Help! My kid is a generalist!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mine is the same. Never developed a passion. Happy now at Brown.

Mine is the same too and hoping to get into Brown!!!

OP, I'm hoping that the renaissance person comes back in fashion. My kid is in a stem program but is serious about theatre and music and loves history and literature. She's applied for music programs where she can get enough APs to pick up a double major, theatre programs at schools with strong music and academics, and schools that allow for crossover.

She has good safety options and hoping for some more options by the end of the month. Even the safeties will be great places to learn, grow and hone interests and skills.

Everyone seems to value early specialization, but I think there is a lot to be said for crossover talents, skills and interest. And, that's who my kid is. Maybe yours too

Our neighbors' son went to Brown, majored in biology and comparative literature, and studied four languages. He wants to go to med school but is taking a few gap years in consulting (that Ivy League pipeline lol), so we'll see if he continues to medicine. Another friend's daughter is studying Classics at Brown and also intends to enter consulting (gotta love that on-campus recruitment).

[Anonymous]

I just want to plug (affordable) liberal arts colleges and colleges of arts & sciences at public schools for students who come undecided and/or with a wide range of interests. My own daughters at Pitt and Oberlin have been able to explore several subjects in their first couple of years. Colleges that are more rigid about the four year plan that they've set for students can make it harder for students to graduate on time with a different major (Dad's friend at Northeastern had to take an extra semester and summer of classes to switch from Business to Sociology). Pitt has pesky Gen Ed requirements but it does force students to explore many subjects and it's fairly easy to double major or minor in a bunch of things within the College of A&S (my daughter is double economics and linguistics - things that weren't on her radar prior to college and my Obie is thinking of majoring in biology and classics, with a French minor but she came in wanting to major in history and environmental studies (and hadn't learned Latin or Greek before college).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just want to plug (affordable) liberal arts colleges and colleges of arts & sciences at public schools for students who come undecided and/or with a wide range of interests. My own daughters at Pitt and Oberlin have been able to explore several subjects in their first couple of years. Colleges that are more rigid about the four year plan that they've set for students can make it harder for students to graduate on time with a different major (DD's friend at Northeastern had to take an extra semester and summer of classes to switch from Business to Sociology). Pitt has pesky Gen Ed requirements but it does force students to explore many subjects and it's fairly easy to double major or minor in a bunch of things within the College of A&S (my daughter is double economics and linguistics - things that weren't on her radar prior to college and my Obie is thinking of majoring in biology and classics, with a French minor but she came in wanting to major in history and environmental studies (and hadn't learned Latin or Greek before college).

[Anonymous]

I have an 11th grader who has never shown a passion for anything since ES. Just recently, he has started to show interest in writing (he is good at it and it's easy for him) and history. He isn't applying to any competitive schools so it doesn't matter too much about ECs. Just let him find his way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mine is the same. Never developed a passion. Happy now at Brown.

Mine is the same too and hoping to get into Brown!!!

OP, I'm hoping that the renaissance person comes back in fashion. My kid is in a stem program but is serious about theatre and music and loves history and literature. She's applied for music programs where she can get enough APs to pick up a double major, theatre programs at schools with strong music and academics, and schools that allow for crossover.

She has good safety options and hoping for some more options by the end of the month. Even the safeties will be great places to learn, grow and hone interests and skills.

Everyone seems to value early specialization, but I think there is a lot to be said for crossover talents, skills and interest. And, that's who my kid is. Maybe yours too

Our neighbors' son went to Brown, majored in biology and comparative literature, and studied four languages. He wants to go to med school but is taking a few gap years in consulting (that Ivy League pipeline lol), so we'll see if he continues to medicine. Another friend's daughter is studying Classics at Brown and also intends to enter consulting (gotta love that on-campus recruitment).

ha! that's what DC wants to do

[Anonymous]

I was generalist in school, and have come to see all the value in it as a professional. There is a ton of demand for left brain/right brain thinking in fields like architecture and marketing. Everyone wants to hire the engineer who can actually write and explain his process. Or the writer who can understand statistics. These are the people who rise to leadership positions. Plus, people with diverse interests are pretty fun at cocktail parties.

