My younger son put undecided on all his applications for probable major because very little in his application suggested international relations and he wasn’t 100% sure anyway.
You really, really never know, even when you think you do. My D17 has wanted to be an entomologist since she was 3 and was fascinated by a line of ants marching on the sidewalk, and today I am cleaning one of her two “pet” praying mantis’s cages; she’s still all in. My D15 has no clue. She likes everything, but nothing enough to have that huge passion. We don’t know what will happen.
And then look back a generation at me: I thought I wanted to be a psychologist since I was in high school, majored in it in college, went to grad school, was working at a New York City college as a therapist until my younger daughter was born. Had a crisis of faith in the field shortly thereafter, and here I am, 15 years later, cleaning a praying mantis cage instead.
You really, really never know, even when you think you do.
Our son was absolutely certain, from 5th grade on, that he wanted to be a cinematographer. Entered a university short film contest under special conditions in 7th grade and took first place. Repeated the honor in 8th grade. Went off to boarding school in 9th and started a film society there. He knows as much about digital film production and camera technology as any pro. One week before starting junior year, he sits us down to tell us he’s applying to service academies. Our jaws hit the floor. Today, he’s studying electrical engineering and cyber security at West Point.* His future plans are to be a flag officer or business entrepreneur. Our kid has been all over the map but never directionless. We really have no idea where he’ll land but he’s having a good time figuring it all out.
I always wanted to be a ballerina or a hairdresser but real life got in the way.
(*WP requires students to declare their major at the end of freshman year.)
Eldest started as math/music major and then switched to international relations. Was determined to go to law school. This despite hating his summer internship at a law firm. As far as I could tell his feeling was ‘this is the only thing I can do that I would make a lot of money at and get prestige’. I don’t think I ever succeeded in convincing him that this was irrational. But I reminded him continually that his dream was to be an international aid worker and work on humanitarian crises. “I will be destitute if I follow that dream.” Nonetheless, after he spend a year after undergrad spent studying for and taking the LSAT, he ended up going to grad school to follow the dream. After graduating, he was destitute for many years as he worked his way up the ranks. But he succeeded in making a career in his dream vocation.
As another poster said, relax. High schools do a good job when they start kids thinking ahead about what they want to do in the future. Nothing is etched in stone. It is a good idea for them to have a plan, even if it changes a lot.
My son started out taking math and physics Honors sequences and ultimately decided on math for his college major (no minors at his school). I think technically he was to declare his major earlier than he did, but the system worked for him to take the classes he wanted, including grad level math courses for the honors degree. He overreached (only tippy top schools in a brutal field for applications) for math grad schools and decided to finish the additional computer science major instead of reapplying. He cancelled graduation a few weeks prior to it (his U allowed that- he just added a major- go figure). A fifth college year at our flagship was affordable and he had been two grades ahead (gifted kid)- he did more college instead of the usual elementary years and still was ahead (except for NY where I understand school entry cutoffs are later than most states now- unlike back in my day). His final year he caught up on some less theoretical CS courses- and out of order. He went to work and is happy and intellectually challenged several years later. He likely is better off than if he had gone to grad school in math (we know of someone with top math credentials-schools who had trouble finding jobs, now working overseas with his PhD).
It is good for HS students to have a direction and there will be flexibility later as well.
My two oldest majored in serendipity. My youngest is still searching.
Serendipity: The phenomenon of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought. A fortunate happenstance or pleasant suprise.
S1 Switched from science to humanity majors about 3 weeks into his freshman year. Refined his majors by looking up classes he’d like to take snd fitting them into two majors. His career (so far) came as a result of a small seminar class he took his senior year. The prof recognized passion there (working with challenging high schoolers) and suggested he apply for a particular job. He did, and it has taken him in unexpected directions.
S2 Majored in sciences. Never changed his majors, but added a music minor (which has given him great joy), and a business minor, which is probably the reason he will be going to medical school this fall with a full tuition scholarship. While that may seem like a stretch, it was a logical, though unplanned, bit of serendipity. He applied undecided, but the university contacted him before he started and offered automatic admission to the business school (based on HS grades). He wasn’t really interested, but we said, “Take the offer. Business will always come in handy.” He talked his way into working on a medical school’s clinical/research projects two summers in Malawi and one summer in Nicaragua. Those experiences were direct results of the business classes he had taken (plus a biology major). They needed someone who could take on the business side of the projects. He admits he was in way, way over his head those summers, but contributed valuable work to the business side of the projects. He graduated and worked for a year with a medical consulting company. When he decided to apply to medicsl school, the school he had done summer research with accepted him and offered a scholarship. All happenstance and due to him having taken on an unsolicited undergrad business minor.
