Would you let your child study liberal arts?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Honestly, it's really their life. We should try to keep our involvement as minimal as possible. I would be fine with it as long they did one of the following: supplement technical skills, professional graduate degree, target in-demand field, Ivy League University. There is a myriad of things you can do with a liberal arts degree. I'd recommend that you and your son have an honest discussion on what his goals are.


+1

No matter what your degree is in, you need to have a plan for what to do with it once you graduate. Fact is an engineer or data analyst degree or finance degree or accounting make it much easier to have that plan. But if you love anthropology or art history or greek mythology, major in that and develop those key critical thinking and writing skills---the world needs more people like that (just like engineers should develop the writing skills as well to succeed) But also get a minor in something that will aide with getting a job---business, data analytics, CS, etc. A business minor is typically only 6 or 7 basic business courses (Econ, statistics and 3-4 other general/intro to the area courses) A good skill set for almost anyone to have, and would certainly help an anthropology (or any other humanities major) get a leg up with finding a job.

This is my attitude, as well. An accountant colleague of mine told me that he regretted getting an undergrad accounting degree---he described it as trade school. He thought he would have been better off with a path like that described above, then working a few years and getting an MBA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:any good university/college will give you plenty of liberal arts education for general requirements
just do not major it lol

"just don't major in it. lol". Brilliant response. I was a double major in history and psychology at a SLAC. Competed for Rhodes, Marshall and other scholarships. Went to Harvard Law School and could buy and sell you before breakfast.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am unsure if I want to finance a college education if he will come out with only a B.A. in some liberal arts discipline. I'd hate the thought of him suffering with unemployment and a low paid career.

What do you think?

I don’t think you have any idea what the liberal arts entail. Go educate yourself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am unsure if I want to finance a college education if he will come out with only a B.A. in some liberal arts discipline. I'd hate the thought of him suffering with unemployment and a low paid career.

What do you think?

Its not my decision but if he is asking my advice then I'll advice to major in STEM to be easily and lucratively employable. A good percentage of liberal arts majors succeed but majority faces problems.

[Anonymous]

Low paid career is fine if he id happy with it, everyone has a right to live the life they prefer.

[Anonymous]

In the social sciences, majors in political science, economics, psychology, sociology, and anthropology would qualify as liberal arts degrees. And in the natural sciences, a liberal arts degree could be a major in biology, mathematics, chemistry, environmental science, or physics.

[Anonymous]

my liberal arts education at a second-rate rate slac got me into Harvard law which changed my life

[Anonymous]

I "let" my kids make their own decisions about major and I am happy that they wish to earn a college degree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:my liberal arts education at a second-rate rate slac got me into Harvard law which changed my life

Right. But most people don't get into Harvard law, regardless of undergraduate degree.

[Anonymous]

Math and Econ are liberal arts

[Anonymous]

My kid got a liberal arts degree in Chemistry with a minor in music and is gainfully employed in his field and applying to grad schools next year.

His best friend got a BA in Philosophy and is making a good salary working for a venture capital firm in Silicon Valley.

Some of you have a very limited understanding of the world.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid got a liberal arts degree in Chemistry with a minor in music and is gainfully employed in his field and applying to grad schools next year.

His best friend got a BA in Philosophy and is making a good salary working for a venture capital firm in Silicon Valley.

Some of you have a very limited understanding of the world.

What school? I'm guessing it's highly ranked.

[Anonymous]

My kid got double major liberal arts degrees in CS and Math.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:any good university/college will give you plenty of liberal arts education for general requirements
just do not major it lol

"just don't major in it. lol". Brilliant response. I was a double major in history and psychology at a SLAC. Competed for Rhodes, Marshall and other scholarships. Went to Harvard Law School and could buy and sell you before breakfast.

All this and you’re still too dumb to understand that your experience is not representative? 🙄

The data show that the lifetime ROI on liberal arts degrees are as high or higher than technical degrees. Forbes did a full analysis on this. It may take longer, but they pay off. And they are more suited to people who are interested and good in those areas and less susceptible to automation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would let either of my kids study something like History if they went on to study Law in grad school.

I would not let either of them study dance, ceramics or other impoverished professions because they do not have trust funds to support those life style choices.

None of those are liberal arts, however, all could lead to law school just as easily as history

I'm sorry what do you think "liberal arts" subjects are??

As far as I'm aware they are "Social Science, Natural Science, Humanities, and Arts."

which includes History, Ceramics, Dance, Psychology, Biology, Politics, Literature.... the list is HUGE

I think things like Art History would be part of liberal arts--they're aiming for general knowledge about a broad range of subjects, an ultimate goal being to learn how to think, to write, to argue, to consider contexts, to make connections, etc. Whereas studying ceramics or dance would be more in-depth learning about a specific artistic technique.

You mean a "General Studies" degree incorporating many subjects and not really committing to any one major, not a "Liberal Arts" degree because these are not the same thing at all.

NP here. No, not at all.

At a selective liberal arts college like Williams, Carleton, Bates, every major is a liberal arts major. Most of these schools require gen or distribution requirements. Math is a liberal arts major. Biology is a liberal arts major. International relations is a liberal arts major. Art history is a liberal arts major.