I’m not sure if this is appropriate here or not.
I’m a junior this year and I realized that I want to major in geology. However, my dad will only let me major in business or engineering. That’s really it. Those two fields are pretty suffocating. I don’t really care about making a lot of money. I want to actually enjoy my job and my career. I want to see new places and work outdoors. The last thing I want is to be tied down to an office 9-5 like some corporate monkey even if I’m making six figures. Sorry for the rant, I’m just really frustrated right now.Any advice?
What does your dad do for a living?
Have you declared a major yet? I have certainly given my son suggestions on majors, based on what I perceived to be his strong points. However, he doesn’t listen to my suggestions, and I can’t make him major in what I think he’ll be best at. Can’t you just say no? Explain that this is your life. Maybe he’s right and you might end up regretting your decision, but it is your decision to make. That’s my best advice. Talk to him; not like a child seeking guidance, but as a capable young adult.
Are you a junior in college or junior in high school? It makes a difference.
To the OP…could you please clarify who is posting under this screen name? Some of your posts indicate you have a brother who is a junior in high school. Some posts indicate YOU are a junior in high school.
Which is it?
Worse come to worse, you could double major in business and geology. It would be hard work but he couldn’t stop you and you wouldn’t be breaking the conditions he requires to help pay for school. Look at some schools where double majoring is a smoother path.
Assuming you are a junior in high school, you have time to work this out with your parents. Geology has more involvement with engineering and business than your father (or you) may realize. You can’t drill a well, plan a mine, or analyze stream flow patterns without having engineers, or engineering principles, involved. And there’s definitely a business side to geology…though if business is not your thing you can avoid it.
Your conversations with your parents will go better if you avoid disparaging terms like “corporate monkey”. Start by learning what geologists really do–then you can calmly explain that the life of a field geologist (lots of time outdoors, opportunity for travel) really appeals to you while you’re young. Then you can acknowledge that as they get older, most geologists end up working indoors, analyzing data and determining where to drill or mine, whether the resource in question is oil, minerals, or water.
I believe this is the brother who is a junior in hs.
@MegaMetalHead it depends on the area of engineering or geology you pick on what makes sense. Not all engineers just sit in an office and not all geologist work in the field. But what you need to assume is if you pick geology you more likely than not need to plan on a masters. So you need to pick your undergrad with that cost in mind.
Civil engineering is one area that can have a big focus on geology. For example, my s is interested in engineering and geohydrology. He is not sure what he wants to major in yet. So he is starting out in a civil engineering curriculum but will take geology as his science electives. Once he figures out the best fit he will either be a water engineer or a geohydrologist. Both do the same type of field work. Or completely change his mind on everything once he is in college.
What is my point? You can meet you parents 1/2 way - look for a college which is strong in engineering and geology, start out in engineering, take some geology classes, and see how it plays out. Most if not all civil engineering degrees require a certain number of geology courses. And the course work requirements for both degrees do over lap (ex. Calc, physics, chemistry)
Also look at environmental engineering. A friend of mine works for EPA doing criminal investigation work. Time spent: 1/3 lab time, 1/3 field work, 1/3 writing reports or testifying in crim trials. She also travels abroad to train other countries’ in lab work set up and to international conferences.
Certainly you can do civil engineering and focus on geological aspects of it, as goldensrock said.
How would they know if you switched majors? Do they have access to your schedule and report cards?
@goldensrock so…are we responding about the brother…or the OP?
I like it best when posters tell it like it is, and don’t mix up stories.
I wonder if it’s less “they won’t let you major in” than “they won’t pay for you to major in.”
It might be they feel they could throw 50 or 100,000 at a geology degree and you’d continue to live at home. Whether or not that’s fair is a different discussion, but like any bank, the loan officer has to make the tough call.
We had some early discussions with DD about Return On Investment (ROI) - she was free to study anything she liked, but our support would be finite and variable according to
- her ability to be self sustaining after 4 years, and/or
- the overall value to humanity
I.E. had she chosen pre-med and intended to serve poor or rural areas, we’d be willing to reach a LOT deeper than for a degree in creative writing. (“if you want to write, join Dr’s Without Borders for a couple years and watch the ____ out of people. You’ll have more to write about after that than you’ll ever find time for.”
@ClarinetDad16 he’s a patent attorney
@Marian junior in hs
@thumper1 I know it’s confusing. We share the same account.
@turtletime I was considering that. Apparently at the U of Miami it is very doable.
" I don’t really care about making a lot of money" are you paying for your school or your dad?(who is spending the money to support you now?)
also it maybe very trendy for a college student to say they do not care about money but once you get into the real world reality will hit you.
@Pootie I realize that. Thank you. At the time I was writing this I was just so frustrated and I apologize for the offensive term. I have a lot of respect for business people. It’s just not something I can see myself doing.
@goldensrock that does sound appealing. Thanks for the help!
@rhandco yup my parents are pretty controlling. If I screwed up in college, like below a 3. They would probably take me out.
As a junior in HS, the best thing you can do is keep your options–and your mind–open. There are a variety of subjects you could major in in college that you have had little or no exposure to. Their are fields to work in that you haven’t heard of and jobs that don’t even exist yet. 
Try to position yourself so that you can major in geology if it continues to hold your interest, or switch to something else that prepares you for the kind of life and career you want if it does not. Getting into a head to head battle with your parents at this stage is not only unwise, but probably unnecessary. It’s not like you want to major in violin performance at a conservatory and your parents are demanding that you attend Georgia Tech.
The better your grades and stats, the more choice of schools you will have. I’d concentrate on that for now. Keep you options open.