D is in college now, and just switched majors from a science to a humanity major. Waiting for some serendipity to come into play, which I’m sure will happen.
S wants to be a music teacher and musician. He also writes arrangements. He used to like history until APUSH drummed the joy out of learning about history; he prefers project and debates to drill and kill study guides and test-driven curriculum. He always preferred humanities classes to math and science. However, his sophomore year he absolutely nailed a solo of “Summertime” at the spring jazz concert. I have it recorded and the audience just gasped as he started in and then hooted and applauded as he was done, and at that moment I just knew it would be music for him. When your kid is pretty smart it’s hard to put your support to music… but then we started thinking music vs. majoring in something like history or English… and music shows more collaboration, commitment to task, stage presence, working to deadlines… we started seeing more life skills in music. It is his passion. Now in his senior year he is annoyed because his classes are taking time away from his music. Also it seems like there is less politically correct nonsense in music. He and another kid in band both want to major in music - you can hear them when the others play and they just sound different. He is looking forward to playing with a group of strong musicians and learning from others like he did when he was a freshman. He likes being at the top but he sees that he is not learning and growing as much so he is ready for something new.
I was at the top of my class; I always wanted to be a teacher and got sick of hearing “you’re too smart to be a teacher.” My husband is in business and he worries about my son’s ability to support a family… but he also sees his absolute love of music.
We ARE encouraging him to do the BA not the BM and pick up a minor or a double major. Most of the music teachers in our area also need supplementary credentialing in a core subject (like English.) Also if he ends up deciding on grad school NOT in music, at least he can read and write and argue. He also needs to go to a big school with lots of options, not a conservatory or a small liberal arts college.
There is a fine line between “pursuing your passion at any cost” vs being pragmatic.
No matter what he is looking at graduate school – credential or Masters in Music or Masters in Education (for pay raises). We are already telling him to prepare to be in school for at least six years and to not be in a hurry to finish - if he wants to take extra classes in something like composition, etc. take advantage of it in college and get the extra experience.
If music is your thing is it good to start early - he did not do a lot of summer music camps until after his junior year. It is good to see how you stack up with musicians from out of your area… good to study music 24/7 for a while to see if it is something you want to STUDY and not just something you want to do because it is fun to be in a band.
DD1: Since 5th grade has wanted to be a Math teacher. Did well in Math, took IB HL Math in HS, Majored in Math, got a Masters in Secondary Education, and now is a HS Math Teacher in a Top 10 NYC Public School.
DD2: Since 4th grade has wanted to be a doctor. Never really thought about a major until closer to college time…till then “doctor” was enough. Senior year of HS she took AP Psychology and decided to be pre-med and major in Psychology. She is now a sophomore majoring in Psychology but also taking pre-med requisites.
i know another son of a friend who always loved tigers as a kid. Had Tiger/jungle as his Bat Mitzvah theme. Majored in whatever you major in to work with Tigers and is now working at a zoo.
D is a college sophomore this year and has changed her mind now three times. I am SO glad she opted for a liberal arts college instead of the options she had that were less flexible. She applied to schools as a Bio/Spanish double major wannabe. Semester #2, changed to Chem/Spanish, Semester #3, Math/Chem, and Semester #4 now as a Math/CS double major. She is right on track being able to double Math/Computer Science and minor in Spanish. Each semester she took her “electives” in a designated subject area rather than taking what one might consider “fun” electives. The only classes she really hasn’t liked to this point was OrgChem and MacroEconomics so anything that involves either is out of the question. Darnit !! I was pushing for Actuarial career paths.
re post # 48. It seems to me that a state flagship would have at least as much flexibility as the LAC- Wisconsin did.
I only half jokingly tell my students that half go into college as undecided and the other half change their major.
At some state flagships, a significant percentage of majors are competitive or restricted admission.
