How important is a "practical major"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
The major is often different from the career you end up pursuing. What's important is to choose something that's in their wheelhouse, otherwise they're not going to last 4 years and it's your money down the drain.

That being said, you can advise them to tweak their choices to protect themselves. My son loves history and military strategy. He chose an International Affairs major, with a concentratino in security policy, and at my request, is doing a Bachelors of Science version that includes a ton of data science courses. Because the data science will come in useful for analysis positions in his field, or for switching to a different career.

Smart to suggest adding in the Data Science. It will open doors to many other areas as well. That is what OP DD needs to do. Start to figure out what she actually wants to do. Because like you said a IA major is more practical than just a history major. and your son gave it focus with the security concentration and data science (BS is almost always better than BA, it's more rigorous)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
The major is often different from the career you end up pursuing. What's important is to choose something that's in their wheelhouse, otherwise they're not going to last 4 years and it's your money down the drain.

That being said, you can advise them to tweak their choices to protect themselves. My son loves history and military strategy. He chose an International Affairs major, with a concentratino in security policy, and at my request, is doing a Bachelors of Science version that includes a ton of data science courses. Because the data science will come in useful for analysis positions in his field, or for switching to a different career.

Would love to know where this major is - sounds like up my son’s alley!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:From my perspective as the parent (aka, person paying the tab), it also depends where my kids are going to school.

I would not pay $90,000 a year to a small LAC or other private school for an unmarketable degree. If we're talking about in-state at a public school, I would be more lenient in choice of major.

As a small example, DD is at a pricey private college, majoring in economics. She would have preferred to get a BA in econ, because it's easier. We are making her take the harder math classes so that she ends up with a BS in econ, which is much more marketable.

Smart move---even if she were at a State U (non pricey schools). If a major offers a "more rigorous" option, it's usually smart to pursue that.
Only time it's not, is say for a CS degree in the LA school versus Engineering school. If your kid wants to take 2-3 years of a foreign language and use their CS degree in conjunction with that or some other LA concentration, then it might make more sense to get a BA. Otherwise, get the BS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From my perspective as the parent (aka, person paying the tab), it also depends where my kids are going to school.

I would not pay $90,000 a year to a small LAC or other private school for an unmarketable degree. If we're talking about in-state at a public school, I would be more lenient in choice of major.

As a small example, DD is at a pricey private college, majoring in economics. She would have preferred to get a BA in econ, because it's easier. We are making her take the harder math classes so that she ends up with a BS in econ, which is much more marketable.

I think I might feel the opposite, because a very pricey LAC is going to give them a legup (presuming it's well ranked etc.) over a state school.

But anyone interviewing from those pricey LAC knows there are two Econ majors, and if you pick the "easier one" without having a valid reason (say a concentration in Foreign language or something else that is a real concentration with meaning for future employment), then they know you took the easier path

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I majored in engineering and have lots of classmates who majored in "impractical" fields who are doing much much better than I am. In fact, several of the smartest tech grads in our class are close to the bottom of the college grad financial totem pole.

It’s somewhat inverted.

Most people coming into practical majors, esp engineering come from lower middle class families. They don’t have connections nor FOB resources to optimize career strategy. Also many of them like are passionate about science or tech which sometimes makes less optimal career choices.

So not true!! Plenty of engineering majors come from UMC/wealthy families. they just like STEM and pursue it. Or they are smart enough to know they can always fall back to business later on with an MBA if engineering isnt' their thing. Most that stick with Engineering are really smart and enjoy what they do

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Has the way that this worked changed a lot in the last 30 years?

I went to a fancy-sounding school but I never thought it really mattered what I studied, and still don't. Heck I even think that a bit for my master's, in my case

Tell me you work in a non-STEM field without telling me you work in a non-STEM field.

And a non-stem fed, at that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our child wants to major in psychology or anthropology. She is a humanities or social sciences kid.
Is a practical major important?

She doesn't have any interest in business, econ., engineering, hard sciences.

Psychology can be highly paid However, you need a masters degree at least and look the part. Good psychologists in Fairfax, VA for instance, generally charge between $100 and $250 an hours. A PhD is better.

To make money in psychology you have to have advanced degrees and be willing to listen to people's problems all day. I have a friend who went back to school (from a great career) to become a therapist. She dealt with problems in her job, so thought it would be a good fit. But actually dealing with people's problems all day every day was not what she could deal with. She went back to her old career.

