<p>Agree with thumper & momofthree. My D is living on her own on Starbucks wages, not that she is thrilled with that fact (she certainly wants a job that pays more). She would not even consider coming home, though … she has always wanted to be on her own, and she will live on less in order to do that. The career will work out. She is a smart, accomplished young woman who will find her own way in the world.</p>
<p>I also agree with this statement: We should feel more sorry for the kids that are unhappy because they aren’t living a lifestyle that we, their parents, took decades to achieve. Why? Because those who are unhappy that they don’t have what their parents have … what it took them years to obtain … are going to stay unhappy for a long time. The kids who understand that it DID take years of hard work for Mom & Dad to get where they are now don’t expect to have it all now … and are less likely to be unhappy that it’s not there for them “right now.”</p>
<p>I see the point now. Once again, it is a matter of expectations. Kids with high expectations are the ones we should feel sorry for, while cherish those with low expectations.</p>
<p>^ If I’m not mistaken, IP, your son is 9. Is there a MiddleSchool or ElementarySchool Connection out there that you may be interested in joining?</p>
<p>NO…you don’t see the point now. You just take the most recent response and twist it to suit yourself. If that is your opinion…fine. </p>
<p>I think folks here are clearly saying…there is no reason to feel sorry for ANYONE. If you want to feel sorry for someone…go right ahead but stop projecting your ideas onto others.</p>
<p>This is more performing arts oriented, but. . .I just spent a high school internship luncheon talking to a guy (late 30s) whose majored in psychobiology (combo of psychology & biology) but whose passion was theater from the time he was a kid. Never really worked in his major, eventually financial analyst type gig at MCI, then moved back to Calif. for family reasons. Has been working at large HMO in health education – taking dramatic productions into schools to teach about puberty, HIV, and all manner of other health related stuff. Others write the scripts. Staff just has to be able to act credibly younger, then answer questions later in a way that respects the questioner. His acting portfolio is long enough to have an Actors Equity card; my impression was that he has had it for a long time, and his dream is to start his own acting company in a few years. The HMO, although non-profit, pays well and does not have the type of (low, low) pay scale that one normally associates with non-profits.</p>
<p>He was courted for this job for two years, not the other way around. His message was to push the boundaries of one’s own comfort zone, unlike his sister who had stayed in the 'hood and not grown and challenged herself.</p>
<p>And remind your grads: Large corps may have <em>creative</em> jobs beyond what you normally associate with their mission.</p>
<p>DD graduated this May and has 2 of her 3 jobs in her major (Vocal Performance) and then one that pays the rent while she is still developing. Not same kind of art but related. Hard? yes. But she is supporting herself with just a little help from us - we keep her cell phone on our plan, and pay the car insurance in our policy since both are cheaper. She has a roommate even though she wanted to live on her own. But I am proud of what she is doing and she is pursuing her art.</p>
<p>“I grew up with a Dad who said do what makes you happy. If you want to be a bricklayer then be a bricklayer. I work in Social Services, I was told countless times that I would not ever make much money. Do I regret choosing this career, not in the least. I wish I made more but I love what I do.”</p>
<p>I hope I have been able to deliver this same message to my son who leaves for college in less than two weeks. Thank you for sharing this.</p>
<p>My friend’s D just graduated with an arts degree and has an arts job, and is living on her own. She also just got her first commissioned illustration job. A friend of my D just graduated with a theatre degree and was cast in a national tour. Another of D’s theatre major friends graduated a year ago and is supporting himself as an actor and musician. They’re all in large east coast cities and managing to pay all their bills and doing what they love.</p>
<p>I see the point now. Once again, it is a matter of expectations. Kids with high expectations are the ones we should feel sorry for, while cherish those with low expectations</p>
<hr>
<p>Goodness, IP, it’s like you can read my mind. That’s exactly what I meant (not).</p>
<p>Well, sorting through the posts, it is heartening to see that a lot of fine arts grads are working in their fields (at least somewhat related, part-time or multiple jobs) and many are making enough to support themselves. </p>
<p>There is some truth (at least in our house) to the lower expectations at starting playing a role in the satisfaction level. Daughter has a friend who is a May graduate in a STEM field, from a top 50 school who has not found a job yet. No internships, not great GPA (above 3.0 and certainly not bad for the school it comes from), nothing but work study work on resume, yet is expecting what may not be a reasonable starting salary in this day and age and will be unhappy if starting below this. Daughter meanwhile, is quite realistic about the fact that while she (and mom) value the arts immensely, in many areas society as a whole does not and pay tends to reflect that, therefore her expectations are realistic. Doesn’t mean, in the long-term she won’t want/expect more, just that she knew the playing field going in and determined, for awhile at least, she would be willing to live on what she has a reasonable expectation of making. She’s a private school kid from 5k with exposure to experiences and friends from the lifestyle that goes along with that for many people, so it’s not a matter of low expectations because she has no reference point to start from, but more a, “this is the way it is right now” sense. </p>
<p>Goes without saying, she believes the arts (all forms) should be valued and compensated at a much higher level than they are currently. Did an undergraduate research project on cuts to the arts in education (and the short-sightedness of such) correlated to the economy. Was always annoyed that, even at her school, which won awards in the arts every year without fail, the arts were viewed more as a cool hobby, while the athletics garnered more attention and dollars, even though the school’s performance is/was not always as stellar on the field as it is/was in the studio. She knows it is unlikely to change (especially in the current climate) anytime soon, but that doesn’t stop her from voicing her opinion on the subject. Makes for some heated discussions with her STEM career friends, I must say. Even I, the mom, has been accused of not respecting the art, from time to time, and we won’t even go into the argument that can turn into (lol). </p>
<p>Glad to know, though at least as a job goes, she will probably be fine.</p>
<p>“Goes without saying, she believes the arts (all forms) should be valued and compensated at a much higher level than they are currently.”</p>
<p>Virtually all teachers believe they are underpaid.</p>
<p>And I believe that CEO compensation packages are absurd. </p>
<p>Great. But these realities are what they are. You and your daughter seem to have a reasonable attitude about this. Our beliefs regarding compensation levels are unlikely to change the world.</p>