How do you prevent your weak-minded child from majoring in something easy?

[Anonymous]

Grades are only important, if your school/major is so easy that everyone knows you have nothing else.

There is nothing wrong with going to an easy school and studying an easy major, as long as you realize that once you take that route, you have to have a high GPA to stand out.

For me, the grind of being in a class with a teacher I hate (or who hates me because I asked a question they couldn't answer) in a subject that is tangential to my major but needing to get an A is not worth it.

"Grades are important."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just want to point out, you chose your child's father and you raised him or her. So calling him weak minded is a reflection of your parenting style and your genes. Some people should never be a parent. Your poor child. Living with a mother like you.

This is probably 21:47 again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My oldest initially wanted to major in philosophy. Then religion. I was getting concerned, but didn't say anything. He changed his major about five more times before finally ending up with a double major Political Science and English. He is 26 and working on a Masters. He had no trouble at all finding a job.

Philosophy is not an easy major.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My oldest initially wanted to major in philosophy. Then religion. I was getting concerned, but didn't say anything. He changed his major about five more times before finally ending up with a double major Political Science and English. He is 26 and working on a Masters. He had no trouble at all finding a job.

Philosophy is not an easy major.

+1. Significant critical writing and thinking which will be an asset to any company

[Anonymous]

OP, what did you major in? What do you do?

Just pick 10 majors they are allowed to do or refuse to pay for school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My degrees are in English. I make $110K a year, work from home often, have a gorgeous office, and leave every day at 4:30. I love my work.

Pity me for my useless degree!

Hear, hear! I was an English major who had a job in the editorial at a good salary a week before graduating with my BA. It's served me very well too.

[Anonymous]

If your kid is not able to handle subjects that require higher academic abilities, I would let them major in something easy, BUT at the same time make sure they also get certification or training in something that will get them a good paying job. There are a whole lot of careers in IT and computers that does not require a comp sci or Math major.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My degrees are in English. I make $110K a year, work from home often, have a gorgeous office, and leave every day at 4:30. I love my work.

Pity me for my useless degree!

Hear, hear! I was an English major who had a job in the editorial at a good salary a week before graduating with my BA. It's served me very well too.

Not the reality today.
- Humanities major who makes good money and who has steered her children in high-paying STEM fields.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My oldest initially wanted to major in philosophy. Then religion. I was getting concerned, but didn't say anything. He changed his major about five more times before finally ending up with a double major Political Science and English. He is 26 and working on a Masters. He had no trouble at all finding a job.

Philosophy is not an easy major.

+1. Significant critical writing and thinking which will be an asset to any company

If the company is able to see it as an asset.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Raise them not to be weak-minded. Problem solved.

+1000

signed,
parent of toddlers

[Anonymous]

I have a BA and an MA in sociology and I make mid-100k, with 80% telework, and I'm done with work at 3.15pm. Sure, it's not nearly as lucrative as other professions, but I enjoy my work. My husband has degrees in political science and an MPA (a dime a dozen around here, right?) and he makes more than I do.

However, I fully admit that times are different today than in the late 90s when we went to college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My degrees are in English. I make $110K a year, work from home often, have a gorgeous office, and leave every day at 4:30. I love my work.

Pity me for my useless degree!

Same here. I make $105k but *did* get two degreees in communication...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My oldest initially wanted to major in philosophy. Then religion. I was getting concerned, but didn't say anything. He changed his major about five more times before finally ending up with a double major Political Science and English. He is 26 and working on a Masters. He had no trouble at all finding a job.

Philosophy is not an easy major.

+1. Significant critical writing and thinking which will be an asset to any company

If the company is able to see it as an asset.

My philosophy major son is making ~$80K four years out of college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My degrees are in English. I make $110K a year, work from home often, have a gorgeous office, and leave every day at 4:30. I love my work.

Pity me for my useless degree!

Hear, hear! I was an English major who had a job in the editorial at a good salary a week before graduating with my BA. It's served me very well too.

Not the reality today.
- Humanities major who makes good money and who has steered her children in high-paying STEM fields.

PP (in bold), the reality today is that universities are now cranking out graduates with STEM degrees, and in IT at least, many are not ready for the real world of the workplace.

My husband is a senior manager for an IT firm. He says that new hires out of college, as well as hires with some work experience under their belts, apply for jobs and he sees that though they can be whizzes at programming, they are not good at communicating with the clients and users. They don't write well (whether it's a report or their own performance evaluation contribution or just a clear, simple e-mail) and they often are poor at verbal communications in meetings with clients. He has to hold their hands a lot when it comes to communicating. He says he wishes that STEM programs (particularly IT programs) would emphasize writing and communications skills much, much more.

I hope your children's college STEM programs put an emphasis on teaching students how to write and speak to convey what they're doing, both for other science/tech employees and for their non-tech, non-science clients. I think many young adults in college and a few years out of college are being told that that if they can do the technical side of things, they're golden. Then they're upset or resistant when they don't get terrific performance reviews right away--mostly because they failed at pretty basic communication skills needed in an office or lab setting where other people need to know what they're doing.

[Anonymous]

I think quitter is the word the OP was looking for. Weak-minded is a little harsh. Grit is the trait. Kids need grit to push themselves and pursue the tough paths. Not sure how to instill that in a 17-year-old.