In terms of the other things your DD likes, is she willing to go to law school? Some sort of graduate school? Is she motivated in any way? Or are these her choices because she is laid back and doesn't really want to do hard work? These things matter if she is going to have to support herself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our child wants to major in psychology or anthropology. She is a humanities or social sciences kid.
Is a practical major important?

She doesn't have any interest in business, econ., engineering, hard sciences.

Ask her to focus on her Ikigai.. something at the intersection of what she loves, is good at, and where she'll get paid enough to make a living. For example, if she loves psychology and loves to work with kids, she could focus on psychological counseling as a future career option. I know a couple of non-psychologists, one an ex-teacher and another an ex-IT employee, that charge over $120/hr counseling high school kids and they have enough work for more than 40 hours a week.

[Anonymous]

my advice is always that it is more important to do well than to something deemed practical. she should study something she likes, have a minor if possible, and do well. I feel that connects you to professors, classmates, internships, specialized classes. at the end of the day it matters more that you have a BA then don't. good luck OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our child wants to major in psychology or anthropology. She is a humanities or social sciences kid.
Is a practical major important?

She doesn't have any interest in business, econ., engineering, hard sciences.

Almost no jobs someone for a Bachelor's degree in Psych or Anthropology. How does she plan to support herself?

In my UMC family, college has always been about enabling a career. That might be law or medicine or STEM -- or something else -- but the degree always was to enable a career where one could support oneself. Do what you think best. We would not pay for our DC to study either of those fields.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Has the way that this worked changed a lot in the last 30 years?

I went to a fancy-sounding school but I never thought it really mattered what I studied, and still don't. Heck I even think that a bit for my master's, in my case

Tell me you work in a non-STEM field without telling me you work in a non-STEM field.

Yes. True.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I majored in engineering and have lots of classmates who majored in "impractical" fields who are doing much much better than I am. In fact, several of the smartest tech grads in our class are close to the bottom of the college grad financial totem pole.

It’s somewhat inverted.

Most people coming into practical majors, esp engineering come from lower middle class families. They don’t have connections nor FOB resources to optimize career strategy. Also many of them like are passionate about science or tech which sometimes makes less optimal career choices.

Aren't these the most practical choices?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I majored in engineering and have lots of classmates who majored in "impractical" fields who are doing much much better than I am. In fact, several of the smartest tech grads in our class are close to the bottom of the college grad financial totem pole.

It’s somewhat inverted.

Most people coming into practical majors, esp engineering come from lower middle class families. They don’t have connections nor FOB resources to optimize career strategy. Also many of them like are passionate about science or tech which sometimes makes less optimal career choices.

Aren't these the most practical choices?

It’s practical to get a decent paying job out of college, but to make real money you need to take risks, sometimes take out debt to get an MBA or take an unstable job at a startup, etc. but the immediate needs of paying rent and student loans make stable career doing work you find interesting doesn’t optimize for higher pay.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our child wants to major in psychology or anthropology. She is a humanities or social sciences kid.
Is a practical major important?

She doesn't have any interest in business, econ., engineering, hard sciences.

Almost no jobs someone for a Bachelor's degree in Psych or Anthropology. How does she plan to support herself?

In my UMC family, college has always been about enabling a career. That might be law or medicine or STEM -- or something else -- but the degree always was to enable a career where one could support oneself. Do what you think best. We would not pay for our DC to study either of those fields.

It is not your life. College is bs nowadays. The world does not need more lawyers or business majors or CS majors

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I majored in engineering and have lots of classmates who majored in "impractical" fields who are doing much much better than I am. In fact, several of the smartest tech grads in our class are close to the bottom of the college grad financial totem pole.

It’s somewhat inverted.

Most people coming into practical majors, esp engineering come from lower middle class families. They don’t have connections nor FOB resources to optimize career strategy. Also many of them like are passionate about science or tech which sometimes makes less optimal career choices.

Aren't these the most practical choices?

It’s practical to get a decent paying job out of college, but to make real money you need to take risks, sometimes take out debt to get an MBA or take an unstable job at a startup, etc. but the immediate needs of paying rent and student loans make stable career doing work you find interesting doesn’t optimize for higher pay.

Lower middle class or immigrants often need to stay in perceived secure job and lose out on opportunities they qualify for.

For example, we hire investor relations analysts out of any major from private schools, so we hire for “at ease” with institutional clients, not hiring for “major with strong stem skills”.