Would you pay for ANY major?

Parent Cafe
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<p>When S2 started college, it was as a business major. He really didn’t know what he wanted to do, but he knew the names of the jobs business majors could get, and the business building at University of Denver just blew him away…</p>

<p>H and I looked at each other and just wondered how long this would last. S2 wasn’t a child who thought inside or outside the box…he never even knew the box existed, because he was thinking in “S2 world” and that was where he was happiest.</p>

<p>He hated his business classes, except for the law/ethics/policy ones.</p>

<p>Sophomore year we get a call…he is thinking of changing majors, maybe to political science or philosophy. Would we be disappointed in him? We were laughing so hard and could not stop…our only question was why it took him so long to figure himself out, because those majors were where we saw him any way.</p>

<p>He thrived in his political science and philosophy classes, and along the way discovered the realm of public policy. My wonkish son just completed his MPP, and has his dream job doing policy and advocacy for a nonprofit organization that he loves…at a very decent salary as well.</p>

<p>The point of what I am writing is that there are a lot of jobs out there in the career-sphere that don’t have names on them that a recognizable to high schoolers or some of their families, who don’t know what there is out there beyond “doctor, engineer, programmer, teacher…”</p>

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<p>My kids know we are saving for college. They also know it likely won’t cover 100%. If they get into the school of their dreams that is well-regarded for a major for which their talents make them well suited, we will pay at least half even if we have to sell great-grandma’s farm (literally), but if they are going somewhere undecided because that is where the friends are going the account is it. If they are able to earn more than their share of the cost through good HS grades (scholarships), summer work, creating the next great app, grants, or loans, we will still let them have whatever is in their college fund. We will assist them in choosing a major but not choose for them. We will assist them in spending their college fund wisely, but not choose for them. Once it is gone, it is gone. I’ve seen too many new grads with no ability to make their own decisions. I am a CPA and I train a new group of them every year. If one lives at home to stretch their fund and the other eats pbjs for 4 years to live off campus far away, I’ll still proudly talk about them to whomever will listen! By the way, oldest S has to start learning about making objective life decisions this summer by researching cars and convincing me why 3 different cars would be a wise choice, before he can get his temps in the fall. I have set the criteria (safety rating, reliability, cost of ownership, cool factor, etc), but the choice and half the cost will ultimately be his.</p>

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<p>“he never even knew the box existed, because he was thinking in “S2 world” and that was where he was happiest.”</p>

<p>You just described my son. We weren’t surprised at all when he took the vocational route and now tries to destroy things for a living (to test proper building/installation). I get calls like “I got a thing to solar power my boat!” or “I have to tell you about this new welder I found!” He’s kind of like Calvin from Calvin and Hobbs.</p>

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<p>~yes I would pay for any major</p>

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<p>I would pay for any major also but if it had low earning potential, I would recommend a cheaper school.</p>

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<p>As someone else mentioned earlier in the thread, it may be that the school matters more for humanities majors than for STEM. For many humanities disciplines the pedigree of the degree will matter more for the quality of the education and the chances of employment that for a major like CS which is in high demand.</p>

<p>So, it might not make sense to skimp on the humanities major.</p>

<p>For example, my D is now in a fully funded PhD program in History. Yes, it’s not a job, but she is getting a livable stipend plus full tuition reimbursement. Her major was American Studies so she did not immediately get accepted into a program but had to prove herself in a Master’s year in history she had to pay for. She chose our State U, and the costs were very reasonable.</p>

<p>She was completing with many Masters students for one spot, which she did secure. However, she is convinced that it was the quality of her undergraduate degree, both its pedigree and its rigor, that secured her this spot.</p>

<p>By contrast, her BF was able to get a programming job with a less prestigious degree with a major in applied math.</p>

<p>Of course, parents should not pay for a degree they cannot afford, whatever, the major, but it might not be clear thinking to try to economize on the humanities degree if the money is available.</p>

<p>Prohibitive loans do not make sense for any degree, but I agree that they are to be avoided for a less hirable degree. </p>

<p>Since D is an adult I couldn’t insist that she only matriculate in a funded PhD, but she came to that herself for many reasons including financial pragmatism. She also reasoned that if she couldn’t get an institution to invest in her her chances of being hired in academics were almost non-existent, so she looked at this program as her job in academics, and in fact, she will TA courses and do research.</p>

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<p>This is not my perception of CC at all - indeed, I agree with shrinkrap. My perception is actually the opposite: that there is often a distinctively ANTI-engineering/accounting/CS bias. You know, the “school is more than vocational training” meme, where vocation seems to be a codeword for accounting and engineering.</p>

<p>Then again, my own bias is probably showing - my D is an accountant who loves her field and her job and who chose her career path deliberately and with joy. Why, then, does it seem like her choices are sometimes snidely regarded as “vocational” and thus somehow second-rate? Sheesh! And I say this as a liberal arts/STEM graduate!</p>

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<p>No choices should be derided. I think cptofthehouse shared the frustration of parents whose kids have chosen less pragmatic paths.</p>

<p>I’d be thrilled if my kid were pursuing CS instead of Art History, but he is making his own choices. I am proud of him and find his passion gratifying, but I do wish he were easily employable. </p>

<p>Sometimes some parents come off as a bit smug about their successful stem kids, so maybe there is defensiveness involvement. Congratulations on your D’s success.</p>

