<p>My parents are concerned that I might be throwing away those thousands of dollars they've paid so far for my education. They want me to pick a "practical major" and start taking classes that are "useful." </p>
<p>My dad is an engineer and my mom is an accountant... both of their majors were pre-professional and targeted at getting a job after 4 years in college. </p>
<p>However, I'm planning on majoring in Political Science. It's not practical since it's not a pre-professional major, and there's no such thing as a useful class seeing how "International Relations" or "Comparative Politics" isn't going to land me a job or good internship. </p>
<p>They're afraid that if I major in Political Science, it will be a dead-end major with bad job prospects or no job at all. They hope that I will pursue something useful and professional like Law afterward, which I am considering among other careers. But at the same time, they want me to take classes in business, finance, accounting, etc... classes that I don't have that much interest in and I found it difficult to grasp economics (my college only has business-economics as a major)... they even made me apply to a paid finance internship, which I landed and will be doing this summer. They think that nonpaid internships (which is what most poli sci majors are doing) are not worth it and are "crap." </p>
<p>Any advice on this situation? Thanks</p>
<p>By the way, what are my career prospects in the international business field if I decide not to major in business-economics?</p>
<p>The career track in international business is often not direct. This is a big field and people can be successful in different areas that require different skills and aptitudes so it's impossible to generalize. Having said that I would say that the key and constant ingredients are good communication skills (both oral and written) and good analytical skills. As long as your undergraduate education prepares you in those two areas, it doesn't matter what you major in.</p>
<p>Forcing yourself to take classes in areas that are antithetical to your interests and aptitudes may, in fact, have a contrary effect. If you're not inclined toward finance or economics you're not going to do well in those classes (believe me, I know) and your GPA will suffer. You definitely don't need them for law school. For an MBA you'd better have some business/finance aptitude, but it's still early to be worrying too much as it's best to get some on-hand business experience before going back for your masters. By then you'll know what's right for you.</p>
<p>I'm sure it's hard to explain all this to your parents -- or to understand it yourself -- as the world of work is hard to grasp. People stumble into wonderful careers by so many paths that there really is no surefire best approach. My best advice is enjoy your undergraduate career. Take the most challenging and interesting courses in a wide range of disciplines. Concentrate on learning how to write, how to speak, how to think. If you're sure you want to go international work on your language skills.</p>
<p>Political science is fascinating field and can lead to several career paths. International business, as I said, is multifaceted -- it doesn't have to be finance driven. Think about manufacturing, advertising, services, education. There are so many companies operating in globally, that it's hard to characterize. In addition there's the public sector which includes both government jobs and NGOs. </p>
<p>My advice is for you to get close to the career counseling department of your college and find out what people really do in the real world. I'll bet you find some very successful polysci grads in a variety of professions. (You are in college, right?)</p>
<p>My own story: I majored in Art History and have been involved in international business (quite lucratively) for 30 years. I wouldn't trade that art history degree for all the decimal points in China!</p>
<p>KFC -- I had similar parents. They said no to teaching or writing -- my first choices, and sent me to nursing school. I ended up taking a long way 'round to becoming a free-lance writer and piano teacher.</p>
<p>The good thing is that, because of my experience, I was determined that my kids would be allowed to do whatever they want. My H is an engineer, so we had lots of talks about what is practical. First S was interested in economics, poly-sci, international business .... majored in economics, with a strong poli-sci bent. I googled a list of jobs for kids with econ degrees and showed my H. We discussed things like law school, which also appealed to H's practical side. In the end, S had a great econ internship in DC, and several job offers after graduation. He begins work as an economist on Monday, and says he is hoping to work a couple years and figure out what direction he wants to take with it.</p>
<p>And second S is in music -- an even scarier degree.</p>
<p>Are you in college already? If so, which one? Because many schools have a page on their website where recent grads got jobs. Look at your college's poly-sci webpage and see if they have one. Or International Business.</p>
<p>If you are interested in international business, then pick a region of the world that you want to focus on, and also study a language intensively. Either double major or minor in your chosen language. Choose a language that is not that widely known/spoken by US citizens -- that is, the more unusual it is for an American to be proficient in X language, the better the job opportunities (provided that X language is not <em>too</em> obscure). If you are already fluent or near fluent in a 2nd language, then master a third. Language fluency will be your ticket to employment later on -- it is the most "practical" thing you can learn, and in a sense far more practical in getting employment than your parent's professions, because it can be parlayed into employment in a variety of contexts (business, government, education, travel, etc.)</p>