I actually get a little suspicious of teens who know what they want to do for the rest of their life.

[Anonymous]

Sounds like a wonderful and interesting kid! Leave him be!

[Anonymous]

My kid was exactly like that.
Got in a T20 university.

[Anonymous]

That's great that he's interested in lots of things, encourage that curiosity. Maybe he'll get more focus over time but maybe not, and that's OK. Go to college undecided and explore!

Also, most people (not just kids) have no idea of the vast variety of jobs out there. I always made a point of telling my kids when I learned about something doing a job they might find interesting.

It can also be hard to see how a kid's interest might connect to some future path. My son always liked strategy games esp if they involved math, looking at almanacs with all kinds of interesting statistics, and covered his bedroom walls with maps. Now majors in data science with a focus on geospatial data.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That's great that he's interested in lots of things, encourage that curiosity. Maybe he'll get more focus over time but maybe not, and that's OK. Go to college undecided and explore!

Also, most people (not just kids) have no idea of the vast variety of jobs out there. I always made a point of telling my kids when I learned about something doing a job they might find interesting.

It can also be hard to see how a kid's interest might connect to some future path. My son always liked strategy games esp if they involved math, looking at almanacs with all kinds of interesting statistics, and covered his bedroom walls with maps. Now majors in data science with a focus on geospatial data.

If I'm reading correctly, isn't that what OP is looking for? To get him to be love something specially? In this case, math; and it happened to translate into a career focus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How do I get my DS 9th grader to focus: he likes to dabble in a variety of things (theater, math, history, science, lit) but can't seem to find his passion in any one thing. He has straight As in school but has not really shown a true passion for any ONE or TWO things. I am truly stumped with this kid! I'm searching through my memories to see if he was passionate about any one thing in ES or earlier, but he's always been a very happy, well-adjusted kid who was always game for anything: math workbooks? sure. writing games? why not. science museum? sure. theater camp? sure. soccer? sure. baseball? sure. chess? sure. Aaargh! The result has been that he's very adaptable and switches modes easily. A little too easily.

It's time to start thinking of college, and I need help to guide him forward and find some passion. How do I do that if he doesn't know what he's truly passionate about? How have you kindled this in your high schoolers?

Sorry to interrupt the college decision season and TiA!

Many who are seemingly sure of their major and field, change their mind in college so no need to worry. High IQ and open minded are often generalists, hard to cage their minds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I am definitely not hot housing him, but I want him to be happy with one thing above all the others. He's in our regular home public school, so I don't think getting all As is a big deal. I only bring it up to show that his skill level is pretty even (stem vs. humanities). But while his skills are even and he's adept at switching modes, he's not passionate about any one thing. I fear that in college, he'll be equally unable to find his passion, i.e., pick a major, stick with it, and do well in it.

I'm not saying he has to find himself at 15! I just don't want him to graduate college having just gone through the motions, and wind up in a profession he hates. That is not any one's goal, I'm sure.

Of course I'm not sharing any of my concerns with him! He's very happy, and I'm happy. But he doesn't know that in life choices must be made eventually, and I want him to be happy with his choices. How do I help him?

Being a stem + humanities guy is probably what got my kid into his first choice top 25 univ. In HS he did an engineering program and took 2 languages. Even wrote about his varied interests in an essay to that school and said he was excited to see how he could marry his passions (plural) there.

People change careers all the time. Quite successfully. I wouldn’t give this another minute of thought.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Really OP, get over it. Your kid is your kid, and he's in 9th freaking grade. You don't have to force a "passion" on him in order for him to get into college.

+1

[Anonymous]

My DS was the same. Loved trying new things and liked the challenge. Worked hard at anything he did and has straight As.
Got accepted to many universities and changed sports 3 times in high school. Don’t sweat it!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This used to be called "well rounded." Bizarre that it's now perceived as a problem.

Yeah, really, OP. I think it's a humble brag, IMHO.

If it's not, then WTF?????

Calm down OP. If your kid is well-adjusted, he's not going to be after you start pressuring him to find his "passion." As I said, WTF????