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<p>Is that really true? I have one son currently at Brown pursuing a CS/applied math degree and another who got a CS degree from the state university nearly (not the flagship). The depth and difficulty of material is far greater at Brown, probably because the admissions gauntlet means they know their students can handle it. The son from state U taught himself a great deal on his own outside the classroom, but seldom found more than one or two classmates in any given class that really knew what they were doing.</p>

<p>It seems to me that every other student currently in school is either majoring in CS or IT-something or game design with the humanities majors pursuing jobs in “social media.” I can already see that STEM majors are not exempt from oversupply – look at bio majors. So I do worry a bit that a wall will suddenly be hit where there aren’t enough jobs for the growing supply of fresh graduates.</p>

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<p>^^^
According to BLS not a big problem for CS or engineering-
[Want</a> a Great Scientific Career? Choose Computer Science | Science Careers](<a href=“http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/career_magazine/previous_issues/articles/2013_03_25/caredit.a1300053]Want”>http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/career_magazine/previous_issues/articles/2013_03_25/caredit.a1300053)</p>

<p>Of course that assumes that BLS is anywhere near correct, that the jobs actually materialize and aren’t taken by immigrants or outsourced. Plus it assumes the number of CS and engineering students doesn’t double or triple. So maybe it is a little optimistic.</p>

<p>OTOH, one thing I’m also fairly certain isn’t true- the doomsday meme that the only people who will be getting tech jobs are 4.0 grads from the top 10 schools and a flood of IIT graduates, and the rest of the jobs will be offshored. If true, IMO as a nation we’re in big,big trouble economically, and it doesn’t really matter much where you go to school or what you major in.</p>

<p>I’ve been hearing overly optimistic and overly pessimistic labor prognostications since I started working as an engineer around 40 years ago (not computers, directly, and not programming/CS or software - although I have used some programming and did a stint in semiconductors). In that time it has been cyclical . Over the span of years, neither attitude has proven 100% correct. YMMV, I suppose.</p>

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<p>Well, that invites a political discussion of where the jobs went.</p>

<p>I think we all worry about our kids.</p>

<p>My remarks were largely based on my experience if Stony Brook. Those CS and applied math majors have done well, and Stony Brook is certainly not Brown.</p>

<p>I have heard that Brown has a very strong CS program.</p>

<p>I may be wrong about STEM, but I don’t think I’m wrong about the Humanities. A weak humanities program really does compromise the quality of the skill set. Critical thinking skills are best honed in the company of brilliant colleagues.</p>

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<p>Stony Brook is well regarded for CS, even though some NY resident students seem to think of the school itself as being nearly as radioactive as NJ resident students seem to think Rutgers is.</p>

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<p>Sigh. I’m not even up at the level of parents who are frustrated at their children’s choices of majors. I’m grateful if they frigging get through college with ANY major. Some of us are not in the same league as those parents who are skimming the choices off the top in terms of schools, majors, jobs. </p>

<p>I think it is important for parents to discuss the next step, jobs after college and to lay out the facts as to marketability of degrees. But there is a reason why most kids are not STEM, tech, sciences, computer majors. Push too hard, and you may get nothing but disappointment in your children and hurt children.</p>

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<p>My parents do not tell me what I can major in. But, they do tell me they will spend X dollars. And that when I graduate, I can still live in their home, but it will be with sharing a room with my sibling and doing tons of chores. They won’t be giving me any money. So, they said, consider my prospects.</p>

<p>Honestly, I have no clue what to major in. I have three long distance college trips planned for this summer.</p>

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<p>cpt, I am feeling you. Except for the up part. How about diploma vs GED ? Juvenile hall vs jail vs prison? Do we need to reach consensus about what is ‘‘up’’? I think it varies.</p>

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<p>I’m sure it’s likely been said repeatedly in the previous 14 pages, but NO, I wouldn’t pay for just any college major for any of our children. </p>

<p>DS will be a college freshman next year, and we said we’d cover his undergrad but (1) he’d apply for as many scholarships as possible, and (2) he’d be required to select an obviously marketable major that would be in relatively good demand in tough economic times…something that would likely bring him several “in his field” job offers upon graduation.</p>

<p>No art history, no english lit or Russian studies, etc.</p>

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<p>Don’t forget that college is just a way station in life. Ted Kaczynski was a STEM major from Harvard, but that didn’t help much in the long run. :(</p>

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<p>I really don’t understand many of these attitudes. English majors find jobs. So can Art History majors if they have hits able skill set. My dad had a very important corporate job. His perfect hire was an English major who could write and communicate.</p>

<p>It has more to do with the attitude of the young person than the major.</p>

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<p>^^^Hmmn, actually, the State department might be very interested in a Russian studies major in the next few years…</p>

<p>Yes, I will pay for any major that my D or S is willing to work very hard at. The world desperately needs musicians and dancers, artists and filmmakers, poets and philosophers. I want a world filled with music, art, poetry and deep thinkers, along with doctors, engineers, chemists, plumbers, masons, architects, teachers, and really great lawyers.</p>

<p>I am grateful to see so many parents here declare that they will pay for any major. We need a world rich in culture. We don’t need everything to be about money. Students can be employed in a variety of fields.</p>

<p>This week, go see a dance concert, a play, a piano recital, an art exhibit. Then thank the parents of those artists for their support of their non-STEM kids. :)</p>

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<p>What is your definition of an acceptable “obviously marketable major”?</p>