<p>As others have pointed out...sometimes college majors do NOT correlate with careers or even success at careers once the student graduates. DS is a music major who will hopes to earn a living performing in some way. However, we fully support his choice of major because it is his passion, and it will bode him well in the future when/if he goes to graduate school. While it may seem impractical, the reality is that some of these majors take significant discipline and future employers and grad schools consider that. AND personally, I feel that the time to explore your interests is in college. Just for the record, DD is undecided (as a hs rising senior) about her college major. Some would say "why are you going to waste money when she doesn't know what she wants to do?" Well...we are not wasting money...we are providing her with the opportunity to explore and learn. These (as they say in the commercials) are PRICELESS.</p>
<p>kfc4u - Thank you for the excellent question which describes the dilemma about practical majors facing many students (including my son).</p>
<p>Momrath - Thank you for the thoughtful and heartfelt answer that only a graduate of the "School of Hard Knocks" could give. I e-mailed a copy of the question and your reply to my son for his later musings.</p>
<p>KFC
Our son was a political science major. He used it immediately upon graduation by heading to Washington DC and landing several jobs in government. (1996) Today he serves as a spokesman for the President of The United States for the southern states. He never regreted one minute having this major, and has been offered several very wonderful jobs in the private sector when he leaves public service.
There is a life after college with this major!</p>
<p>It's hard to know what will "convince" your parents. But I have seen their approach backfire. The very intelligent, highly motivated, general all-around-great person S of a friend of mine had this story:</p>
<p>He was strong in science and math and was channeled into Engineering for his college career. He went to a well-respected tech institute and did very well. Graduated with his Engineering degree with absolutely NO interest in a career in that area. He flailed around for several years. He is now a commercial pilot, but that, too, does not float his boat.</p>
<p>I understand parents' desire not to "waste" their college tuition $. And being married to an Engineer, I realize what their definition of "waste" is. But I have been able to convince my husband, through sharing such cases as the above, that it is counterproductive to steer someone into a direction they don't want to go.</p>
<p>You may be the person who brings peace to the Middle East, if you follow your heart and mind. Maybe your parents wouldn't consider that a waste?</p>
<p><em>Argues against herself</em> H, as stated above, is an Engineer. But the latter portion of his career was really as an international businessman with an engineering background. If you are thinking of an international business career, you might combine your Poli Sci major with some business classes that might interest you (marketing, organizational behavior, international business, globalization). Not necessarily a minor in business as that might require just the type of classes you don't want, but - in effect- fashioning your own "minor." You might like it and it might damp down your parents worries.</p>
<p>I will toss in the opposite situation. I majored in International Relations in college and now regret it. I never used the degree. At all. Ever. I did it because of peer pressure. At the time, the group of friends I was running with were into politics, law, etc and I let myself get caught up in it. I did well and enjoyed many of the engineering classes that I took. Now that I am older and wiser, I wish I would have majored in some type of engineering. I realize now that math and science were more my thing, but I just didn't know it. I wish back then we would have had access to many of the personality and job preference tests that you can take today to determine your strengths/weaknesses and likes/dislikes. My advice is to major in what you like or enjoy and the rest will take care of itself. Find out if you are a left brain or a right brain type of person and jump into the major you will enjoy the most regardless of what others think or say. If you enjoy what you are studying, then the jobs and fulfillment will follow.</p>
<ul>
<li> listen politely to your parents. Don't argue. Let them THINK you agree if that means less hassle.</li>
<li> Once you are safely off to a uni, remember to not sign any of the forms that allow your parents to receive grades and other info.<br></li>
<li> keep in mind that YOU pick what classes you take, not your parents. And, speaking from experience, they will not know unless you tell them.</li>
</ul>
<p>We parents have a tough time letting go, and allowing our kids to learn the same way we did. I'm sure your parents are well intentioned, but keep in mind that their knowledge is a bit out of date, and they probably don't know it, and certainly don't want to be reminded of it. So avoid a confrontation, keep your options open, listen politely to all the advice you will be receiving, and plan YOUR life.</p>
