the top of the class and find a sick job.</p>
<p>I realize how you may feel, but you owe your parents…honestly. They worked hard to provide you with an education- least you could do is give back and take care of them.
I know you are trying hard, and this could be a life-altering dilemma for you, but just do your best!</p>
<p>You seem like a bright kid. You’ll find a way</p>
<p>As I mentioned in a previous thread, I have some experience working in college admissions and the situation the original poster is describing isn’t all that uncommon.
Often times “blue collar” parents will push their children to major in areas or focus on careers that they have heard are lucrative. This isn’t meant to insult your parents, but while they mean well they are probably not the best source for career advice.<br>
Beyond that, you would be amazed were a liberal arts degree can take you. Graduate schools love students with liberal arts backgrounds. Almost half of all MBA students earned bachelors degrees in the liberal arts. Liberal arts develops your communication skills, both written and oral, which is invaluable in the business community. You’ll find that many employers just want you to have the degree, they will teach you what you need to do to be successful in your job.
Also, while I know it isn’t a ton of money, my fiance is a school teacher in Atlanta and has a salary of just under $60k/yr (she does have a masters, which brings that number up). That’s not bad when you consider she has only been out of school for five years and that figure will increase when she completes her specialist degree in two years.
Do what you love and the money will come.</p>
<p>My parents are proud of me and they will always be proud of me, but I just dont want them to think that I could’ve done better. Its probably more of an issue of me feeling like Im going to disappoint them vs. them actually being disappointed in me. I dont know really. Also, my mom actually did get some vocational training to be a surgical technician. Strangely enough she makes more money being a waitress than she would working in a hospital.</p>
<p>You need to figure out what you want to do, and you need to figure out what it means to “do better.” I personally think that being successful is having a life that one finds to be fulfilling. I’d rather live in a modest home and enjoy a modest job and have time to see my family and friends and to have hobbies than to, for instance, be a doctor or lawyer working 60 hours a week, living in lavish surroundings, but hating my job and not having time to make friends or do other things that I enjoy.</p>
<p>See, northstarmom, I think that might be my problem. When I think of having a job where I earn lots of money, I dont think of all the lavish things I can buy myself. I think of the security and help I can give to my family. Thats why I have a hard time figuring out whats better. Im totally comfortable living modestly, but I feel like I need enough money to spread it to the people I love and make sure their okay. I’m probably putting way too much responsibilty on myself but its hard to convince myself to be selfish and just do what I want. It almost seems frivolous.</p>
<p>You may be able to do what you want and make a decent amount of money. You don’t have to be able to make money hand over fist to be able to help your parents. You could cut back on other things in your life to help them. For instance, instead of buying a house as big as you could afford, you could buy a smaller house. </p>
<p>I’m curious, though, why don’t your parents have any money or investments, not even a house? H’s parents – a dad who didn’t graduate from h.s., a mom who didn’t go beyond 7th grade – had very modest jobs, but managed to buy a house and help their 3 kids get educated beyond high school. His parents lived a very thrifty lifestyle and made plans for retirement so they are able to support themselves.</p>
<p>I’m wondering why your parents have no retirement and are having to borrow money from you. If they have been irresponsible, then maybe the best thing that you can do is put some money aside so as to be able to help them after they’re unable to work any more, something that may happen sooner to people in jobs like truck driver and waitress than would be the case for someone whose work didn’t require physical strength.</p>
<p>Yeah, I guess they have been irresponsible. Im not really sure. They used to own a house, but they lost it. We were really, really poor when I was growing up. I dont know why.</p>
<p>I know many teachers, having been the child of one, and they are all solidly middle-class with very good benefits. The younger teachers do have to be careful budgeting but are getting alot of their education paid for through grants, scholarships, loan forgiveness, etc. They have summers off to work other jobs or travel or take courses and generally have decent earning potential - especially if they continue to learn and move up. Some do move into administration and into 6-figure salaries. It’s certainly not for everyone, but I wouldn’t discard the idea for low earning potential! My parent’s pension was over 50% of final salary, with full medical benefits, and increased every year for cost of living allowances - in addition to Social Security. It would have required alot of savings to replace that and company pensions are not what they used to be…something to think about if you’re evaluating a career based on earning potential.</p>
<p>My mom was a teacher and she made very good money.</p>
<p>All the people I know who are teachers make good money once they find a position…and I can’t say that I know anyone with a teaching degree who doesn’t have a job. Even the one guy I know who doesn’t have a permanent position but is a substitute works almost every day. (He likes being a sub.)</p>
<p>I think that too many people concentrate on ‘where the money is’ when they’re thinking about/advising others about what fields to go in to. The reality is that you should do what YOU want…and aim for finding a solid job. I think that those who are trying to find a job that is going to make them wildly rich in no time flat are ALWAYS going to be disappointed and end up being the ones who struggle most. </p>
<p>Making a reasonable living at something you enjoy AND living frugally and spending your money wisely are the routes to financial well-being…not aiming your education at a ‘lucrative’ field that doesn’t interest you.</p>
<p>Why not start school undeclared and complete all your general ed requirements, see what inspires you, what brings out a feeling of passion, then pursue that area. Having a passion for an area will likely lead to greater success than just following the supposed money.</p>
<p>I get the impression that Op is not yet in college. At most colleges, esp lib arts, the first yr, and often the second yr are very general courses required of most students in most any major. This allow a student some time to think about his major without having wasted time or classes.
Prosperous is wonderful(I’m told), but satisfied and happy are terrific(that’s me). Each person needs their own balance.
If you become a self-supporting, happy, healthy, productive member of society as an adult then your parents will likely be proud. And if you choose to be a parent, If you can be a good one, they’ll be even more proud of you.</p>
<p>well…im actually going to be starting my 4th year of college in the fall. ive done all my gen eds and taken some really random electives to try and get a broad scope of things. at this point, all i have left to do is pick a major. im thinking of majoring in history and minoring in IT. I love history and Im actually really good with computers and math, although Im not a hardcore techie like some people. Ive been thinking that at some point I may be able to teach either history classes or computer classes. I could also be a technical writer, which might be cool.</p>