How important is a "practical major"

[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”.

[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.

Many DMV immigrants think they are king of the universe just bc they studied stem. Their talent is mediocre at best.

Signed, former theoretical math major.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It depends, does she have family money to fall back on in case of unsteady employment in her early career years?

Kids who pick "practical" majors often times don't have this. They need steady income right away after college graduation.

This was me. I majored in physics at MIT planning on getting a PhD right away. But I had no family money, had to help family, got an engineering job right away. Have had an interesting career in various fields but never got a physics PhD.

This is so true. I wanted to do quant finance, but my family strongly discouraged me from hustling for better jobs because it’s “less secure and unstable” and I should just bend my back to please my boss who was a mid-wit middle manager at a no name company. I waste the first 7 years of my life at lesser company not building skill, network or reputation. My family didn’t need my help as they are government employees but the mentality is conducive in your early career days.

[Anonymous]

[img]

Anonymous wrote:

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”.

So true. For many business roles you have to fit the culture, which you can’t pickup in college.

Also, many jobs are brutal and cut ruthlessly, like IB or even BigLaw, and a LMC grad can’t really gamble that they could be cut abruptly— they have no family or money to fall back on to pay food and rent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:[img]

Anonymous wrote:

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”.

So true. For many business roles you have to fit the culture, which you can’t pickup in college.

Also, many jobs are brutal and cut ruthlessly, like IB or even BigLaw, and a LMC grad can’t really gamble that they could be cut abruptly— they have no family or money to fall back on to pay food and rent.

IBs/finance rarely cut people on the same day, it’s often done by “manage out” process that lasts 3-6 month. Because these kids are still connected or smart and you don’t want to piss them off when they are young.

When you are young, living off a 3 month grace period severance is not a big deal, yet a lot of people are just deathly afraid of that scenario to even try.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:[img]

Anonymous wrote:

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”.

So true. For many business roles you have to fit the culture, which you can’t pickup in college.

Also, many jobs are brutal and cut ruthlessly, like IB or even BigLaw, and a LMC grad can’t really gamble that they could be cut abruptly— they have no family or money to fall back on to pay food and rent.

IBs/finance rarely cut people on the same day, it’s often done by “manage out” process that lasts 3-6 month. Because these kids are still connected or smart and you don’t want to piss them off when they are young.

When you are young, living off a 3 month grace period severance is not a big deal, yet a lot of people are just deathly afraid of that scenario to even try.

Yes, only people who can handle with basically an extended internship and know they don’t have to worry if they have any trouble finding a job are the ones at IBs.

3 months to find a new job can definitely be hard — when I was young I definitely didn’t have 3 months worth of rent in cash at a whim, I was busy paying student loans etc. moving back home would mean returning to an economically depressed backwater with no jobs. Definitely a reasonable thing to fear.