<p>Once you actually start college, you'll have all the flexibility you can handle, perhaps even more.</p>
<p>Agree with Newmassdad 100%, BUT, listen to Jmmom - throw in a few of those business classes as well. I'm not sure that accounting is much help unless you are going to be an accountant, but those finance classes may be important, statistics as well to someone interested in government/public policy/international affairs. As my gov/econ teacher used to say way back in the Dark Ages - it is always all about money. Doesn't hurt to know something about money, then, as Newmassdad indicates, you can always tell your folks what you learned in those classes.</p>
<p>I, too, struggled a bit with my parents over choosing a practical vs liberal arts major. Initially I enetered college as an undeclared engineering major but before the end of the first semester knew I'd be miserable as an engineer. Ultimately I graduated as a history major. My dad has a bs in engineering and an MBA and my mom has a bs in math and a degree in nursing. They initally were very skeptical of the switch and tried to persuaded me initially to minor in math or economics (my school didn't have a business major or courses per se). Cal 3 was the first course they wanted me to take and then they switched to intro to macro/micro once they realized cal 3 was a lost cause. I did take intro to micro and actually did extremely well in the course but found the material very dull. My parents are very supportive now of my career plan to become a historian. I would just be patient with your parents and pursue your interests. See where they take you.</p>
<p>If you're really serious about political science, you should get a solid understanding of economics and finance.</p>
<p>For better or worse, MONEY is a huge driving force in politics--campaign contributions, government fiscal and monetary policy, corruption, etc.</p>
<p>Roughly 1/3 of our Gross National Product is government spending! Government is deeply entwined in the economy in countless ways. Virtually every conceivable government policy has an economic impact.</p>
<p>I'm sorry your initial introduction to economics classes was uninspiring--unfortunately there are some dull classes out there. </p>
<p>My suggestion: see if you can borrow Timothy Taylor's economics audio course (Teaching Company) from a public library. Also check out Charles Wheelan's book, "Naked Economics." (It sounds x-rated, but is actually full of serious economics presented in a light-hearted and accessible way--complete with foreword by Princeton economics professor Burton Malkiel.)</p>
<p>I also agree that language classes can be a great asset for a political science major. A friend who double-majored in political science and Spanish wound up in a multi-national pharmaceutical corporation--the company had to deal with complex government regulations all over the world.</p>
<p>Political science can be an eminently practical major if you pick up the appropriate courses to support it (economics, finance, languages.)</p>
<p>With the government accounting for 1/3 of the economy directly, that means that a good chunk of employment in our society is either in government jobs OR in companies that sell to the government OR in companies that are regulated by the government and need to deal with compliance issues.</p>
<p>Newmassdad, cangel, homeschoolmom, seem to favor lying and deceiving your parents while you take their money for your education. Remember not all learning is in the classroom. Issues of integrity and character are often learned outside a textbook. I recommend you be honest and forthright with parents and tell them the course you have chosen, that you believe will bring you happiness, and what you define as success. Then, they choose to fund your education- or not. You have the right to choose what you want, they have the right to fund it or not. There's nothing wrong with planning your life and living your dream- unless you trick someone else into paying for it.</p>
<p>You are a wise person, younghoss, and I very much agree with you. Parents often have very misguided ideas about college majors and future jobs. My mother had a FIT when I switched from biology to chemistry because she was convinced that only bio majors got into med school. Then when I graduated med school, she told me she was disappointed in me for not going into surgery. She's not whining 22 years later now that I'm a cardiologist. </p>
<p>For the OP: The correlation of college major with future job is actually quite poor...thus, the concept of the liberal arts major. My med school roommate had a BA in philosophy, and MM in performance, then went to med school. Do what you want! You're a smart young person, and you'll be fine!</p>
<p>Being straight with the parents is the only winning way to go. They have legitimate concerns for the OP's welfare; they need honest communication. It is up to the OP to approach or respond to them both with the importance of following one's inclinations, and with the many possible earning paths for a poli sci undergrad major. The undergrad major in itself is not the end of the story. Combined with other minors, majors, grad work, and/or life experience, it can be harnessed for success in many endeavors. This is a great opportunity for the OP to educate the parents on this, and for the lines of communication to open, not close.</p>
<p>Younghoss, you are exactly right, and you are not. Also, I suspect, that the truth of the OP's situation is somewhat different than "his side of the story", which was posted.