Older D knew in 8th grade she wanted to study engineering. Why I don’t know, neither her Mom or I are engineers. She decided by her sophomore in HS it was to be Chemical Engineering. I credit an excellent AP Chemistry teacher for that. We didn’t push her but she has stuck to it. She is a rising super senior this summer doing her 5th term of a five year co-op.
D2 didn’t really have a good idea of what she wanted to do. She danced since she was 4 but knew she wasn’t good enough to be a dance professional and didn’t want to teach or start a studio. Her sophomore year she took anatomy and physiology in HS and REALLY liked it. She began looking into professions that used that knowledge that didn’t require being a doctor. Like the OP she decided on Physical Therapy. She is now a rising sophomore in college with plans on applying to a DPT program hopefully in a year or so. She plans to graduate a year early with all of her prereqs completed as a … Dance major.
One thing I’d point out to OP that they may already know is that there are pre PT programs that work off a psychology major. She’d have to take anatomy and physiology but I bet many of the rest of the courses are already required for Psych.
I thought the OP’s daughter decided NOT to do PT.
The OP’s kids are finishingnthwor sophomore year of high school. Really, at this point, their major in college could very well be an open book…anything.
Kids don’t need to declare their majors for most fields before college entry.
Kids change majors multiple time son college sometimes.
Caterers aren’t wedded to majors in many cases,
But mostly…between age 15 or 16 and college major declare time…lots could change. This is the time in kids’ lives to open their minds to many options…not necessarily lock into one thing.
In another thread the OP said she changed to psychology. It may change again. And again.
Dd is 20. She wanted to be a professional soccer player. She blew out her knee as a Junior in HS, came back to be all district her Senior year but never got her confidence back and didn’t even go to college. She is finally starting taking one class in CC but no clue what the wants to be.
Ds is a Senior in HS. From the time he was 5 he was totally into politics and wanted to be a lawyer like my husband. He was focused on that until one day during his freshman year in HS he came home and told me that he wanted to be an equine veterinarian. ??? I knew he played polocrosse at camp and loved it but I really thought he just loved the sport. Well after that year he totally focused. He changed high schools to one that had a pre-vet program, worked every summer as a horseback counselor, Got 300 hours in with a small animal vet during his Senior year and is a Certified Vet Assistant. This summer her has a job working directly with an equine vet from the school he will be attending, travelling to different states and helping him. After all this he still really wants to be an equine vet. He was accepted to an Animal Science program, Honors College, and Early Admit to Vet School. He also loves philosophy and loves that the Honors College will help him combine his loves. He could change but right now he is on a path.
I wanted to be a lawyer my entire life. I was great in math and science so schools directed me into engineering and said I could still go to law school. I hated my engineering classes! I was so sick of school there was no way I was going to take more or go to law school. I got my degree, also one in math and ended up at NASA.
Dh wanted to be a chemist. His junior year of college he worked for Dow and realized what he liked was what a chemical engineer did not a chemist. He went straight to grad school and got that masters. While getting it his research was in petroleum engineering. He really liked that and went to work for an oil company after graduation. While there he was tasked to do work with the legal department and fell in love. He left and got his JD and has been a civil trial lawyer doing patents and oil an gas and chemical law since then and loves it.
@thumper1 The OP indicated his D just recently changed her mind to Psychology. I was attempting to point out she could major in Psychology but keep Physical Therapy open as an option by taking certain courses. A Psychology major will already be taking a number of the PT prerequisite courses.
I’m 56, and I still haven’t figured out what I want to do when I grow up. My career for the past 25 years has been unrelated to either of my undergraduate majors, or to my master’s degree.
There are lots of different paths.
When S2 was 4 we found him mixing ‘potions’ (fortunately not including chlorine bleach). Now he’s a junior in chemical engineering.
S1 was about a year old when he starting talking with everyone - non stop and in full sentences. He has a degree in linguistics.
Sometimes they don’t surprise you.
Mine only knew she like math and science when she started looking at colleges. The first few we looked at (LACs) only had 3+2 engineering, and that was a non-starter. When she found her current school, she locked in on engineering, took a general engineering course to figure out which specialty, and picked civil.
Other daughter is still bouncing around, but will most likely end up with a history degree.
I entered school as a poli sci major, did change to journalism, and went back to poli sci.