Would you let your child study liberal arts?

[Anonymous]

If they have an ounce of people skills, they can just go into sales. I studied french and history in college. In my junior year, I had a breakdown and realized I didn't want to work for a non-profit or go to graduate school. I talked to my career center and one thing led to another. Next thing you know, I was a sales intern at a small tech company. Companies are dying for sales people. If your kid is driven and knows how to communicate, they will have no problem finding a job.

[Anonymous]

If this is a real OP, absolutely. Personally, I’d “let” them study what they want as long as they seemed engaged in the process of thinking through how to make that a career. Middle eastern studies major could mean they want to join the foreign service, work on Capitol Hill, get a PhD or JD or MBA...

[Anonymous]

There is absolutely nothing wrong with liberal arts. both of my kids will be studying for a liberal arts degree. I have a degree in government and have had a long and happy career as an HR executive. Have two relatives with math degrees, both have MBAs and work in very high level corporate and finance jobs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No - because he gets to decide, I'm not "letting" him study anything.

But I will encourage him to study liberal arts, and I hope he listens.

--Liberal Arts Ph.D.

+1

My DC1 was a philosophy major. Landed a job with benefits within a few months of graduating and is self- supporting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Smart kids get hired OP, even art history majors. Just make sure he lands some good internships

+1 math and physics are liberal arts majors too. The point should be to develop a skill and internship plan along with a major.

+1. I’m “letting” one of my kids kid study geophysics at a SLAC. He’ll likely go to grad school in geophysics as a very strong writer with excellent communication skills.

I am “letting” the other kid major in IR at a SLAC, with minors in French and Middle Eastern Studies (focus on Arabic language). The demand by the US government for American citizens with critical language skills (Arabic) is enormous.

DH’s parents “let” him get a degree in math and CS from a LAC. He was promoted to Chief Softaware Architect largely because he has string writing skills.

My parents “let” me major in Wnglish at a LAC. I went on to law school.

We are paying for our kids LAC educations with no need based aid or loans.

I don’t think OP understands what a liberal arts education is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My ds was a biochem major with a minor in English. There was initial talk of a double major, but we encouraged him to start with the intention of an English minor and then 'see what happens', but we wouldn't have forbidden him from the English major if that was what he wanted. He's brilliant, so I expect he would have used that major to excel somewhere. If he had been angling for the liberal arts major because he thought it was easier and was struggling, then we would have intervened. (Though an English major at his school was not an easy path, either).

Your kid has a liberal arts education. Why don’t people understand that biology and chemistry and math and physics are all liberal arts?

[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 think you are not well educated, or you are a recent immigrant who is unfamiliar with the U.S. system of elite education.

I will pay for my child to study whatever my child loves. I will not force my child to study CS or nursing or EE or something lucrative just because I think it's more valuable.

Education is valuable. The ability to think is valuable.

Most Wall Street firms love to hire Ivy League grads with degress in philosophy, history, politics, etc., because they are able to think really really well, see issues from many sides, are flexible and knowledgeable and nimble of mind.

Kids who studied EE from the get go seem to be very inflexible by comparison, only able to see things in black and white, and to have trouble thinking on their feet and thinking out of the box.

But, you be you, OP. I hope your kid wants to study something practical that you approve of. Else your kid will have a miserable life working at something he or she doesn't care about.

[Anonymous]

I have a kid studying performing arts (B.M. degree). It turned out that his top choice was also his least expensive option for undergrad so he has money for an extra semester or year (if I can persuade him to add a minor or a second concentration that's not Jazz studies) with money left over for a master's.

But I know my kid - he was not really interested in anything else academically. If he ends up with a low-paying job and an M.M., at least he won't be drowning in debt. If we really had to scrape by or borrow money for undergrad, I admit I would feel uneasy about it, but I still wouldn't force him to study engineering or CS. He's allowed to value what he values.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If they have an ounce of people skills, they can just go into sales. I studied french and history in college. In my junior year, I had a breakdown and realized I didn't want to work for a non-profit or go to graduate school. I talked to my career center and one thing led to another. Next thing you know, I was a sales intern at a small tech company. Companies are dying for sales people. If your kid is driven and knows how to communicate, they will have no problem finding a job.

+1

My DS majored in communication in college because it is an easy major for D1 athletes. He got an internship in FinTech sale after his junior year, and is making 1M/year seven years after graduation.

[Anonymous]

Yes but we are well off with connections so my kids would be fine but I definitely wouldn't push it.

[Anonymous]

would you let your student be educated?

[Anonymous]

Yes. I make more with my English degree than my friends do with their business degrees.

Liberal arts degrees don't date as much in the long term, and are much more flexible-it's just harder to get your first job. my business major friend now makes $15 an hour as a customer service rep, in her 50s, after being laid off multiple times.

[Anonymous]

I encourage my kids to pursue liberal arts degrees for undergrad. I own a business and only hire liberal arts majors. The critical thinking alone is worth the tuition not to mention the ability to write.

Even my DD finishing medical school this year was a liberal arts major. Most top medical schools now are encouraging it.

[Anonymous]

I am a university professor. Luckily my kids get free tuition at my university so if they want to study "whatever" then that's their fallback. I would not pay for liberal arts or hard sciences. I would pay for most engineering fields, accounting, finance, and that's about it. They would also need to get admitted to a school ranked at least 20 spots higher if I'm going to pay private school level tuitions. There just is not that much difference in quality or outcomes between schools ranked 20 and 40, or between 50 and 100 for that matter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What major is he thinking about? And yes you should encourage your children to follow what they are passionate about.

Middle eastern studies at Emory University

Lots of practical applications with this degree, OP. Strange that wouldn’t occur to you.

Like what?

NP
State Department / CIA