The one thing that I did not completely agree with Newmassdad about, is not allowing parents to see which courses are taken. The original poster has to A) Live with his parents, and B) listen respectfully to their advice.
What he does not have to do is to take their advice, completely as it was portrayed. First of all, most parents genuinely want to advise their college age children, not run their lives, BUT, that advice is often construed by the 18 year old as "telling me what to major in". If you read carefully what I said, some of the finance/money courses are probably a good idea for him to take - he should take those and emphasize those courses to his parents.
It is pretty unrealistic, and pretty stupid, to say this is what I'm going to do, you (parents) choose to not fund my education if you wish. OP probably can't fund his education on his own, his parents probably don't want him to fund his education on his own, they are concerned he will have a job when he gets out. I'd be a little concerned as well, if my child wanted to do international relations and had trouble grasping economics, because trade underpins international relations.
Getting his parents to understand his career goals, and buy into them is an ongoping process, and he has to live with his parents while he goes through the process, so that means give a little here, preserve your autonomy over there.</p>
<p>OP might go a long way toward winning his parents over, by visiting the career center, taking some aptitude tests, etc. Poli sci may well be his thing, but if he is "numbers challenged", he might want to look at foreign languages, campaigning/marketing, some other aspect of poli sci that is further from econ. If he comes to them with a plan for adapted to his identified strengths, they may still suggest he take some econ/finance classes (often it is those "hard to grasp" classes that do us the most good), but I bet they will bless his ultimate major.</p>
<p>All parents whine about their child's major. Trust me. I got some garbage for engineering, then some more when I took on a second major, but that did not compare to what I got when I started law school. :)</p>
<p>That all said, I would advise some practical courses (like MathCad) and the foreign languages. Great idea. Beware of just doing a major because it seems like fun... I know a lot of poli sci majors who liked it, and now they are in law school becuase "What else can I do with my major?" IMO, that's a recipe for a miserable legal career. Think about what kind of life you want, and how important a good salary is. It's hard to realize, but you've been brought up a certain way, and may need to adjust your expectations of your standard of living. </p>
<p>As always, my usual line: find what you like, and find out how to make it pay. Chemists make about $30k/year when they graduate; chemical engineers make about $54k/year. International relations can be used for immigration law (not much money there) or international banking. You can use languages for the FBI or as a high school teacher. </p>
<p>You and your parents are overdue for a talk. I think they are concerned that you will graduate and not be employed (which, given what I've seen of recent grads, is a very real concern). It's your job to demonstrate that you can have a solid, rewarding career without a professional degree.</p>
<p>If younghoss believes that listening to other views without an argument and then making one's own decison is lying, cheating and deception, then, yes in his eyes, guilty.</p>
<p>Methinks rather that younghoss may have a view of the world that is rather black and white. Maybe he'll see the shades of grey someday. Maybe he'll see the value of telling a spouse that the new outfit is "nice" even though one doesn't really think that? The art of respectful listening, even when one does not agree, is an important one. The art of choosing one's battles is also an important one.</p>
<p>Few of the things discussed in this thread are searches for truth, and it is sad when someone (naively?) thinks they are.</p>
<p>As a parent, my "understanding" with my daughter is that I pay for a good part of her education, and she does well in school. We discuss where she wants to go course wise and career wise, but I do not, indeed cannot, dictate or tell her what to do when. Indeed, I don't know the answer, nor does she, yet.</p>
<p>Yes, some parents, perhaps the OP's even, may take a stronger approach. That does not mean they are correct, and it does not mean their kid is bound to take their advice.</p>